By Destry Maycock, MSW

Think about your interactions with your children today. How many things did you notice they did wrong? What did you do or say to them because of their wrong doings? Have they engaged in the same kind of behavior before? What did you do or say the times before? Is it working? How many things did you notice your children did right today? If you did take the time to notice, what did you do or say to them? Did you praise or reward them in some way? If so, then read no further and keep up the good work. If you could use a little work on doing this, then read on.

Let's face it. We parents often neglect to notice the positive things our children do. Rather, we tend to focus on our children's negative behaviors, because they either annoy us or otherwise make our lives difficult. Have you ever heard the phrase, "that which gets noticed gets repeated?" If all we ever notice is the negative things our children do, then why would they do anything different? It is as if we program our children to believe "if I'm only noticed when I do something wrong, then so be it."

It is just as important, if not more, to notice our children's positive behaviors. Remember most behaviors are controlled by their consequences. Some may believe rewarding kids for positive behavior is bribery. We all receive rewards daily for doing things well, at work, at home, and at play. These rewards often motivate us to continue the behaviors for which they were received. Where parents use rewards ineffectively is when they give a positive consequence to stop an inappropriate behavior. For example, "I'll give you a cookie if you stop whining." This only encourages the inappropriate behavior. Where as rewarding kids for their positive behaviors is quite the opposite and much more productive.

Using positive reinforcement to strengthen a desired behavior is easy. Just watch and wait for the behavior to occur then reinforce it with praise, a pat on the back or a special privilege. It may go something like this, "David, I really appreciate how you came in the house when I asked and you even did it without a big hassle. You should feel good about being able to do that." How about, "Wow Jamie, your bedroom looks awesome. You must have worked really hard on it. I bet you worked up a healthy appetite. Why don't you decide what we have for lunch today."

Focusing on your children's positive behaviors could be the most productive parenting change you make if you don't already do it. Chances are you have been trained like the rest of us to only call attention to the bad things your kids do. This phenomenon isn't found solely in the parent/child relationship. It is also prevalent in spousal, sibling and employee/employer relationships. When was the last time your boss called you into his office and asked you to shut the door? Was it because he just wanted to tell you what a wonderful job you are doing and how valuable of an employee you are? If so, lucky you. More than likely, it was because he wanted to talk to you about something he thought you could do better or you were doing something wrong. People tend to take positive behavior for granted and punish negative behaviors.

Some parents find it helpful to make a note and put it where they can see it often. The note might read, "notice the positive" or "catch'em doing good." You may also want to consider using a jar of consequences, a parenting tool that parents can use to help them focus on and reinforce the positive behaviors their children exhibit.

Catch your kids being good. It could have a profound affect on the atmosphere in your home. Whatever it takes I assure you it will be worth it.

Destry Maycock has over eleven years experience working with children and families as a professional social worker. Destry has helped hundreds of parents solve a variety of parenting challenges and strengthen their relationships with their children. Visit http://www.parentingstore.com to see the latest parenting programs.

By Destry Maycock

Think about your interactions with your children today. How many things did you notice they did wrong? What did you do or say to them because of their wrong doings? Have they engaged in the same kind of behavior before? What did you do or say the times before? Is it working? How many things did you notice your children did right today? If you did take the time to notice, what did you do or say to them? Did you praise or reward them in some way? If so, then read no further and keep up the good work. If you could use a little work on doing this, then read on.

Let's face it. We parents often neglect to notice the positive things our children do. Rather, we tend to focus on our children's negative behaviors, because they either annoy us or otherwise make our lives difficult. Have you ever heard the phrase, "that which gets noticed gets repeated?" If all we ever notice is the negative things our children do, then why would they do anything different? It is as if we program our children to believe "if I'm only noticed when I do something wrong, then so be it."

It is just as important, if not more, to notice our children's positive behaviors. Remember most behaviors are controlled by their consequences. Some may believe rewarding kids for positive behavior is bribery. We all receive rewards daily for doing things well, at work, at home, and at play. These rewards often motivate us to continue the behaviors for which they were received. Where parents use rewards ineffectively is when they give a positive consequence to stop an inappropriate behavior. For example, "I'll give you a cookie if you stop whining." This only encourages the inappropriate behavior. Where as rewarding kids for their positive behaviors is quite the opposite and much more productive.

Using positive reinforcement to strengthen a desired behavior is easy. Just watch and wait for the behavior to occur then reinforce it with praise, a pat on the back or a special privilege. It may go something like this, "David, I really appreciate how you came in the house when I asked and you even did it without a big hassle. You should feel good about being able to do that." How about, "Wow Jamie, your bedroom looks awesome. You must have worked really hard on it. I bet you worked up a healthy appetite. Why don't you decide what we have for lunch today."

