Best Parents

Whether you have a boy or a girl, chances are there is plenty of athletic activities available right in your own community that caters to their age and skill level. Athletics and sports in general are a supportive part of growing up and help kids set the foundation for socialization, team work and a feeling of pride and accomplishment in themselves. The trick is to start them out with a non-competitive attitude and allow them to develop their own likes and dislikes for activities. Just because you dream of having a football or softball star, doesn’t mean your child will follow suit and pushing them in a direction they aren’t interested in (or good at) causes insecurity and pressure.

Too many parents become involved in their children’s sporting events as if it is a direction indication on their own ability. It’s as if they are reliving their own childhood or making up for something they didn’t do by sitting on the sidelines pressuring their child to do better or be the best. When you involve your kids in sports it is vital to be empathetic, patient and realize that they will come into and out of their athletic abilities on their own terms. There are plenty of kids who are intimidated by competition among peers who crumble in the face of a adversity. When they get the ball, are open for the shot, have a chance to kick the goal – they become paralyzed. Frustrating to watch, but parents should encourage confidence rather than game time success. By pushing too hard, parents will most certainly cause a negative feeling in their children about sports.

continue reading…

By beginning at a young age to talk to your child about money you may improve their life-long money habits and understanding. Begin with asking your child a few questions to determine what they already know.

Where does money come from?

How does mom or dad earn money?

What are your needs?

What are your wants?

Depending on the age of your child, you may receive some very interesting answers to these questions. This begins your communication and clarification of what money is how it is earned and how we spend money. If they did not have clear answers to the above questions, have a conversation with them to discuss needs, wants and how money is earned.

continue reading…

By Jennifer Carpenter

Self-confidence helps children and adults be more successful individuals. People with self-confidence make friends easier, accomplish more, and are less likely to be plagued with sleep disorders, social disorders, depression, and anxiety. Obviously teaching your kids to be self-confident is an important parental responsibility. Five of the best ways to do this is to let your children known its okay to make mistakes, to expose them to new activities, places and people every day, to show unconditional love, avoid comparisons to others and encourage rather than praise.

Mistakes Are Okay The fastest way to decrease a child’s self confidence is to make them afraid of making a mistake. You may think only a really mean parent would make their child feel bad about themselves just for making a mistake, but it isn’t as easy as that. Kids are very good at picking up feelings of disappointment, disapproval, and shame. They are also very good at blaming themselves for everything that goes wrong. Being over protective (and let’s be honest, you know if you are) can create a deep feeling of insecurity for a child. You tell your child to not run through the house and then you around and he’s fallen and skinned his knee and he’ll feel that he got hurt because he was bad. The more controlling and domineering you are as a parent the less you child will believe in themselves. Instead bring your child to many different events and places and encourage, not push them to try anything and everything.

continue reading…