Character Building from KidsDiscuss.com

The Power of Imagination: How to Ease Your Child's Stress

 

Now You Can Teach Your Child How to Use His Imagination Well

Your child's imagination is a powerful place to reduce his stress. Our expert parenting author, Dr. Charlotte Reznick, is sharing how to help your child find his own special place where joy and success exist. This excerpt is from her book, The Power of Your Child's Imagination. Read this exercise to your child each night. Then notice the difference. Let's find out how it works.

Tool 2. Discovering Your Special Place

There are private places within your child's inner world where he can work out problems or take mini-vacations from the stresses of life, where he can relax, regroup, or just hang out in a healthy way.

Use the following script to guide your child toward whatever Special Place he would like to create. He might find himself in a garden, a castle, a cave, or outer space.

One child discovered "a room that can turn into anything;" another made frequent visits to the "Land of Far." It doesn't matter where yours goes or what he creates, as long as he feels protected. Once he finds safety inside, he is more likely to feel it outside, and he'll be more adaptable to challenges and change.

To introduce this Tool, say, "Let's take some time to find a place to relax." Or "Let's take a little vacation." Or simply present it as a game. Start with the Balloon Breath, then use this script to invite your child into a gentle inner journey. Combining the Balloon Breath and a Special Place is an excellent start for most situations.

Discovering Your Special Place

"Imagine yourself walking on a beautiful path. You might hear the sweet song of birds in the distance, feel soft grass under your feet, or brush past fragrant flowers along the way.

"In front of you is a carved wooden door with all your favorite colors. It has your name on it. Open it and step through. Good.

"Notice if you're indoors or out. You might be in a cozy room, a large, open meadow with trees and flowers, or somewhere else wonderful. You decide.

"This is your Special Place, where you can feel good about yourself. You deserve a peaceful place of your own. Here you are safe. You can play, study, rest, talk with whomever you wish, or do absolutely nothing.

"Surround yourself with everything and everyone that brings you joy. Invite people or animals you'd like to be with you. Whenever anyone walks through the door, they love and accept you just the way you are.

"If you've decided to be on your own, you can enjoy that, too. Let your imagination have a grand time. All this is for you. Remember who you really are: unique and important to this planet."

(Note: Close this imagery here or continue onto another Tool. To end now, say: "When you're ready, come back here feeling refreshed and open your eyes."

To end at bedtime, say: "Now breathe deeply and allow yourself to fall asleep naturally.") (This excerpt is from pages 25-26.)

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Children have wonderful imaginations. According to Dr. Reznick, they often go to "Flights of Fancy." She is teaching parents how to develop this gift in ways to help your children reduce stress and anxiety. Pick up her excellent book full of useful tools, The Power of Your Child's Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success.

                Available at Amazon.com

Let's HONOR Dr. Charlotte Reznick for writing a book that helps us, who are parents, teach our children find joy and success through the power of their imaginations.

 

Dr. Charlotte Reznick

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With warm wishes,

Jean Tracy, MSS

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Warning! To Raise Resilient Children You Must Be Proactive

 

You Can Raise Resilient Children!

If you want resilient children, be proactive. Our parenting expert and author, Dr. Donna Volpitta, wrote The Resilience Formula, with co-author, Dr. Joel Haber. This brand new book uses a framework, a formula, a triggerscript, a plan, and more. Let's find out.

The Beauty of Being a Proactive Parent

In this book, we teach proactive parenting-parenting in a way that actively considers how to teach resilience to children through everyday challenges... 

Proactive Parenting Puts You in Control -

and helps you to make decisions that benefit your children over the long term. While no one is going to be the "perfect" proactive parent, there is a formula you can use-with specific tools and strategies to follow to build resilience in your child through his or her everyday challenges.

The Framework for Proactive Parenting

In this book, we first outline a framework for proactive parenting. The framework offers four key concepts that parents can teach to help kids face challenges successfully.

The Four Ss Concepts

Those four concepts are what we call the Four Ss:

1. Self
2. Situation
3. Strategies
4. Support

We use these four concepts to guide the lessons that we are to use in daily interactions with our children, as they inform how we evaluate and act in response to challenge.

The Scripting Tool

Then, we offer a tool that all parents can use to effectively convey those concepts. The tool is what we call, "scripting."

Triggerscripts, the first type of script, trigger, or activate, an escape from a situation until all parties involved are ready to think logically. Once everyone is calm, parents use scripting as their tool to teach a child how to handle challenges effectively.

The Plan

Finally, we put it all together in a plan-one that recognizes that we all are emotional beings, especially when it comes to interacting with our loved ones. The plan prepares us to... (Pages 12-13) To find out more about this awesome parenting resource, pick up The Resilience Formula: A Guide to Proactive Not Reactive Parenting

Available at Amazon.com

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Let's give Dr. Donna Volpitta for co-authoring this helpful book. It shows us HOW  to parent proactively. Let's follow their plan and raise resilient children. Everyone will benefit.

 

Thank you, Donna Volpitta, Ed.D.

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Jean Tracy, MSS

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4 Top Communication Tools for Raising Positive Kids

If you'd like to raise kids to feel optimistic don't give up. Just follow the 4 communication tips below. Our guest blogger, Mary Romero is a life coach and a juvenile corrections officer. Let's listen to Mary's advice.

"Some children are just born 'happy' all the time while others seem to be 'sad sacks' for no particular reason....so we think. This is why communication with your children cannot be stressed enough.

There are children who can let the small things just roll off their backs while others may be hypersensitive where their feelings are concerned and need help with coping skills. I call these the 'tools' for our toolbox of life.

It is our job as parents to know our children and provide them with the necessary 'tools' so that they can become emotionally healthy adults.

4 Top Communication Tools for Raising Optimistic Kids

1. If you find that your child seems to be pessimistic the majority of the time, it begins to affect their eating habits, sleeping habits, friendships, and they become lethargic and uninterested in activities, you may want to seek your pediatrician's advice.

2. Discussing daily events with your child and how they felt about situations, how they handled them or, wished something was handled differently, is a good starting point in building optimism.

3. Giving them alternatives (seeing the bright side) is helpful because some children have a hard time being able to do this on their own but it can become a learned behavior.

4. Role model that optimistic attitude no matter what life throws at you and your child will learn to accept challenges with open arms!"

  Mary Romero

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

You can connect with Mary at: http://www.wix.com/mmmcconnell/live-life-coaching

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.

 

To increase your child's gifts and talents and to follow through with Mary's suggestions for building character through promoting your child's talents, pick up this Thought-Stopping Kit

Use the Thought-Stopping Kit when you want to instill positive attitudes for life!

http://www.kidsdiscuss.com/parent_resource_center.asp?pr_id=kd005

 

With warm wishes,

Jean Tracy, MSS

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