Character Building from KidsDiscuss.com

Character Building: Turning Negative Kids into Optimistic Children

Building character in kids and turning them into optimistic children  is the mission of our parenting expert, Mary Romero. Mary is a life coach and a juvenile corrections officer. Let's find out how she turns kids from negative attitudes to positive thinkers.

Is the Glass Half Full or Empty?

When we think of optimism, we naturally go to the example of the 'glass half full, glass half empty' but, with children, this concept isn't exactly the best way to deal with a pessimist or one whose world has mostly been made up of negativity.

The Role of Praise Builds Character

It is important as parents and as an adult in any capacity in a child’s life to praise and appreciate every accomplishment a child makes, both big and small.

Where's the Silver Lining?

It is also important to address the defeats that a child has to find the 'silver lining' and what they can learn from the experience so that they realize every situation can be a win-win.

Do Report Cards Really Measure a Child's Worth?

To some children, coming home with a report card containing all A's and one B is a life altering experience and tells them they are 'no good' or, 'stupid'. While, we all realize this is not true, what is important is what the child thinks.

What should first be pointed out is the fact that there IS only one B! Also, that that one B may have hinged on one or two points, they have all A's in all other classes, a B does not stand for 'bad', they have an opportunity to raise it, and, most importantly, mom and dad do not judge Johnny or Suzy on their grades!

Can Optimistic Kids Make Mistakes?

The other important factor is teaching your children realistic expectations of themselves and others. No one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. What is important is that we learn from our mistakes and try hard not to hurt others.

What about Instant Gratification?

Teach them to appreciate the simple things in life so that they will not expect to always get 'what they want' and to receive 'instant gratification' from material things.

Conclusion:

Optimism is a thought process that, when learned at a young age, will carry your child through life and help get them through some rough roads ahead!  

Let's give Mary Romero at big "THANK YOU."  We appreciate your wisdom, Mary. You know about kids and you know about character.

You can connect with Mary at:

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mary-romero/4/467/7b7  

Parents, now it's your turn to share the spotlight. What are your suggestions for helping your kids become optimistic? Please answer in the comment link below.

One more thing, here's a strategy to help your children turn negative thoughts into positive attitudes.

The Thought-Stopping Kit ~ Helps Your Child Change Any Negative Attitude and Become A Positive Thinker!

With warm wishes,

Jean

 

Jean Tracy, MSS

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How Raising Optimistic Kids Takes 5 Easy Parenting Skills

 Raising optimistic kids isn't difficult when you use these parenting skills. Our parenting expert, Janet Coppola, is the founder of Express Yourself. Let's find out her 5 strategies.

1. Display and maintain a positive approach and always tell them you love them.

Janet's positive approach is important. Nobody likes being yelled at, especially kids.

Telling children that you love them, why you love them, and using love notes can be very effective in raising optimistic kids. Smiling a lot helps too.

2.  Allow children the opportunity to see that we all make mistakes at times as we are human beings.

 I like Janet's advice especially if you have sensitive perfectionist kids.

 One of my son's hated making mistakes, like spilling his glass of milk. I told him, "Everybody makes mistakes. Just clean it up." I handed him the paper towels.

He needed more. So I asked him to draw a picture of everyone in our family including cousins, aunts, and uncles. He loved drawing so this was fun for him.

Then in big letters I asked him to write, "All People Are Mistake Makers." We posted the picture with the words on the refrigerator. Then we discussed it. It helped him relax when he made a mistake and to fix it if he could.

Now his children tell me, "It's just a mistake, Grandma, " as they fix their mistakes.

3. Show them that we are all afraid of something and explain to them the importance of tackling their fears.

I like Janet's advice here because my 4-year-old granddaughter fears bugs. To get over this fear we look under big rocks for bugs and save them in a container to observe. The other day she let a couple of ants crawl on her hands and felt fine. Teaching kids to tackle fears is an important step to becoming optimistic by feeling confident.