Focusing on your children's positive behaviors could be the most productive parenting change you make if you don't already do it. Chances are you have been trained like the rest of us to only call attention to the bad things your kids do. This phenomenon isn't found solely in the parent/child relationship. It is also prevalent in spousal, sibling and employee/employer relationships. When was the last time your boss called you into his office and asked you to shut the door? Was it because he just wanted to tell you what a wonderful job you are doing and how valuable of an employee you are? If so, lucky you. More than likely, it was because he wanted to talk to you about something he thought you could do better or you were doing something wrong. People tend to take positive behavior for granted and punish negative behaviors.

Some parents find it helpful to make a note and put it where they can see it often. The note might read, "notice the positive" or "catch'em doing good." You may also want to consider using a jar of consequences, a parenting tool that parents can use to help them focus on and reinforce the positive behaviors their children exhibit.

Catch your kids being good. It could have a profound affect on the atmosphere in your home. Whatever it takes I assure you it will be worth it.

Destry Maycock, MSW has had over eleven years experience working with children and families as a professional social worker. Destry has helped hundreds of parents solve a variety of parenting challenges and strengthen their relationships with their children. Destry enjoys developing tools that help parents with the difficult but rewarding duty of raising children. His most recent creations can be found at http://www.parentingstore.com

By Rose Randolph

If someone in your family had bed wetting problems, you may wish to tell your child this story, to make them feel more comfortable about themselves. Of course, it may also be embarrassing if your child chooses to share this story at the next family reunion.

Regardless, reassure your child that this problem will go away as time passes, and that many children wet the bed. Do not run out and buy every single product on the market that promises to help your child stop bedwetting - your child will gain the impression that this is so important to you that youll stop at nothing to end the bedwetting. Instead, form a plan from the available methods to help your child stop bedwetting and follow the plan until it does or doesnt work, or you see signs of a medical problem.

Remember that this will most likely just be a matter of time. Even if your child has secondary enuresis and you have removed the stress and gone to therapy, it can still take time for your childs sleep and bathroom habits to resettle, and thus for bedwetting to end. Give it time and patience, and you will get past this phase easily.

Basically: DO * Be patient * Clean up messes quickly, and if your toddler is older, have them help clean up, before washing hands thoroughly * On toddlers, using pull up diapers until they are ready to go the night without a diaper may make life easier * Put a rubber sheet on the bed * Realize that this is just a phase, and your child will grow out of this * Be flexible * Talk to your child about how the bladder works DONT * Yell at your child * Make them feel embarrassed or feel that bedwetting only happens to babies; its quite common in toddlers and happens to a lot of children as well

Rose Randolph provides families with information and resources related to bedwetting through her website at www.OvercomeBedwetting.com You may reprint this article, as long as you include all of the above text, authors information and a working link to www.OvercomeBedwetting.com

By Rachel Evans

Why do some autistic kids have trouble when it comes to toilet training? There are different reasons, some of which include:

* Imitation difficulties

* Hypnotic condition - A lack of muscle control and failing to react or recognize the urge to urinate.

* Not being aware of feeling wet can also complicate and delay toilet training.

* Damaged cerebellum and basal ganglia - These are areas of the brain that are not formed correctly in autistic children, and are responsible for functions related to learning, motivation, cognition and movement control.

There are different methods to help your child overcome enuresis. However, the treatment that will work best depends on the childs individual needs. In addition, you need to make sure your child can efficiently use the toilet during the day before working on controlling bedwetting.

The following are 5 tips you can try to help eliminate bedwetting:

1.Diet adjustment - Diet intervention may help autistic children with bedwetting because many autistics are prone to allergies and have sensitivities to certain foods, because they have a damaged immune system.

Common food allergies that can lead to bedwetting include grain (IE wheat, oats, barley), dairy products, strawberries and citrus fruits. Aside from bedwetting, other symptoms caused by these foods may be stomachaches, nausea, whining, crying, hyperactivity, aggression, insomnia, and in rare cases, a seizure.

In order to find out if your child has an allergy, you will need to remove the food from their regular diet for about two weeks and then give it to them on an empty stomach. If allergic, they will have a reaction 15 minutes to an hour from the time they ingested the food. If a reaction occurs, then you know what food to eliminate. Note: consult your doctor before trying this treatment method.

2. Reduce fluids - Limit the amount of fluids you give your child before bed. Get your child used to having a drink an hour before bedtime, instead of right before its time to sleep. This will help reduce the chance of bedwetting.

3. Night-lifting - This technique involves waking you child occasionally throughout the night and walking them to the bathroom to use the toilet, and returning them to their bed. Teaching your child to wake up and empty their bladder at various times during the night can help send the right message and improve toilet training.

4. Dry protection - Absorbent underpants, a protector sheet and placing a protector pad between the sheets and mattress are all great ways to help a child feel dry at night while they are still learning how to develop control. Disposable, absorbent underpants help your child and you cope with bedwetting, by preventing pajamas and sheets from having to be washed when there is an accident. Furthermore, when using such protection, talk to your child about what the urge to urinate feels like.

