Character Building from KidsDiscuss.com

Parenting Skills Blog ~ Parenting Tip for Increasing Social Awareness

"Building Character Starts with Getting Your Kids To Talk."

Parenting Tips by Jean Tracy, MSS, for grades K-6:

This Parenting Tip is One of 50 dilemmas for parents and kids to discuss from my:

Dilemma Discussion Kit

Do you wonder how to help your child think beyond himself? Would you like him to understand what other people like and dislike? Inside you'll find a parenting tip to decrease self-centeredness and increase social awareness.

Parenting Tip for Increasing Social Awareness:

Increase Social Awareness: Social awareness is being aware of others' opinions, their needs, their likes and dislikes. Talk about this moral dilemma to increase social awareness in your kids.

"Pretend you enjoy tattling on your classmates when they're not doing their work. You aren't doing your work either."

1. What's wrong with this picture? Why?
2. What do most kids think about tattletales? Why?
3. Do teachers like tattletales?
4. What situations should you tell the teacher about? Why?
5. What should you ask yourself when you think about tattling? Why?

Parenting Tip Conclusion:

Teaching your child to become socially aware is critical to his success in life. People who think only of themselves have few friends. Being liked will help your child become a positive force in the world. He'll have more fun by being socially aware of others too.

You can create those teaching moments and build character too. Why not discuss and role-play this dilemma with your kids today? If you'd like more dilemmas to discuss with your kids, check out my

Dilemma Discussion Kit.

Receive 80 fun activities to share with your kids by subscribing to my Free Parenting Newsletter at:

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

How do you teach your kids social awareness? Send me your tip and I'll send you a parenting surprise. Just email me at:

www.KidsDiscuss.com

Best wishes for your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

Subscribe to our Free Parenting Newsletter at

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com and receive

80 fun activities to share with your kids.

 

 

 

Parenting Skills Blog ~ Parenting Tip for Role-Playing Moral Dilemmas

"Building Character Starts with Getting Your Kids To Talk."

Parenting Tips by Jean Tracy, MSS, for grades K-6:

This Parenting Tip Gives Parents and Kids One of the Dilemma Discussions in My:

Dilemma Discussion Kit

Do you wonder how your child makes moral decisions when you aren't there to help? Would you like to prepare her to make good choices? Inside you'll find a fun parenting tip here to help your child make good moral decisions and build character too.

Parenting Tip for Dilemma Discussions:

Use Role-Playing ~ Role-playing moral dilemmas involves your child putting herself into the shoes of another kid. This helps your child understand where the other child is coming from. Consider discussing and role-playing this moral dilemma:

"Your best friend just gave you the toy you saw her steal."

5 Dilemma Discussion Questions:

1. Will you keep the toy?
2. Why or why not?
3. Why do you think she acted the way she did?"
4. What would you like to tell your friend?
5. If you do the right thing, how will you feel about yourself?

After you discuss the questions with your child, role-play the dilemma from beginning to end. This will help your child make moral decisions in the future when she's pressured to do the wrong thing.

Become an exceptional parent! Create teaching moments and build character too by picking up my:

Dilemma Discussion Kit

Subscribe to my Free Parenting Newsletter and receive 80 fun activities to share with your kids. Subscribe at:

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

How do you teach your kids your moral values? Let me know by emailing:

Jean Tracy

When I receive your tip, I'll send you a surprise and consider your tip as permission to post your comment too.

Best wishes for your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

 

 

 

Parenting Skills Blog ~ 5 Parenting Questions for Teaching Empathy to Kids

"Building Character Starts with Getting Your Kids To Talk."

Parenting Tips by Jean Tracy, MSS, for grades K-6:

Dear Parent,

This Parenting Tip Is from My:

Dilemma Discussions Kit

Are you concerned about raising selfish children? Would you like your children to care about others? Inside you'll find 5 parenting questions for teaching your children to care about others and build character too.

Parenting Skill for Teaching Empathy:

Kids who are different get teased. Kids who help them have empathy. Empathy is being aware of and caring about another's feelings. Consider discussing this moral dilemma with your child.

The new kid on your block is small for his age. He wants to make friends because he is lonely. All the kids tease him. When the popular kids call him names, he hides his tears by running home.