4. Promote children's thinking skills and encourage independence from an early age.

Asking kids thinking questions is often better than taking over and doing something for them. "How do you think this works?" is a great question to ask. Then congratulate them for trying to figure it out. This promotes independence too as they become "I can" children.

 5. Be honest with children even when they ask difficult and sensitive questions.

Janet is right. But we have to use common sense with this one. Telling kids more than they need to know about issues like sex could worry, confuse, or entice them to act on what we say.

On other issues when we fib and they find out, they loose some of their trust in us. Most of the time it's easy to be completely truthful. But when we're not sure  of what to say, it's perfectly OK to say, "I need some time to think about it."

Raising optimistic kids isn't difficult when you think about it. The trick is to think before we speak and keep it positive.

Let's give Janet a big "THANK YOU" for her fine ideas. To connect with Janet go to her Express Yourself website at http://www.xpress-yourself.co.uk/ where she promotes children to express themselves.

Parents, now it's your turn to share the spotlight. What are your suggestions for helping your kids become optimistic? Please answer in the comment link below.

One more thing ~

Pick up Jean's Parent Affirmations Kit ~ with 75 Love Notes to lift spirits and raise your optimistic child.

With warm wishes,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

Sign up for my Newsletter at http://www.kidsdiscuss.com/

You’ll receive 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids

 

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Optimism in KIds: Don't Make These Parenting Mistakes

  Do you teach your children fear, discouragement, or envy instead of optimism? The 3 parenting mistakes below are brought to us by our  expert guest, Adam Dolgin.

1. Don't make your fears your children's fears. (heights, dogs, germs)

I like Adam's point because your children are always watching you. You are their model. When they see you're afraid of spiders, dogs, snakes, or other things, they take on your feelings and become afraid too. This fear limits their experience of life.

I know a 6-year-old who loves all forms of scarey bugs and animals. While holding a small snake he says, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a scientific investigator like my mom." I watched as he offered his snake for his family to touch. They pet the snake and showed him they admired his pet too. How optimistic is that?

Parents, you can get over your fears by changing your thoughts. Changing your thoughts will change your feelings. Changing your feelings will change your behaviors. Of course, don't take unreasonable risks. Just remove the unnecessary fears. If you do, you'll be moving your child toward optimism and an appreciation of life.

2. Never even remotely suggest that something is not possible - you never know.

This point from Adam warns us to listen carefully, appreciate our children's dreams, and don't criticize. If we do the opposite, we discourage our children from trying. They might think, "I can't do anything." 

Asking our children to see their goals, give a positive statement about their goals, and feel what it would be like to achieve those goals is the optimistic way to go.

 
3. Teach them that envy is a wasted emotion, while admiration inspires.

Adam rightly points out that admiration trumps envy. When you teach your kids to see the good in others and let them know with compliments,  your child will be encouraging  others, making more friends, and seeing the possibilities for themselves too. That's being optimistic. It makes life more fun too.

Let's give Adam Dolgin a big "THANK YOU" for his contribution today. To connect with Adam go to ~ 

http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/adam-dolgin/34/a30/738 

 

 

Parents, now it's your turn to share the spotlight. What are your suggestions for help your kids become optimistic? Please answer in the comment link below.

  

One more thing ~

Pick up Jean's Parent Affirmations Kit ~ with 75 Love Notes to lift spirits and raise your optimistic child.

With warm wishes,

Jean

Jean Tracy, MSS

 Sign up for my Newsletter at http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

You’ll receive 80 Fun Activities to Share with Your Kids

 

Write on my Facebook Wall at

http://on.fb.me/cuSvfe  and receive:

15 Loving Actions to Share with Your Family

If You're a Parent, You Can Raise Optimistic Kids with These 5 Tips

 

Optimistic Kids are Confident Children

Would you like to raise an optimistic child? My guest blogger, Elaine Hirsch, studied the research and is here to share her findings. Let's see what she has to say.

All most parents want is for their children to be happy. Often, parents overlook some of the more fundamental steps they can take to ensure the happiness of their children. Many will focus too much on ensuring their children are "successful" in life: making sure they work hard at school, stay out of trouble, and eat and exercise properly.

These are all important steps to take when raising a child, but more critical is the need for parents to ensure the appropriate psychological conditioning of their children: building their self-confidence and resiliency in the face of whatever unexpected disappointments might come their way.

This way, parents ensure children have the right tools to fend for themselves and be happy, regardless of various chance circumstances in their lives.

A building body of evidence tells us that chief among the best ways of breeding these qualities in our children is to help them become optimists. Researchers have identified the evidence of resilience and self-confidence that come from raising optimistic children, and you don't need to earn a PHD online to put their findings into practice.

Here are a few tips to help promote the growth of positive, resilient, optimistic children:

1. Maintain a positive relationship with your child.

Research shows this can be one of the most important factors in the happiness of a developing child or teenager. If their parental relationships are filled with negativity, they will have a hard time keeping this out of the rest of their lives.

2. Help them learn to deal with success.

Guide children in experiencing success by giving them credit, helping them appreciate success, and helping them seek future successes. Remember, though, if you praise everything your child does, praise will quickly lose its effect. Make sure you give praise where praise is due without going over the top.

3. Avoid Negativity.

Though it's important to discourage unwanted behaviors in your children, work on finding ways to correct them positively. Suggest ways to improve their behavior rather tell them repeatedly that it's wrong. Most importantly, never put negative labels on your children when they've done something wrong. Don't label them as good or bad, but define their behaviors (or better yet the outcomes of their behaviors) as bad.

4. Help them find the bright side of everything.

Whenever they fail or have difficulty facing a task, make sure you help them see the positive aspects of the situation. Emphasize the fact that you learn the most when you face failure, and that it's not whether or not you fail that's important in many cases. Show them there is a silver lining to every cloud, and that every new situation should be approached with a positive outlook, regardless of the circumstances.

5. Be a good example.

This is the most important tip of all. Children look to their parents not just for validation, but for direct examples of how to behave, feel, and react to certain situations. If you face situations with optimism and positivity, so will your children.

These are just some of the ways that you can help your children grow to be optimists. In many ways, a good attitude with which to face all the negativity in the world can be the best gift you have to offer them.

Elaine Hirsch deserves a big THANK YOU  for her research and for bringing it to us. I appreciate your excellent work, Elaine.

Parents, now it's your turn. What are your suggestions for preparing your kids for school success? Please answer in the comment link below.

  

One more thing ~

Pick up Jean's Parent Affirmations Kit ~ with 75 Affirmations to lift your child's spirits and show your love.

"My children "GLOW" when I tell them an affirmation..." ~ Victoria Penfield

Warmly,

Jean Tracy, MSS

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

 

Parenting ~ Raise Optimistic Kids with 3 Fool Proof Stratigies

Parents, if you want optimistic kids, pay attention to Rodney Davis. He's our expert blogger and he knows about raising children. Here's what he says in a nutshell.

1. Make a solid foundation by building and maintaining a close bond with your child.

2. Practice positive reinforcement ONLY.

3. Model positivism and confidence.

 The most valuable things in life are simple and free. Nothing is more valuable to a parent than to KNOW deep down in her soul that her son or daughter has that indomitable spirit to conquer life–make a profound difference in the world with a smile AND a healthy bank-book. Despite all the troubles and challenges that are bound to come their way, positive, confident children will conquer. We know them when we see them because they stand out. They carry a spark in their eyes and a purpose in their step.

Maintain a Close Bond with Your Child

A great relationship is easiest to maintain if respect AND abundant affection for the child are hallmarks. It DOESN’T necessarily mean that we have to become our child’s best friend. It DOES help, however, to have frequent time set aside for shedding the parent label and just enjoying the child around silly, mindless or even educational fun activity you BOTH enjoy. This investment is a hundredfold more effective than any words you can use. Why? The unspoken but powerful message is: “It goes without saying that you’re one of the most important people in my life, and my God, I really and truly like you.” That’s the spirit in which it should be done.