5. Moisture Alarm - This is a special alarm that clips on to the outside of bed sheets and activates as soon as the child begins to wet the bed. The idea is the alarm will wake the child who will then finish their business in the washroom before returning to sleep. Note: talk to your doctor about moisture alarms.

It takes time to stop your autistic child from bedwetting, but you need to stay persistent, patient and understanding even well after it appears the child has ceased enuresis as it is not uncommon for relapses to occur.

If you are looking for more help for Autism symptoms please visit EssentialGuideToAutism.com and sign up for a free newsletter.

By Brook Noel

Children with healthy self-esteems try hard in school, get along well with others, hold a 'can-do' attitude about life, and feel positive about their environment. They can accept ups and downs graciously. The opposite is true of children who suffer from low self-esteems. These children compare themselves to others and never feel they have done well enough. They are frustrated easily and fear risk and challenge. Children with low self-esteems can easily fall prey to peer pressure, eating disorders, and other dangers.

You can help a child who has a low self-esteem by examining the reasons behind it. You can also encourage the continuity of those children who have healthy self-esteems. By using a positive, can-do attitude in your home, you will pass that attitude on to your child. Try the following ideas to encourage a positive self-esteem:

EXAMINE YOURSELF AND YOUR ATTITUDE Children learn by example. If you hold a high self-esteem and think positively, odds are your child will to. If you suffer from a low self-esteem you will need to examine your current patterns of thinking and work on changing them.

SEEK OUT THE POSITIVE This does not mean you need to be a Pollyanna but you should search for the positive side of things. When your child comes to you with a problem, ask questions and pursue the positive side. The same goes for how you act in your own endeavors. When things go wrong look for the up side.

RELATE TO YOUR CHILD Parents often will sit and tell the humorous stories of their past. There is probably much more your child would like to hear. When your child comes to you with a dilemma, share your own experience. Even though you may be years apart your child may find relief that you have had times of self-doubt and concern.

WHY ASK WHY? If your child uses statements like 'I cant' or other statements that show he is frustrated or giving up, ask 'Why cant you?' Asking these questions may frustrate your child and you may hear answers like 'I dont know… I just cant!' Try bringing the subject up later when the intensity of the situation has lessened. Then ask 'Earlier today you said you could not solve that puzzle, why dont you think you could solve it?' By exploring reasons together you may find the source of a low self-esteem.

IDENTIFY STRENGTHS Another way to increase self-esteem is to emphasize a childs strong points. If he is good in art but doesnt do well in sports–work with him and praise him on his art. By developing a feeling of confidence in one area, that confidence may spread into another area of a childs life.

PRAISE AND ENCOURAGEMENT Praise and encouragement are essential vitamins for a child. Encourage all children and praise them for situations where they put their 'all' into it, no matter what the result. Filling your vocabulary with positive statements and providing a positive environment are big steps in helping your child build a healthy self-esteem.

Brook Noel is an international best-selling author and has written over 10 books. Her newest book The Change Your Life Challenge: A 70 Day Life Makeover Program for Women has helped thousands of women improve relationships, finances, home management, self-esteem, fitness, self-care, stress and depression you can visit the website at http://www.changeyourlifechallenge.com/.

By Tim Henry

Generally a preliminary audition is a time when the director, associate directors and casting people can see and hear the actors. Just seeing and hearing your child is an important first impression. Help keep your child calm and focused. If a child is uncomfortable and disagreeable and obviously not happy its a big no-no, and a no-brainer that this child wont be called back.

Your child should have at least one monologue prepared, and, if the show is a musical, a song. Make sure that your child is familiar and comfortable with the monologue and song. It will show.

Keep a positive attitude with your child but remain realistic. Of course not every child will be called back for a second audition for this particular show. However, if your child remains positive and is enthusiastic, and of course is truly talented, he or she will leave a lasting impression on the directors. Often directors remember a stand-out when another opportunity presents itself. Your child could get a surprise call to audition for another part.

Make sure you keep it a light as you can and make sure that this experience is also fun for your child. Auditions take a lot of self-confidence. Being passed over and rejected for a part is not easy, but is a part of the process. A lot of parents say that the skills their children learn in the theatre translate positively into their daily lives.

This article provided courtesy of http://www.acting-school-america.com

By Madina Bakhitova

Disclaimer: None of the content of this article should be considered medical or psychological advice. You should consult with your health care professional for specific advice relating to your medical and psychological questions or conditions.

An important issue for psychologists, pediatricians, and other specialists working with children is physical and mental development of children and adolescents. There are many age periodizations in child's development and going through every period, child learns and gets new abilities. However, children with chronic illnesses like diabetes, sickle cell anemia, severe asthma, cancer and others cannot go through regular physical and mental development. Due to special treatment they cannot go to ordinary school like healthy children, sometimes they have to stay in hospitals for a long period of time. How to help children with illnesses develop mentally and not drop behind children of the same age?

1. Create special home or hospital-educational plan and organize short mathematics, logics and reading lessons every day or week. Together with your child you can make this time very interesting and useful. New information, which you can find for your child, will help him or her to feel completeness of life and self-efficiency.

2. Create homework assignments for your child. Begin with easy arithmetical (or any other subject) tasks. Doing it successfully will help your child to raise self-confidence and interest to new knowledge.

3. Even small tasks which demand accuracy (for example, measuring table in centimeters or inches) can be very interesting if you explain that every item around us should be planned and measured very accurately first, before constructing. Manual tasks demanding attention and accuracy are very useful, because they increase ability to concentrate and regulate attention.

4. Be patient and teach your child to be patient. This will help your child to be optimistic during treatment process and have positive attitude to the environment - some of the major components of psychological and physical health.

5. Contributing to your child's mental development will help your child feel all your love. Receiving interesting information, positive attitude and cheerful mood create a special condition to improve health and stop illness progress. Help your child be interested in knowing more and more about this world, prompt him or her to be healthy and you will see positive changes in your child's life.

Madina Bakhitova-Niazoff, MS Psychology, is the chief editor for http://www.psychologyspace.com - an online psychology portal providing news and information on various psychology subjects, discussion forum, psychology RSS feeds and web links.

By Jean Tracy, MSS

How positive affirmations increase thoughtfulness:

When your child invites a shy kid to play, you can increase your childs thoughtfulness with a positive affirmation like: 'Im pleased when you include kids who arent playing -

Because it shows how thoughtful you are. Because you just made (kids name) feel welcomed. Because you made sure everyone is having a good time.' Your child is likely to increase non-violent behavior and include even more kids when playing. Your positive affirmation encouraged him. All kids crave encouragement. Your positive affirmation increased his character too.

How positive affirmations increase empathy:

When your child helps a fallen child with a bloody knee, you can increase your childs character with a positive affirmation like: 'I admire you when you help kids who are hurt - Because you are taking care of others. Because it shows that you think beyond yourself. Because it shows you have a heart that cares.'

Your child is likely to increase non-violent behavior and continue helping kids. Your positive affirmation appreciated her. All kids crave appreciation. Your positive affirmation increased her character too.

How positive affirmations increase tolerance:

When your child forgives another child for teasing, you can increase your childs character with a positive affirmation like: 'I respect you when you forgive those who hurt you -

Because you didnt take the teasing personally. Because you realize words cant hurt you unless you let them. Because it takes a child with a big heart to forgive.'

Your child is likely to increase non-violent behavior and become even more tolerant. Your positive affirmation praised him. All kids crave praise. Your positive affirmation increased his character too. You can raise a child with non-violent behavior. When you encourage, appreciate, and praise, you respect your child. Your child, in turn, will respect you and others. Why not use positive affirmations everyday and build character too?

Jean Tracy, MSS, publishes a Free top-rated parenting newsletter, Tips and Tools for Character Builders. Subscribe and receive 80 Free family fun activities to share with your kids.

By Caitlina Fuller

Drug or Alcohol Abuse We all know that teens are confronted with alcohol and drugs on a frequent basis and it is not beyond our imagination that teens may even try drugs and alcohol. However, if you notice that your child seems to be abusing either of these then it is time to stand up and make some changes.

Depression If your child begins to want to sleep all day, loses interest in activities he previously enjoyed, and the like then you should be concerned about depression. If your teen is depressed be relieved that it can be treated but dont delay. Depression is serious and should be taken seriously.

Disrespect If you previously had a respectful and courteous child that has now turned into a disrespectful child you should be concerned. Perhaps your teen is troubled and needs your help. Decline in Academic Performance Consider that something is going on with your child if their grades start slipping. This isnt to say that your kid has a problem with one test or in one class but rather starts letting his grades slip overall.

Bad Attitude If your child all of a sudden has a bad attitude towards everything then this is another sign something may be going on.

Suicide Attempt If your child attempts suicide dont mistakenly believe that he was doing so just to get attention. And while he does need your attention he also needs immediate psychological help. Dont delay or underestimate the severity of a suicide attempt. If any of these symptoms are occurring in your child then you should consider a teen treatment center where your child can get the help he needs. If your child displays several of these symptoms then a boarding school for troubled youth may be a better solution. Keep a look out for these symptoms and spend time with your child to find out what is going on in his life. This is very important and could be what saves your childs life one day.

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer.

By Razvan Rovinaru

The first thing you need to do after deciding to home educate you child is to develop a clear curriculum. The flexibility that comes with home based schooling allows you to teach something in many different ways which can be a positive thing but also a negative one, because you risk providing an unbalanced education that can affect your childs learning experience.

Setting a clear learning plan will help you be more effective as a teacher. A good start would be to look at the standard curriculum for his grade in a public or private school. This way you could notice the expectations for any given subject and decide on your targets and timeline.

Another very important aspect of home based schooling is discipline as you must draw a line between home and learning at home. The familiar environment can prove to be a distraction for your child. Thats why you, as the parent, must focus 100 percent on his education between 'school hours'. Imagine teaching your child at the same time as trying to cook dinner or watch the Monday night sitcom. This attitude will send him the message that his education is not a main priority to you and he will treat it likewise.

As you and your child learn together, not only will you develop a priceless learning experience but youll also strengthen your relationship with him - a very important benefit.

Free Home Based Schooling Information, Advice and Help.

By Andrew Borodin

From possibilities you would have applied the suggested improvements and you and your child will be going great guns. If not, dont despair because it all takes time. Patience will definitely be required. So be positive and gentle, when you are dealing with your child. Always remember it was not easy growing up when adults wanted you to do something quickly when you have never done anything like what they are requiring you to do.

By being able to associate to your childhood you will be able to associate to your child. Well at least it will give you insight to how you handled things as a child. This will help by taking the tension out of all the situations that you and your child will be involved. It will help establish a talking point from where you will be able to improve your rapport and have a common base.

In all cases have a good attitude, listen and encourage, never let a moment slip by, where you have an opportunity to spend time with your child take it with both hands. Enjoy your childs company because the child will grow up and you would lose the opportunity. Some things in life you only get one shot at, so do everything in your power to enjoy your children.

Andrew Borodin is a retired teacher who helps people with their kids. He is passionate in seeing kids growing up to their potential in life. http://www.parent-child-help.com

Andrew Borodin is a retired teacher who helps people with their kids. He is passionate in seeing kids growing up to their potential in life. http://www.parent-child-help.com

By Jean Tracy, MSS

Jaclyn O'Malley published an article about a middle school student in the Reno Gazette-Journal last March. The student deliberately shot one classmate. A second bullet ricocheted off the floor and hit a nearby girl. The 14 year-old shooter did it because his classmates made fun of him.

Having been a child/family counselor, I know the pain parents feel when an enraged child becomes violent. I know how helpless parents can feel, and I know how parents can build character so that their kids choose non-violent behavior.

Using positive affirmations from early childhood can help. Below are 3 positive affirmations that increase non-violent behavior and build character too.

How positive affirmations increase thoughtfulness:

When your child invites a shy kid to play, you can increase your child's thoughtfulness with a positive affirmation like:
"I'm pleased when you include kids who aren't playing -

Because it shows how thoughtful you are.
Because you just made (kid's name) feel welcomed.
Because you made sure everyone is having a good time."

Your child is likely to increase non-violent behavior and include even more kids when playing. Your positive affirmation encouraged him. All kids crave encouragement. Your positive affirmation increased his character too.

How positive affirmations increase empathy:

When your child helps a fallen child with a bloody knee, you can increase your child's character with a positive affirmation like:
"I admire you when you help kids who are hurt -

Because you are taking care of others.
Because it shows that you think beyond yourself.
Because it shows you have a heart that cares."

Your child is likely to increase non-violent behavior and continue helping kids. Your positive affirmation appreciated her. All kids crave appreciation. Your positive affirmation increased her character too.

How positive affirmations increase tolerance:

When your child forgives another child for teasing, you can increase your child's character with a positive affirmation like:
"I respect you when you forgive those who hurt you -

Because you didn't take the teasing personally.
Because you realize words can't hurt you unless you let them.
Because it takes a child with a big heart to forgive."

Your child is likely to increase non-violent behavior and become even more tolerant. Your positive affirmation praised him. All kids crave praise. Your positive affirmation increased his character too.

You can raise a child with non-violent behavior. When you encourage, appreciate, and praise, you respect your child. Your child, in turn, will respect you and others. Why not use positive affirmations everyday and build character too?

Jean Tracy, MSS, publishes a Free top-rated parenting newsletter, Tips and Tools for Character Builders. Subscribe and receive 80 Free family fun activities to share with your kids.

By Caitlina Fuller

Has your teenager been acting different lately and you are wondering what's going on? It's possible you have a troubled teen on your hand and if that is the case then you need to be proactive to find out what is going on in order to help your teen immediately. Some early symptoms of troubled teens include the following as well as others so be sure to keep your eyes and ears open when it comes to your child.

Drug or Alcohol Abuse
We all know that teens are confronted with alcohol and drugs on a frequent basis and it is not beyond our imagination that teens may even try drugs and alcohol. However, if you notice that your child seems to be abusing either of these then it is time to stand up and make some changes.

Depression
If your child begins to want to sleep all day, loses interest in activities he previously enjoyed, and the like then you should be concerned about depression. If your teen is depressed be relieved that it can be treated but don't delay. Depression is serious and should be taken seriously.

Disrespect
If you previously had a respectful and courteous child that has now turned into a disrespectful child you should be concerned. Perhaps your teen is troubled and needs your help.
Decline in Academic Performance
Consider that something is going on with your child if their grades start slipping. This isn't to say that your kid has a problem with one test or in one class but rather starts letting his grades slip overall.

Bad Attitude
If your child all of a sudden has a bad attitude towards everything then this is another sign something may be going on.

Suicide Attempt
If your child attempts suicide don't mistakenly believe that he was doing so just to get attention. And while he does need your attention he also needs immediate psychological help. Don't delay or underestimate the severity of a suicide attempt.
If any of these symptoms are occurring in your child then you should consider a teen treatment center where your child can get the help he needs. If your child displays several of these symptoms then a boarding school for troubled youth may be a better solution. Keep a look out for these symptoms and spend time with your child to find out what is going on in his life. This is very important and could be what saves your child's life one day.

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer.

By Tony Robinson

These cues can by extreme shyness, hesitance to begin projects, negative attitudes towards him or herself, overt frustration at having to try new things, and inability or fear when it comes to making even the simplest decision.

Parents can begin teaching self confidence immediately after their child is born. Provide endless encouragement when your child is developing new skills or trying new things. Young children especially need encouragement since they are continuing to develop new skills on a daily basis.

Whether physical or mental, these important developmental times can range from your child taking his or her first steps to learning to read. Each step in your childs development is exceedingly important and, in order to be completed as soon as possible, should be thoroughly reinforced in a positive manner. This positive reinforcement will encourage your child to work harder in completing the task at hand.

Teachers can teach self confidence from the moment a child enters the classroom. Carefully monitor each childs progress in each subject and skill covered in your curriculum to ensure your students are accomplishing their academic goals and not falling behind with any aspect of your teaching.

This is invaluable to teachers of all subjects and all ages of children. Create ways to praise or reward your students when classroom or individual goals are accomplished. This will encourage children to strive to meet these goals and reinforce their self confidence. Take great care not to use negative measures to reproach or criticize your students.

Correcting issues using a positive demeanor can enable the child to understand your point more clearly while retaining their self confidence. Negative tones or attitudes taken towards your students can do considerable harm to both their mental and emotional development and well-being.

Create situations where your child can work on his or her self confidence. Enroll your child in a sports program or other activity to allow him or her to express interests and develop new goals. A child who participates in activities such as athletics, dance, scouts, or music has more opportunities to try new things and develop new skills. These opportunities will allow children to further develop their self confidence while gaining new friends and experiences in these activities.

Take great care to support your child in any activity he or she decides to undertake. Your child may not be the next great baseball player or a world famous piano prodigy, so be aware of the varying levels of success that can be accomplished. A child can succeed by maintaining a positive attitude and attacking each hurdle with enthusiasm and enjoyment. Do not necessarily associate success in the activity with the overall success of the experience.

Even though your child may not be able to dunk a ball with professional precision, he or she will have gained a phenomenal experience and self confidence during the duration of the activity.

When working with children of any age, you must lead by example. If your child shows that you possess a great amount of self confidence, he or she will develop a great amount of self confidence as well. Conversely, if you lack self confidence and show your child this by being negative, hesitant, or meek, he or she will not understand or appreciate the necessity of having high self confidence.

Tony Robinson spent many years as a School Teacher and Administrator. Always of concern was low self esteem and a lack of confidence with some students. For more information visit http://www.better-self-esteem.com

By Tony Robinson

These cues can by extreme shyness, hesitance to begin projects, negative attitudes towards him or herself, overt frustration at having to try new things, and inability or fear when it comes to making even the simplest decision.

Parents can begin teaching self confidence immediately after their child is born. Provide endless encouragement when your child is developing new skills or trying new things. Young children especially need encouragement since they are continuing to develop new skills on a daily basis.

Whether physical or mental, these important developmental times can range from your child taking his or her first steps to learning to read. Each step in your childs development is exceedingly important and, in order to be completed as soon as possible, should be thoroughly reinforced in a positive manner. This positive reinforcement will encourage your child to work harder in completing the task at hand.

Teachers can teach self confidence from the moment a child enters the classroom. Carefully monitor each childs progress in each subject and skill covered in your curriculum to ensure your students are accomplishing their academic goals and not falling behind with any aspect of your teaching. This is invaluable to teachers of all subjects and all ages of children. Create ways to praise or reward your students when classroom or individual goals are accomplished.

This will encourage children to strive to meet these goals and reinforce their self confidence. Take great care not to use negative measures to reproach or criticize your students. Correcting issues using a positive demeanor can enable the child to understand your point more clearly while retaining their self confidence. Negative tones or attitudes taken towards your students can do considerable harm to both their mental and emotional development and well-being.

Create situations where your child can work on his or her self confidence. Enroll your child in a sports program or other activity to allow him or her to express interests and develop new goals. A child who participates in activities such as athletics, dance, scouts, or music has more opportunities to try new things and develop new skills. These opportunities will allow children to further develop their self confidence while gaining new friends and experiences in these activities.

Take great care to support your child in any activity he or she decides to undertake. Your child may not be the next great baseball player or a world famous piano prodigy, so be aware of the varying levels of success that can be accomplished. A child can succeed by maintaining a positive attitude and attacking each hurdle with enthusiasm and enjoyment. Do not necessarily associate success in the activity with the overall success of the experience.

Even though your child may not be able to dunk a ball with professional precision, he or she will have gained a phenomenal experience and self confidence during the duration of the activity.

When working with children of any age, you must lead by example. If your child shows that you possess a great amount of self confidence, he or she will develop a great amount of self confidence as well. Conversely, if you lack self confidence and show your child this by being negative, hesitant, or meek, he or she will not understand or appreciate the necessity of having high self confidence.

Tony Robinson spent many years as a School Teacher and Administrator. Always of concern was low self esteem and a lack of confidence with some students. For more information visit http://www.better-self-esteem.com

By Anandrahi

And to improve the brain power of a person we have to influence the non-stop neural conversations with positive pushes. But dont think only a psychologist can understand the intricacies of your brain and has the art of influencing it to increase its power. By taking a few steps any parent can achieve the goal of developing a super brain in his or her child.

You will definitely agree that in modern world most of the parents devote a lot of time and energy in finding ways or schools to help the children develop a super brain. Good schools give special emphasis on the brain power of the children. Most of the parents are worried that their child is not performing well at school. They do whatever is there in their capacity so that they may be proud of their children.

Here are a few simple steps which will certainly help parents to start the action at home - the best place to develop a wonder child with a super brain.

See the Limits of Your Child

Every child has some limits so you just cant enforce your desires. Pushing any child hard actually may damage its psychology as well as unique talent. So go easy and understand the nature and the limitations of your child.

Find out the Good Points

Every child is made unique in some way. So observe that unique quality. Sometimes a unique quality of a child just lies dormant in his mind till there is a provocation to rouse it. Understand it and develop it with love and care. It is the best way to boost confidence. Let your child involve more in those activities in which he can show more ability. Whenever a child is able to do a thing well there is a surge of confidence. And confident brains are always more sharp. You may take the help of a wise teacher or psychologist to understand the unique quality of your child in its true manner.

Create a Friendly Atmosphere at Home

Parents must create a friendly atmosphere at home to provide a fine nurturing ground. It is necessary to remove the barriers from the psychology of a child. Fear causes obstruction and a child is unable to develop fully. Especially the unique quality of your child, that is still lying dormant, may take a few more years to surface.

Ask Questions and Answer the Questions without Irritation

It is true that all parents love their children; nevertheless, most of them get irritated at the questions of children. You need total patience and a rational attitude towards your child. Also create an atmosphere of asking questions at your home. A child must be often asked questions almost daily. And questions should be framed in such a way that a child is able to answer most of them (not all of them). Also encourage the child to ask questions. Such an atmosphere gives necessary boost to the brain of a child. Parents should always realise that showing curiosity about various things is a natural tendency of a child. If a child starts repressing his feelings or thoughts, it may hamper the healthy growth of brain power.

Help the Child Sleep with a Positive Mind

Moments of sleeping time are extremely important in the development of the personality of a child. Unfortunately most of the parents ignore it. Fill positive thoughts in the mind of a child and help him relax before sleeping. It will boost his confidence and brain energy marvellously.

By taking all these steps the parents can see the miracle happening in near future. And they will be happier by the performance of their child.

Anandrahi is a famous international writer and educationist. He has written many books.
The Writers Online - Submit Articles for Traffic and Business

Anandrahi is a famous international writer and educationist. He has written many books.
The Writers Online - Submit Articles for Traffic and Business

By Cynthia Hammer, MSW, Director of ADD Resources

I belong to an online discussion group for ADHD professionals. A topic of interest lately has been, "Can ADHD ever be a positive in a person's life?" sparked by Dr. Hallowell's continued belief that ADHD can be a positive in a person's life if properly managed. Is there anything positive about having ADHD even when properly managed? Or does getting your ADHD "properly managed" just make your difficult life less difficult?

The positive attributes of ADHD that are often cited are energy, humor, creativity, empathy, and intelligence. Are these characteristics truly a part of ADHD the same way disorganization, procrastination, impulsivity and distractibility are. According to Sam Goldstein, Ph.D. there is no research demonstrating consistent positive traits in people with ADHD.

I am reminded of Louis Braille, blind from birth, who, when asked if he would like to be sighted, answered, "I would prefer to have more sensitive fingers." He had no idea what the other choice–sightedness–would be like. He only knew his life would be easier to navigate if he had more sensitive fingers. For those of us with ADHD, we will never know what life is like without ADHD. Perhaps, like Mr. Braille's sensitive fingers, our disability gives us some special abilities, but we will never know if these special abilities make up for what we are missing. So for me the question is not whether or not ADHD is a blessing or a curse. We can't change what we have been given. The question for me is "Are we making the most of what/who we are?"

~~Cynthia Hammer, MSW, Director
ADD Resources
www.addresources.org
Creators of the National ADHD Directory

For more information on ADD/ADHD visit our website at www. addresources.org

To view a complete listing of national ADD/ADHD events visit www. addresources.org/calendar_natl.php

By Aurelia Williams

* Model good self-esteem: Express through your actions and words that you respect yourself. Children are wonderful at imitating what they see and hear. Remember, you are your childs best role model.

* Create positive routines: Young children need routines to help them to feel secure and competent. Try to set a good schedule for bedtime, rest/naps, meals, etc. Try to keep exceptions to the routine to a minimum and explain any necessary changes if/when they occur.

* Allow many opportunities for children to contribute to the family: Give your child a job/chore that only he/she does for the family. Even a small job can have a positive lasting impact on your childs self esteem.

* Talk about the world in positive terms: Even though there is negativity in the world, dont dwell on it with your child. When with your child, be sure to point out the many positive things in the world.

* Spend time with your child: Remember quality is more important than quantity. Even if you spend just 30 minutes with your child one on one — playing games, taking walks, having long bedtime chats, or just snuggling in front of the TV, spending time with your child shows them that you value their company.

* Give your child choices: Giving your child choices between a reasonable set of options that are already predetermined by you will make them feel empowered.

Aurelia Williams is the host of Parenting My Teen Podcast and is also the owner of Real Life Solutions, a free resource site for moms.

By Aurelia Williams

* Model good self-esteem: Express through your actions and words that you respect yourself. Children are wonderful at imitating what they see and hear. Remember, you are your childs best role model.

* Create positive routines: Young children need routines to help them to feel secure and competent. Try to set a good schedule for bedtime, rest/naps, meals, etc. Try to keep exceptions to the routine to a minimum and explain any necessary changes if/when they occur.

* Allow many opportunities for children to contribute to the family: Give your child a job/chore that only he/she does for the family. Even a small job can have a positive lasting impact on your childs self esteem.

* Talk about the world in positive terms: Even though there is negativity in the world, dont dwell on it with your child. When with your child, be sure to point out the many positive things in the world.

* Spend time with your child: Remember quality is more important than quantity. Even if you spend just 30 minutes with your child one on one — playing games, taking walks, having long bedtime chats, or just snuggling in front of the TV, spending time with your child shows them that you value their company.

* Give your child choices: Giving your child choices between a reasonable set of options that are already predetermined by you will make them feel empowered.

Aurelia Williams is the host of Parenting My Teen Podcast and is also the owner of Real Life Solutions, a free resource site for moms.

By Mary Joyce

As a parent, you need to know that the value that your child associates with learning is strongly influenced by you and what you as their parent expect from them. Much research as determined that the expectations that parents have for their children is directly related to learning behavior and attitude both positively and negatively. All of this to say is that when parents expect their children to do well academically they do; and when parents expect failure the get failure. This is why it is extremely important that you as a parent set positive expectations and examples when it comes to learning and education.

Always be communicating to your child that you expect them to do well with their learning assignments and projects. Over time your child will understand that no matter what the assignment; they know what your expectations are and that you as a parent truly believe what you are saying about education and learning.

But its not all about communicating your expectations; a big key for your child aspiring to work toward your expectations is encouragement from you. You not only must let your child know that you expect them to do well, but you also let them know that you know that they can do it. Let them know when they are engaged in a difficult assignment or subject that you know that it is difficult but that they can do it if they continue to try and stay with it! And when your child accomplishes… celebrate the successes.

Expectations fortified with constant encouragement and praise is a powerful force in learning for a child when it comes from their parents.

Be a role model for your child. Its much easier for you as a parent to get your child to buy in to your expectations when they see you adopt the same importance in learning as you espouse to them. In other words, make sure that your children see you partaking in learning activities around the house. One of the best examples that you can set for your child is reading. Make sure that your children always see you reading and keeping up with current events. Be sure to have plenty of reading material around the house. Make it a point to take your child to the library and get involved in reading programs with them.

Remember, expecting your child to do well with their studies is only the first step; you have to follow through though. Always encourage and praise as your child is working toward those expectations. If your child receives no feedback from you along the way, their motivation wanes and is sometimes lost. When your child succeeds… celebrate. And dont just celebrate when the final goal is reached; make sure all the little successes are recognized along the way. Soon your child will understand that even a large and foreboding looking learning task can be accomplished a little at a time.

And finally… be an educational and learning role model for your child. Be visible to your child around the house when you are reading, or even when you have to break out a set of instruction on how to put something together and learn something that you yourself dont yet know how to do.

The value of learning is definitely something that you can pass along to your child to help ensure their long term successes.

Mary Joyce is a former educator & homeschooler who`s website homeschool-curriculum-4u.com offers resources and articles on homeschool curriculum, & more