CREATING METHODS OF HAPPINESS, PEACE & SUCCESS

Posts Tagged ‘kids’

Teaching Your Kids About Mental and Emotional Health: Episode 20



“ There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”  ~ Leonard Cohen

 

Teaching kids about mental and emotional health and how it influences their well-being, is the best way to protect them and give them tools to succeed in life. Today’s podcast encourages you to increase the awareness over mental health matters and get the conversation started with your kids.

 

Have you already subscribed to my podcast? If not, I’m encouraging you to do that today. I wouldn’t want you to miss an episode.

And, if you’re feeling extra loving, please share it and leave a review; it makes it easier to find. We can all benefit from a little nudge to start making small shifts towards increased health and happiness 🙂

 

Links and resources:

https://www.mhanational.org/childrens-mental-health

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/children-and-mental-health/index.shtml

https://childmind.org/

https://namimainlinepa.org/mental-health-books-for-children-and-teens-and-their-parents/

https://www.pixar.com/feature-films/inside-out

https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/535865

3 Tips For Improving Your Child’s Sleep



Child sleepingMany children experience sleep related problems at least a few nights per week. Lack of sleep affects children physically, emotionally and academically.

Here are 3 essential tips to help your child get a better nights sleep.

 

1. Establish a routine – Regular sleep times are an important feature of creating desirable sleep behavior. A regular bedtime and wakeup time should be established and consistently followed.

  • Make the last 30 minutes before bedtime a regular routine. Include activities such as dressing for bed, washing, and reading.li>
  • Keep the order and timing consistent each night (e.g., brush teeth, wash up, change into pajamas, read for 15 to 20 minutes, hug and kiss, say, “ok, it’s time to sleep. Goodnight.”).
  • Don’t include activities that might result in conflict (i.e. picking out clothes for school). Work these into a routine before bedtime.

2. Nutrition and Exercise– how you eat and exercise impacts the way you sleep.

  • Nutrition is important to sleep. In general, a well-balanced diet is related to good sleep. Certain vitamins and supplements may have positive effects on sleep. Talk to your doctor about treating sleep problems via diet and supplements.
  • Exercise can also have a positive effect on sleep. Regular exercise during the day can help promote better sleep. Discourage vigorous activity right before bedtime.

3. The Setting – Turn the bedroom into a sleep inducing environment. Get your child involved in creating an environment that feels best for them.

  • The bed should be associated with relaxation. Try to minimize your child’s playing, jumping, wrestling, eating or homework on the bed.
  • Environmental factors such as light, temperature, comfort and noise should be optimized for sleep. (not too light or dark, hot or cold, or noisy, etc.) Black out curtains, comfy pillows, white noise, tranquil music and aromatherapy can help create a relaxing environment.
  • Some children feel more relaxed, grounded and safe with a heavier or weighted comforter due to the pressure of the touch.

 

Things to Avoid:

  • Avoid watching TV and using electronic devices close to bedtime because it can interfere with sleep.
  • Avoid vigorous activity and unpleasant situations right before bedtime.
  • Avoid extending the time for bedtime – don’t give in to requests for just one more story, or one more drink of water.
  • Avoid caffeine– caffeine is a stimulant that can stay in the body up to 6 hours. In general, drinks and foods containing caffeine, including soft drinks and chocolate, should be avoided in the hours before bedtime.

If your child continues to have sleep difficulties, you may want to consult your physician.

How to talk to your child about terrorism



In lieu of the Paris terrorist attacks, many parents may have questions on how to talk to their children about violence and terrorism. The challenge lies in helping your child feel secure while trying to explain complex and disturbing situations.

It is natural for parents to want to spare children the details about terrorism. Unfortunately, children are exposed to violence in today’s world at a very early age and must learn to cope with these tough issues.

As a parent, you have an opportunity to talk with your child and provide answers to any questions that they may have, as well as lifting the burden of facing their fears and uncertainty alone.

Your child’s age, maturity and personality will influence their questions and your responses.

 

Here are some tips on getting started:

 

1. Take time to talk to your child and listen to their thoughts and concerns.

Ask your child what they have heard and how they feel about it? Don’t force your child to talk about things until they are ready. Assure them that you will be available for them, once they are.

 

2. Provide accurate information to any questions that your child may have.

Keep the explanations simple and age appropriate. If you do not know the answer, it’s ok to say that you don’t know and that you will let them know as soon as you find out.

 

3. Help your child express their feelings and concerns.

Some children are comfortable talking while others are more comfortable expressing themselves through playing with toys or drawing pictures. Do not dismiss their feelings and always provide them with a safe place to express themselves.

 

4. Assure your child that they are safe.

Explain to them that the government, the police and people all over the world are doing things to prevent this from happening again. Reassure them that they are safe and that you will always protect them.

 

5. Limit television and news exposure as well as adult conversations around your child.

These images and conversations can be very disturbing and cause distress to children. Be mindful to avoid stereotyping and prejudice. Use this opportunity to teach tolerance and explain prejudice.

 

6. Remind them that terrorism events are rare and that the world is generally a safe place.

Point out all the good things that happen on a daily basis and explain to them that these are isolated and rare events.

 

7. Look out for symptoms related to stress or anxiety

These symptoms may included difficulty sleeping, persistent upsetting thoughts, intense fears, and difficulty separating from parents or going to school as well as physical complaints. Professional help may be needed if your child shows signs of distress.

Prevent the Summer Math Slide



Summer is half way through and as your child gets ready to go back to school in September, it might be a good idea to help them sharpen their math skills.

During summer, kids often forget math computational skills that they learned the previous year. So, it’s a good time to help them regain their memory.

Here are a few tips on how to weave some fun into a math review:

Problem Solving:

Have your child solve everyday math problems, such as:

  • If each candy bar costs $1.29 then how much do 3 candy bars cost?
  • How old will I be when you turn 18?
  • How old will you be in the year 2050?
  • If I were to give you $50 to spend and you had to buy two gifts, one for $15 and the other for $22, then how much money would you have left over?

Money:

  • Count the money in the piggy bank
  • Write out fake checks
  • Make towers of quarters and dimes and guess how much money there is in each tower
  • Let them pay and check the change wherever you go

Math Facts:

  • Ask them the times tables on a random car ride and offer a treat (maybe ice cream) if they get them mostly right
  • Use pizzas, pies, cookies and cakes to review fractions
  • Get a math facts placemat for the dinner table

Digital Practice:

  • Mathisfun.com
  • Fun4thebrain.com
  • Maths Bingo app
  • Virtual Manipulatives app

Kinesthetic Learners:

  • Use clay or Legos
  • Use sand and water to demonstrate volume
  • Use grapes, oranges or any other fruit or vegetable to count, divide or multiply

And of course, there’s the old lemonade stand, which will help your child boost mathematical, measuring and money management skills.

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All is takes is a few minutes everyday to practice math facts to ensure an easy transition into the next school year. Start today.

 

 

Now Or Later



Now Or Later Image

Procrastination is a psychological behavior that affects everyone to some degree or another. For some people it can be a minor problem; for others it is a source of considerable stress and anxiety.

 

One of the reasons children procrastinate is because they do not find the task fun or interesting. In fact, they tend to put off boring tasks until someone calls them out on it. Even then, they usually underestimate the time needed and effort that the task requires. Another reason may be that they do not feel confident that they can do what is asked of them. They may feel overwhelmed or confused on what to do first.

 

The following tips can help your child stop procrastinating:

 

  1. Set firm rules at home. Whether it’s completing homework or picking up their room, make sure that your child knows what is expected of him. Set basic rules such as “no TV until homework is done, checked and packed”. The trick here is to be consistent with the rule.
  2. Chunk it down. Some children need a series of baby steps to get them going. Start by organizing what needs to occur. Creating a visual that shows them step-by-step what to do often helps with the feeling of overwhelm. Include how much time each task should take.
  3. Get rid of perfectionism. Let them know that the goal is to get started, not necessarily to do it perfect. They can always tweak it later. If your child is stuck, just help them so they can keep going and not give up. Remember the goal is to get them going.
  4. Celebrate what they accomplish. Don’t wait until the end to say, “good job”, instead inspire them to continue what they are doing. You can say, “ you’re doing good- making progress” or

“almost done- keep going”.

 

Procrastinating is a habit. Your child needs your help to remind them that they will be able to start and complete the task. So instead of just telling them what to do, offer some support and jump in when needed. After a while, you will see that their confidence rises and they may not need your help anymore.