 

2. Positive Reinforcement

The new mindset is to try not to say anything until you can find something for which you can pay a genuine compliment. But you have to become an expert at finding that little sign of progress fast, preferably within 24 hours or less. Then immediately start looking for the next one.

 

Obviously, this takes focus, patience, and perseverance from a parent. Keep working on it. When you fall off the horse and revert to your old ways, apologize and start over. That’s where the respect comes in. No one is perfect.

 3. Leadership

 Lead by example. With the important foundations laid, you will have the influence and the methods built in. But you also have to model the behavior you want, so you don’t have to work too hard preaching it. Continue working on your own positivity and confidence. There is ALWAYS room for improvement. Turn it up a notch as often as you can. Make EVERY disappointment an opportunity to see the silver lining. Make every obstacle a learning opportunity for a well-placed stepping-stone in your life. Set goals, attack life with a purpose, walk faster, and keep growing your own spirituality, maintaining a reasonable level of fitness, and maturing your world view. This world is such an exciting place to be.

A big THANK YOU to Rodney Davis for his excellent advice. It we follow it, we're sure to raise optimistic kids.

To connect with Rodney and see his full article http://parentingtodaytips.stmartinstories.com/2011/10/3-fool-proof-tips-for-raising-positive-confident-children.html

Parents, now it's your turn. What are your suggestions for raising your child to be optimistic? Please answer in the comment link below.

 

One more thing, to follow Rodney's suggestions look at this Parents Affirmation Kit with 75 positive love note to share with your kids at http://goo.gl/LVauB

“We all want to be appreciated and valued. I am excited to have these affirmation tools, ideas, and examples to bless/gift my 8 grandchildren.” ~ Sharon Pahlka

With warm wishes,

Jean Tracy, MSS

KidsDiscuss.com

 

 

 

 

10 Parenting Solutions to Building Character with Time Out

This blog gives parents 10 great ways to use Time Outs effectively.

10 Secrets to Implementing Timeouts at Home

This blog comes from Suzanne Cullen at Au Pair.org.

The purpose of a timeout is to remove a child from an enjoyable experience, when they have misbehaved, and have them placed in an area free from distraction in order to calm down and reflect on their behavior. Listed below are ten secrets to implementing timeouts at home.

1. Correct Age. Children under the age of two, really do not grasp the concept of timeouts. However, even though starting between the ages of two and three is more appropriate you need to understand each child and his or her abilities.

2. Length. Small children are unable to be still for a long length of time. Make sure that the length of the timeout is appropriate for the child’s age. A good rule of thumb is one minute for each year of age.

3. Be Consistent. Try to use the same spot each time for a timeout. Whether you choose a chair, bottom step or a corner of a wall doesn’t matter, as long as it is the same place each time. Make sure that everyone else in the home is implementing the same procedure.

4. Set a Timer. This will help if you tend to forget about the time, so your child will not be stuck in a timeout for too long. It also helps the child to pay attention and keep quiet until the timer goes off, so that they are not constantly asking when they can get out.

5. Communication. In addition to using a timeout, you want to make sure that you speak with the child both before and after the timeout. First, make sure that they understand why they are receiving a consequence. This should be a brief one sentence statement of what they did wrong. Then once it is over you can discuss how their behavior affects others.

6. Be Firm. A timeout should be a time for reflection. Do not let the child move around or mumble and grumble. This is also not a time for a lecture. Not only should the child be silent, but you shouldn’t be interacting with them either.

7. Start Over. If the child is not obeying the timeout by trying to leave the timeout area or starting to talk during the timeout, then it should start all over, and the timer should be reset.

8. Follow Through. If you tell a child that you are going to put them in a timeout if they do not behave, be prepared to follow through and do it. As with any threats of punishment to a child, you need to be able to enact the consequence, or they will not take you seriously in the future.

9. Immediate. Timeouts need to be implemented immediately after the offense. If they are acting up at dinner time, you need to take them to a timeout right away and not wait until the meal is over.

10. Simplistic. Do not try to use this time to reason with a child. All they need to hear is ‘we don’t hit’. They do not need a ten minute lecture.

Timeouts can be a very effective diversion from inappropriate behavior. If you follow the tips listed above, you should see some successful timeouts.

A big Thank You to Suzanne Cullen at:

http://www.aupair.org/blog/10-secrets-to-implementing-timeouts-at-home/

Parents, now it's your turn. What are your suggestions for preparing your kids for school success? Please answer in the comment link below.

 

Warmly,

Jean Tracy, MSS

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

One more thing ~

Pick up Jean's Parenting Skills Kit at:

http://www.kidsdiscuss.com/parent_resource_center.asp?pr_id=kd003

Quit fighting with your kids! Learn how to draw the line. Become the parent you always wanted to be and create peace in your home. Get your Parenting Skills Kit today!

 

Parenting: 10 Solutions When Siblings Fight That Build Character!

Parenting is tough when siblings fight, Babysitters Blog, gives us 10 solutions you might like.

10 Solutions to Constantly Fighting Siblings

Sibling rivalry has been around since the beginning of time, literally. It can stem from jealousy or even just age difference. It is our responsibility as adults to help kids work through their differences, in a calm and respectful manner. Listed below are ten solutions to constantly fighting siblings.

1. Don’t Take Sides. If a child notices an adult taking sides or favoring their sibling, they may start to resent both parties. Remember to be impartial, and look at both sides of the situation.

2. Cooperation. Have the kids do activities that require them to work together, rather than against each other. Focus on cooperative games and not competitive ones.

3. No Whining. Coach the children, and teach them to use a normal tone of voice when asking for something. If they start to whine, even when talking to a sibling, have them start over and ask again. They are much more likely to share with the other sibling, if their tone of voice is not shrieking or demanding.

4. Alone Time. Make sure that each child has an adequate amount of time that they get to spend by themselves. Having a younger sibling that always tags along can get irritating, so make sure that you attempt to provide them time on their own too.

5. One-on–One Time. Not only do kids need to have time to themselves, they also need some one-on-one time with their parents and caregivers. Make sure that you are giving each child some undivided attention on a regular basis.  

6. Negotiate. Negotiating is a valuable skill that will come in handy later in life. Work with the children to learn to share their toys. During the negotiations, have them each express how they feel. This will help the other to see both sides.

7. Hold Them Accountable. Avoid letting the “he started it” to set in, and help them to see that it takes two to have an argument. Show them how their actions are not improving the situation.  

8. Get Them Involved. Start a dialog to help the children see the other person’s point of view. Ask them what they would have done, ask them if what they did was right and ask them how it should have been done differently.

9. Role Play. Once they have figured out how the problem should have been handled, have them act it out. After practicing the right way to handle a situation, they will be better equipped if it comes up again.

10. Set a Better Example. Take some time to think of how you react to stressful situations. Do you fly off the handle and yell or throw things? If so, how can you expect the children to behave differently? We need to be good role models for kids, and lead by example.

The fact is, siblings will not always get along, and it is the job of their caregivers to help ease them through conflicts. Keep a calm head. Try some of the techniques above, and you will be well on your way to teaching them great conflict resolution skills.

A big thank you to Babysitter's Blog at http://www.babysitters.net/blog/10-solutions-to-constantly-fighting-siblings/

Parents, now it's your turn. What are your suggestions for preparing your kids for school success? Please answer in the comment link below.

Warmly,

Jean Tracy, MSS

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

One more thing,

Pick up Jean's Problem Solver Kit at:

http://www.kidsdiscuss.com/parent_resource_center.asp?pr_id=kd007

Teach your children to solve their differences. Enjoy harmony in your home. Get The Problem Solver Kit today!

 

Parenting Advice: 5 Methods for Promoting School Success and Child Development

Would you like 5 methods for promoting school success and child development? Our parenting expert, Chanie Monoker, is an educator, a communication specialist, audiologist, and much more. Chanie's motto at the DAS Center is "Developing Awareness One Student at a Time." Let's find out Chanie's parenting advice.

Chanie Monoker, Creator of DAS Center ~ where comprehensive child assessments are done

"Postnatal, the time to prepare your child for school is immediately.

1. Advice to Parents about Food:

Serve nutritious low sugar low fat foods with lots of fruits and vegetables, preferably raw or steamed.

Many of the common conditions today, such as kids "on the spectrum" and ADD have been found to have their behaviors exacerbated by sugar and artificial coloring.

Foods high in fiber will leave the blood sugar levels more even resulting in regulated behavior.

If you haven't been doing so yet, now is a great time to start. Involving the children in the food preparation is usually motivating enough to have them on board with the diet change.

2. Advice to Parents about  Play:

Provide children with a variety of play opportunities. While Johnny might be an easy child because he likes to sit and play with legos all day (if we're lucky otherwise it's a Nintendo DS or the like) this does not help him develop all the different areas needed to succeed academically.

Children need a balanced sensory diet as much as they need a balance nutritional diet. The areas are hearing, seeing, fine motor (small muscles), gross motor (large muscles), balance, touch, social/emotional, and cognitive.

 3. Advice to Parents about Structure:

Teach them structure by having a routine to the day and week. This would include meal times, bath time, play time, sleep time. Later this will expand to include homework time. 

4. Advice to Parents about Encouragement:

Encourage effort. Make your home a safe place to explore and make mistakes, provided mistakes are learned from.

A three year old may pour a drink and can be expected to spill in the process. This is fine so long as they learn to clean it up and what they can and cannot handle e.g. only containers that are half full can s/he pour from.

This will expand to include academic effort. The world will not end if a little juice is spilled in the learning process or if Johnny gets a "B" so long as a genuine effort was expended.

5. Advice to Parents about Fear of the Unknown:

You might want to take your child on a tour of the school building to eliminate fear of the unknown. Show them the key elements. Even if the classroom cannot be determined in advance the bathrooms, lunchroom, playground, bus line up, etc. are not moving."

Thank-you, Chanie, for your expert advice. Your methods will help parents set their young children on the path to school success.

Parents, please connect with Chanie at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/dascenter

 

Parents, now it's your turn. What are your suggestions for  preparing your kids for school success? Please answer in the comment link below.

Warmly,

Jean Tracy, MSS 

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

One more thing ~

Pick up Jean's New e-book:

Parents as Teachers ~ 137 Teaching Ideas from Birth to 9 Years ~

Parents as Teachers gives you 137 ways to guide your children on their lifelong path to learning. Now you can teach your kids the learning tools every child needs because life is easier when your kids love school. http://goo.gl/Vjz0A  

Bonus Gift:

Sign up for this free Parenting Skills Blog at http://www.ParentingSkillsBlog.com  and receive this FREE Gift – 21 of the Best Learning Toys for Kids from Birth to 12 Years.

5 Strategies for School Success - Which Methods Do You Support?

Parents, see if you're using these strategies for helping your kids succeed at school. Our parenting expert, Stephanie Dawson-Cosser, is from Johannesburg Area, South Africa. She coaches parents and is sharing her 5 strategies for school success.

   

Stephanie Dawson-Cosser, Parenting Coach

1. Establish Homework Time:

As children start school, set aside a special time in the afternoon to do homework together. Establish a good routine from a young age. Be  committed to doing homework before play time.

2. Support School Projects:

Parents, support your child in school projects - avoid doing it for them - rather show interest, assist them in finding source information, and help them plan the project from A to Z.

3. Get Involved at School:

Get involved with school support, whether listening to children reading in the library or making tea for sport functions. Children experience your involvement  as supporting them.

4. Cheer at Sports Activities:

Regularly be in the side of the cricket pitch, tennis court cheering your child and the team!

5. Praise Effort:

Praise children for trying something new, doing their best, and for all that they have achieved. It does not matter if they are first or twenty first - as long as they have done their best!

Thank-you, Stephanie. Your excellent ideas will help many parents. I like how you praise kids for trying rather than winning. It encourages them whether they win or lose.

Parents, please connect with Stephanie at http://za.linkedin.com/in/stephaniedawsoncosser

Parents, now it's your turn. What are your suggestions for  preparing your kids for school success? Please answer in the comment link below.

Warmly,

Jean Tracy, MSS 

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

One more thing ~

Pick up Jean's New e-book:

Parents as Teachers ~ 137 Teaching Ideas from Birth to 9 Years ~

Parents as Teachers gives you 137 ways to guide your children on their lifelong path to learning. Now you can teach your kids the learning tools every child needs because life is easier when your kids love school. http://goo.gl/Vjz0A  

Bonus Gift:

Sign up for this free Parenting Skills Blog at http://www.ParentingSkillsBlog.com  and receive this FREE Gift – 21 of the Best Learning Toys for Kids from Birth to 12 Years.

School Success: 6 Practical Ways Parents Can Help Kids Beat Failure

School success for kids involves guidance. Our parenting expert, Dr. Parnell Donahue, has been a pediatritian most of his life. He knows about kids and how to help them beat failure. Let's find out his tips for success.

Dr Parnell Donahue •

 

Dr. Parnell Donahue, Pediatrician, Adolescent and Sports Medicine Expert

1. Get to Bed on Time

Grade school kids need at least 10 hours a night and teens should have 9.

2. Provide a Personal Alarm Clock

Provide a personal alarm clock for each kid when they start kindergarten. Teach them how to use it. If they do not get up in time they miss the day! One time will usually be all it takes if you start this in kindergarten; it will be much more difficult it you wait until they are in middle school or high school before you start. This should be the kids responsibility!

3. No Distracting Electronic Devices

No TV, computer, cell phone or other distracting electronic devices in bedrooms. They interrupt sleep even when watched prior to going to bed. Bedrooms are for sleeping and changing clothes only.

4. Provide a Place for Kids to Study in the Evening

Provide a place for kids to study in the evening. This should be in a public part of the house, Dining room, kitchen, family room, or study, if available.

All the family should have a quiet study time say 6-7:30 for kids, 6-8:30 for teens. During this time parents should read, pay bills, or do some other "intellectual" activity.

No TV, computer, cell phone or other distracting electronic devices is allowed during this time. If more time is needed, it should be squeezed in before dinner. Sleep is essential for learning.

5. Maintain a Positive Attitude

Maintain a positive attitude toward school, teachers, parents, and sibs.

6. Make Sure Kids Get Enough Exercise

Make sure kids get enough exercise. Shoot for 1 hour daily.
Enjoy your kids and your life!

Thank-you, Dr. Parnell. You've given us 6 valuable tips to help our readers help their kids beat failure and achieve success in school.

Parents, please connect with Dr. Parnell at his awesome website:

http://www.messengersindenim.com/ 

Parents, now it's your turn. What are your suggestions for  preparing your kids for school success? Please answer in the comment link below.

Warmly,

Jean Tracy, MSS 

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

One more thing ~

Pick up Jean's New e-book:

Parents as Teachers ~ 137 Teaching Ideas from Birth to 9 Years ~

Parents as Teachers gives you 137 ways to guide your children on their lifelong path to learning. Now you can teach your kids the learning tools every child needs because life is easier when your kids love school. http://goo.gl/Vjz0A  

Bonus Gift:

Sign up for this free Parenting Skills Blog at http://www.ParentingSkillsBlog.com  and receive this FREE Gift – 21 of the Best Learning Toys for Kids from Birth to 12 Years.