5 Parenting Skill Questions:

1. Will you tease him too?
2. Why or why not?
3. How do you think the little boy feels about being teased?
4. What could you say to help the boy?
5. What could you do to help the boy?

Why not start teaching empathy today? Share this dilemma with your kids. If you'd like 50 dilemmas to discuss with your kids, pick up my:

Dilemma Discussion Kit.

Create those teaching moments and build character too.

Subscribe to my Free Parenting Newsletter at:

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

You'll receive 80 fun activities to share with your kids.

How do you teach your kids empathy? Let me know by emailing:

Jean Tracy

When I receive your tip, I'll send you a surprise.

Best wishes for your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

   

 

 

 

 

Parenting Skills Blog ~ 3 Ways Family Meetings Teach Listening Skills to Kids

"Building Character Starts with Getting Your Kids To Talk."

Parenting Tips by Jean Tracy, MSS, for grades K-6:

This Parenting Skill Fits with My Family Meeting Book:

Do your children pay attention to you? Do you find yourself repeating much of what you say? How can you get your kids to listen? Consider using the Family Meeting for teaching your children listening skills.

The Family Meeting Can Help Solve the Following Problems:

• Interrupting
• Hogging the Conversation
• Talking at the Same Time

Parenting Tip # 1:

When your child interrupts, he's not listening to what is being said. Instead, he's thinking only about the points he wants to make. If this is happening at your Family Meetings, consider having the interrupter repeat what the speaker said. If he can't, then he misses his turn to speak.

Parenting Tip #2:

When your child hogs the conversation, tell her, when you are alone with her, "You have two ears and one mouth. That means you need to listen twice as much as speak." At the meetings set a timer for each speaker. Limit each speaker to one minute.

Parenting Tip #3:

When your children speak at the same time, stop the conversation. Insist that only the appointed speaker can talk. Everyone else must listen.

Why not teach listening skills with Family Meetings? The skills you teach will transfer to other parts of your children's lives. You'll be teaching good manners, helping them communicate well, and you'll be building character too.

Become an exceptional parent! Pick up our Family Meeting Book .

Subscribe to my Free Parenting Newsletter at www.KidsDiscuss.com and receive 80 fun things to share with your kids.

What tip would you like to share for holding successful family meetings? Let me know by emailing me at Jean's Email . When I receive your tip, I'll send you a surprise.

Here's to your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

Parenting Skills Blog ~ How Family Meetings Make Your Better Family

"Building Character Starts with Getting Your Kids To Talk."

Parenting Tips by Jean Tracy, MSS, for grades K-6:

This Parenting Skill Comes from my Family Meeting Book:

 

How Can Family Meetings Make Your Family Better?

Family Meetings bond the family together. Besides planning fun events and solving problems, family meetings help each member work together.

 

3 Ways Family Meetings Make the Family Better:

• Each member promises to do something positive and practical.
• The promise must help the family in some way.
• The promise must be written down and posted on the refrigerator as a reminder.

In our last blog each member promised to take one action to make the fishing trip and picnic happen. Each member posted what they would do on the refrigerator. The next step is to do what they promised. This is what it means to be a family team.

Why not hold Family Meetings at your house? They're fun, they're easy, and they build character too.

Promote family values in your house. Pick up our Family Meeting Book .

Subscribe to my Free Parenting Newsletter at www.KidsDiscuss.com and receive 80 fun things to share with your kids.

What tip would you like to share for holding family meetings? Let me know by emailing Jean . When I receive your tip, I'll send you a surprise.

Here's to your parenting success,        

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

 

Parenting Skills Blog ~ How Family Meetings Are Fun for Kids

"Building Character Starts with Getting Your Kids To Talk."

Parenting Tips by Jean Tracy, MSS, for grades K-6:

This Parenting Skill Fits with My Family Meeting Book:

Does your family plan fun things together? Or does one person choose and dictate to the rest of the family? If you would like your family to plan pleasant events and be a close-knit team, check out this parenting tip:

Parenting Tips for Using the Family Meeting:

Some parents use the family meeting to lecture, nag, and struggle to get their kids to do their chores. The children in these families hate family meetings. There is a better way.

Family meetings can be fun. Inside the family meeting, families can plan fun vacations, weekends, or outings too. Let's say your kids want to plan a fishing outing. How do you do it so that everyone is involved?

