Monthly Archives: May 2013

Discipline, Motivation, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

What makes kids successful? It begins with a G …

The saying goes like this: Look into the future and you’ll find the A-students of today … working for the B-students … at companies owned by C-students.

Whether that’s accurate or not, here’s the point: Intelligence isn’t the indicator of success.

So what is?

It’s grit, says psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth.

In a recent TED presentation, she explains that grit is a vague (and at this point unmeasurable) quality — passion and perseverance, stamina and motivation — “sticking with your future not for days and months, but for years.”

Here’s something else she mentioned:

“It’s shocking how little we know about grit.” (She cited Dr. Carol Dweck’s concept of the “Growth Mindset,” a mentality that does not present failure as a permanent condition.)

If we knew more about it, chances are that parents would find a way to instill it — big time.

It’s every parent’s nightmare to hear about those brilliant kids who are successful in school until they hit their freshman year in college, when it all comes apart.

That’s one of those turning points for grit — and the challenge is to identify the million more pivot points in life where this quality can be cultivated, used and encouraged.

And guess what’s needed to get the ball rolling? It starts with a g …

— Kathy Mangold
Vistelar Group

 

Vistelar Group –

Confidence, Motivation, Self-Esteem, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

4 Ways to Increase Your Child’s Confidence

By Lauren Tessin, Guest contributor

When it comes to children, they have a mind of their own.  Like anyone, they all have different personalities and have had different life experiences to help shape their personality.  Although there are many different traits we would like to see our children have, confidence is one of the most important.

Without confidence, life can be tough and seem against you no matter what.  However, with a little confidence, we can get farther in life and be a happier individual overall.  So, how can you make sure your children has confidence?  Continue reading below to find out!

Praise them

When your child does something good, be sure to praise them.  From getting an “A” on his or her spelling test to getting an award for being the best classroom helper, praise your child.  When you praise your child, they feel good about what they have done, and it will encourage them to repeat that same behavior that got them to be praised.

Encourage them

If your child is feeling less than confident, be sure to encourage him or her.  For example, if your child is nervous about his or her exam or riding the bus for the first day of school, encourage them to have confidence.  By saying things like, “I know it may seem intimidating, but you will do just fine.  What is the worst that can happen?”  You are showing that you understand where they are coming from, but also reminding them that they will be fine in whatever they do.  Encourage bad thoughts to leave their head and replace those bad thoughts with positive and realistic ones.

Don’t let them give up

Do you find that your child wants to give up easily when it comes to certain things?  If so, don’t let them give up.  Once you do, you are showing them that it is okay to not try their hardest.  You may even give them the signal that they may not be able to do it after all, so they should just quit now.  Be persistent and keep pushing your child to his or her goals.  Once they see that they can do it on their own, they will remember that next time they struggle with something.

Be a role model

In order for your child to have confidence, you must show how confident you are.  For example, next time you’re afraid to do something or you want to knock yourself for not being talented in a certain area, be sure to avoid those thoughts and to display the opposite.  By saying things like, “I’m not the best at basketball, but I can try my best to help you practice for today’s game” you can show your child that you are willing to try anything.

As you can see, there are plenty of things you can do in order to increase your child’s confidence.  From praising them for their achievements to being a good role model, shaping your child’s personality really does start with you.  As a parent, you can help set your child up for failure or success just by how you parent.  Parent wisely!

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Family Safety, Martial Arts, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Keeping kids calm during stormy weather

Hello, Ed here again.

Yesterday’s devastating tornado in Oklahoma is a somber reminder of the power and fury a storm conjure up. Storms can be a scary experience, but this is especially true for children who don’t understand what is happening or are afraid of the lightning and thunder.

Even when a storm is something that we as adults view as no big deal, children often see these events as a scary ordeal. Of course as parents we want our kids to feel safe at all times,  so what can you do to keep your kids calm during a storm?

During a storm, your child is going to look to you for support and reassurance so the best thing you can do for them is to remain calm yourself! Kids are especially adept at mirroring an adult’s emotions so if you show them that you are not afraid, it can help them to remain calm as well.

You can also distract them from what is happening outside by keeping them busy with noisy and immersive activities. Drown out the sound of wind and thunder with family karaoke, a dance contest or by moving their activities and some toys to a quieter room in the house like the basement or a room without windows.

Once the storm passes, take the opportunity to show them that everything is okay and that storms are only temporary.

Children can be scared by the noise and uncertainty that comes along with a storm. Keeping them calm will make them feel safe and help you manage them better.

Ed Holpfer

Better Kids Institute Contributor

 

Child Safety, Fitness, SYN Digital Enrollment Director

Bicycle safety tips for kids

Hello, this is Ed Holpfer with the Better Kids Institute.

The weather is finally turning warmer and kids everywhere are hopping back onto their bikes to ride through the neighborhood. It is a great source of exercise and fun, but it can also be dangerous if you and your kids don’t take some basic precautions.

By now, we all know about the dangers of head and brain injuries such as concussions yet many children still ride their bikes without wearing a helmet. Due to inexperience or simply becoming distracted while riding, children fall off their bikes fairly often and every time that happens they are at risk for hitting their head on the pavement, mailboxes that protrude into the street (my childhood friend ran head-first into one once), fire hydrants or other objects. For their safety, a helmet should be a no-excuses requirement.

We also need to ensure that our kids are aware of the fact that they are sharing the road with cars and must stay out of the way of traffic. Parents of younger children should always keep an eye on where their kids are riding even if it just in your driveway. Many times a child will pedal themselves down the driveway and into the street without looking for oncoming traffic which could lead to tragedy.

Once the kids are a little older, and you feel comfortable with letting them ride unsupervised, be sure that they understand that they have to obey the same rules of the road as cars. This means stopping at stop signs and looking both ways before crossing and riding with the flow of traffic, not against it.

By taking a few precautions and teaching our kids to be safe on their bikes, we can all ensure that this time-honored summertime tradition will bring plenty of smiles for years to come.

Ed Holpfer

Better Kids Institute Contributor