Make planning this fun event the core of the meeting. Give every person a chance to speak. Make sure everyone listens to the speaker.

How the Family Meeting Create a Family Team:

• Sarah, age 10, says, "Let's go fishing on Saturday. Everyone discusses whether Saturday is a good time. It is.
• Dad says Lake Washington is near and the afternoon is best for him.
• John, age 12, asks if they can make it a picnic too. He says he'll make sandwiches.
• Mom says she'll get out the picnic things.
• Jessica, age 7, says she'll help John make lunch too.
• Dad says he'll get the fishing equipment ready.
• Sarah says she'll help dad.

Can you see how family meetings can be fun? Can you see how everyone is involved as a team? Can you feel the excitement?

Why not use family meetings to plan fun events? Include each member in the discussion and get each member to state what they will do to make it happen. If you do, you'll all have fun and you'll be building character too.

If you liked the above parenting tips, pick up our Family Meeting Book to create your own family team.

Subscribe to my Free Parenting Newsletter at www.KidsDiscuss.com and receive 80 fun things to share with your kids.

What tip would you like to share for holding successful family meetings? Let me know by emailing me at http://www.kidsdiscuss.com/contact.asp . When I receive your tip, I'll send you a surprise.

Here's to your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

 

 

Parenting Skills Blog ~ Teaching Investing to Your Child

"Building Character Starts with Getting Your Kids To Talk."

Parenting Tips by Jean Tracy, MSS, for grades K-6:

This Parenting Skill Belongs with My FREE Parenting Tips – 21 of the Best at www.KidsDiscuss.com

My friend, Mary, sent in this parenting tip. Mary has a home business. She does accounting for many firms. Mary knows how to handle money. She teaches her daughter how to handle money too. Here is her tip:

"Our 10-year-old-daughter suggested investing in something she liked, Red Robin. After we taught her about financial statements, we bought shares of Red Robin. It made money too. Now she looks forward to financial statements. We know we are teaching her not to be afraid of investing in the future." - Mary Watts, Mother and Accountant

Teaching your child how to invest is a wonderful way to prepare her for the future right now. If you know about investing, why not get your child interested too? You'll be giving your child a head start in the business world and you'll be building character too.

If you liked the above tip, pick up my FREE Parenting Tips – 21 of the Best! You'll find them at the top of the page at www.KidsDiscuss.com While you're there subscribe to my FREE Parenting Newsletter too.

How do you teach your child about money? Let me know by emailing me at http://www.kidsdiscuss.com/contact.asp . When I receive your tip, I'll send you a parenting surprise.

Become an exceptional parent. Download our Creative Parenting Skills Kits Priceless advice at affordable prices!

Best wishes for your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

 

 

Parenting Skills Blog ~ 5 Parenting Tips for Sharing Love with Your Kids

"Building Character Starts with Getting Your Kids To Talk."

Parenting Tips by Jean Tracy, MSS, for grades K-6:

This Parenting Skill Comes from my Parent Affirmations Kit:

Parenting well means telling your kids you love them. If you were a child would you like hearing why your parent loves you? Find out five powerful ways to tell your child what she hungers to hear.

Parenting Skills – Use these 5 Parenting Tips to Share your Love:

One of my 75 affirmations in my Parent Affirmations Kit starts with the phrase,

I'm glad you are my child because…

Your job as the parent is to add a specific ending to that phrase. Here are 5 possibilities:

I'm glad you are my child because:

1. Your ideas are so interesting.
2. When you tell me jokes, you make me laugh.
3. You say "Sure" when I ask for your help.
4. You do your homework right after school.
5. You're good to your little brother and teach him how to play school.

Once you start giving your child specific loving affirmations like these, don't be surprised if your child pleases you even more. Your loving comments mean everything to your child. Why not use affirmations every day? You'll be glad you did and you'll be building character too.

If you liked the above parenting tip, pick up our Parent Affirmations Kit at http://www.kidsdiscuss.com/parent_resource_center.asp?pr_id=kd009

Subscribe to my FREE Parenting Newsletter at http://www.KidsDiscuss.com and receive 80 fun activities to share with your kids.

How do you praise your kids? Let me know by emailing me at http://www.kidsdiscuss.com/contact.asp . When I receive your tip, I'll send you a surprise.

Best wishes for your parenting success,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS