12 Tips to Raising Confident Children
Even as early as their first days of life, kids are learning new skills at a rapid rate. While learning these skills, once mastered, builds a level of confidence.
As kids get older, confidence is a key factor in developing those important life skills. However, kids also need to feel confident if they do not succeed the first time at something it does not mean they failed. Confidence comes with success and failure.
Here are 12 tips on how to help your child build confidence:
1. Model confidence yourself.
Even if you are not feeling confident about something, for your children's sake you need to act like it. You can point out your fears and anxiety about the task but steer away from focusing on that. Model for you children that you are being optimistic and positive.
2. Encourage your child to learn new things.
Most children, when they find something they are really good at only want to stay within that niche. However, we should be encouraging our children to diversify and try things that they may not be the best at. This allows them to be confident in anything that is thrown their way and know they have the ability to at least try.
3. Don’t get upset about mistakes.
If your child makes a mistake, encourage them to embrace the mistake. Use this as a time to teach them that everyone makes mistakes but we learn from them. Confident children realize they made a mistake but do not allow the mistake to bring them down or count as a failure.
4. Allow kids to fail.
It is in our nature to want to protect our children from failure, but is that helping them build confidence? Falling short on a goal, helps kids realize it is not fatal and that trial and error is a part of life.
5. Praise perseverance.
For a lot of us, giving up when something is difficult is easier than continuing to try. Confidence is not about succeeding or being the best at everything, it is about pushing through during the times you may not be the best at something or not being anxious about not being the best.
6. Help kids find their passions.
Allowing kids to explore their own interests can help with finding their own identity and self confidence.
7. Set goals.
Having children set goals for themselves, short and long term will allow them to feel accomplished when they complete a task in the time frame. Having a list of the child’s interests and what they want to accomplish within those interests while having manageable and attainable goals will help with self esteem and confidence.
8. Celebrate Efforts.
Praising your child for their efforts is a great way to build self confidence. Let your kids know you value their work and their effort. It could be as simple as a child learning a new letter or a teenager learning to play the piano.
9. Expect them to pitch in.
In the beginning they may complain that they do not want to help around the house or do chores. However, they feel valued when they can contribute to their family. Pick age appropriate chores so they are able to feel accomplished.
10. Embrace imperfection.
Unfortunately, the society we live in, with social media and technology shows that everyone is happy, successful and perfectly dressed. This is not how the real world works and us as educators/parents reminding our kids that being less than perfect is the way of life and it is okay.
11. Set them up for success.
Challenging our kids is very important but setting them up for success is also a key component to confidence. Help your child get involved in activities that make them feel comfortable and confident for new challenges along the way.
12. Show your love.
Make sure your child knows you love them no matter what! Even when you are mad or upset your love is unconditional.
https://childmind.org/article/12-tips-raising-confident-kids/
How Social Media Impacts Youth
As a parent or educator in today’s society, it seems everyone is glued to their phones especially teenagers. With so many different social media platforms, teens use this is as a way to communicate. Ever wonder what effect this is having on our youth?
Indirect Communication
Teens are great at keeping themselves busy while doing homework or staying up way past their bedtime occupying themselves with social media. Before everyone had an Instagram account, teens kept themselves occupied in a very different way. They were communicating by talking over the phone or meeting up with their friends at the mall. It could seem that there was a lot of wasted time walking around a mall but teens were learning how to interact with people in real time. Teens today are missing out on reading body language and facial expressions that help develop social skills. Instead, they are fixated on a screen and relying on social media to make connections.
How to Make Friends
Learning how to make a friend is a huge part of growing up. Friendship requires risk taking with both parties whether that is with making a new friend or maintaining a friendship. When meeting friends face to face it is easier to let your guard down and allow yourself to be who you really are. While texting, it is easier to keep your guard up and protect yourself because there is not someone looking at you and letting you know by their body language that it is a safe place to share your feelings or that their words are affecting you. When there is a disagreement in a friendship, without talking it through in real time it allows the other person to formulate a response rather than telling the person how they really feel.
Cyberbullying
Unfortunately, this is the world we live in today and cyberbullying occurs more frequently than we would like to admit. Teens texts things they would never say to someone constantly. We hope that we have taught our teens to disagree in a healthy manner while being in the presence of the other person.
Peer acceptance is huge for teens and using social media to see the latest fashion trends, music etc puts an added pressure. Especially girls who are scrolling through their feeds waiting to see how many people like their posts. Who wouldn't want to make themselves look cooler if that resulted in more likes on Instagram? As a result, teens spend hours updating their online images to fit in and fight for attention.
We as a society need to do better, as adults set and example for our youth and show how to have a genuine connection with someone in real time.
Tips for Establishing a Healthy Sleep Schedule
Getting enough rest is an important part of being successful in any area. Today we’re going to look at seven useful tips that can help students get the most out of their sleep schedule.
Put Down the Phone
One simple thing that can make a big difference when it comes to how long it takes to fall asleep is to avoid using electronics before bed. Many students today, especially in high school and college, say they rely on their phones or tablets to listen to/watch things that relax them in order to fall asleep. This can seem like a great way to unwind before falling asleep, but the reality is that a phone, tablet, and TV screens all emit blue light (even when in “night mode”), which affects melatonin levels. Most experts recommend not using electronics in bed at all or at least having a cutoff when it’s time to go to sleep.
Don’t Hit Snooze
Hitting the “snooze” button is extremely tempting for students. What many people don’t realize, however, is that as good as they feel, those extra 5 or 10 minutes of rest that we get tend to do more harm than good throughout the rest of the day.
Our bodies thrive on routine, especially through school years when we are still growing. Having an alarm set for the same time every morning is a good way of training the body to cycle through these phases efficiently, but falling back to sleep (or even just lying there) for a few minutes after waking up throws off the brain’s natural timing, which in turn makes students feel less rested as the day goes on.
Open the Curtains
This may not sound like something that has any real scientific basis, but research has found that there are cells in our eyes whose only job is to gauge brightness for the body’s circadian clock. The brain responds to this input independently of sight, which plays a part in whether or not the body feels tired. Similarly, exposure to light stimulates the brain and body, so getting started on the day becomes easier.
Stay Active
Even a small amount of exercise can make a big difference; from simple things like stimulating a student's heart rate to improving overall mood and fitness, which in turn helps the body rest more efficiently.
Stay on Schedule
Lastly, as we’ve mentioned before, the key to success in any area is consistency. Students need established routines throughout their growing years, and sleep is perhaps one of the most important areas in which routine matters. From getting to sleep to a set bedtime to avoiding spontaneous naps, keeping to a schedule trains the body to sleep well and at the correct times. This allows students to feel better throughout the day and apply themselves fully to succeeding in school, social life, and all other areas.
To read more about how to get the most out of your sleep schedule, check out these webpages:
https://www.freshu.io/celia-janes/10-tips-to-stay-well-rested
Benefits of Art
Art projects are a great way to keep kids occupied in a healthy way. Something as simple as coloring, has been part of early childhood education for as long as we can remember.
Parents and educators sometimes are not aware of the real long term benefits to arts and crafts. Art is a way for children to be creative, however, it not only has a positive impact on core subjects but helps with executive functioning and neural development.
In this blog we’re going to focus on how art can affect academic performance and executive functioning,
EARLY DEVELOPMENT
Creativity
Creativity is key when it comes to problem solving. Not only is it helpful in the early stages of life but has been shown to help students excel far beyond college and provide more opportunities. Research has shown that students who have been exposed to art from an early age have a greater ability to come up with different ideas and solutions as they get older.
Fine Motor Skills
From an early age, fine motor skills are important to develop coordination. Learning how to hold a marker or a paint brush can help lead to good penmanship. Tracing, cutting and coloring inside the lines, help improve coordination.
Sensory Input
Varied stimulation is a great way of engaging students brains with touch, sight, smell, and sound. This variety keeps their brains occupied and thinking without relying too heavily on one specific sense, which can be overwhelming, especially to younger students. Aside from being entertaining, a number of studies have found that this kind of stimulation helps kids’ neural functions develop better.
Executive Functioning
Since art is an open ended project it provides an opportunity for students to consider options, make choices, and evaluate results. These are essential to help develop executive functioning skills. Giving students a safe outlet for experimenting can help them get more comfortable with situations where there are no clear step by step directions.
OTHER BENEFITS
As the years go on, art has become a major part of therapy for children. Sometimes when a child has been through a traumatic event it is difficult for them to speak about their emotions. Not only regarding a traumatic event, but being a child in general can be difficult and facing or talking about those emotions can become overwhelming. However, giving children a piece of paper and a crayon to show how they feel allows for a safe space for the child and a way to communicate without using words.
Every day, students absorb incredible amounts of new information. While this is normal, they still need to be able to process what they learn in a way that works for them. Through artwork, students get to approach feelings and ideas in a “scaled-down” or more manageable way. This is often easier than finding the words to express how we are feeling, and can also be a good segue to other forms of open communication.
Art also allows us to connect with others. Working on an art project with a friend or a teacher can help strengthen or create a new bond.
Regardless of how much value you place on art as a cultural goal, the academic benefits are clear.
To learn more about how art can be great for students of all ages, check out these links:
https://artfulparent.com/the-benefits-of-art-for-kids/
https://www.studentartguide.com/articles/reasons-to-study-art
How to Form Routines
Students with ADHD tend to struggle in school due to a variety of factors including but not limited to their lack of Executive Functioning skills. The ability to stay organized, plan ahead, and manage their time effectively can become overwhelming which can impact behavior and performance. As educators, it is beneficial to have tools that can be used within the classroom to ease anxiety and motivate students to be successful. Let’s take a look at some useful tips!
Forming structured routines within the classroom can establish reliable expectations for students which can support remaining on task and focused. Examples can include writing the homework assignment in the same spot on the board every day and working with the student to ensure important items and tasks are written in their planner. This will provide consistency and relatability which can ease confusion and stress which often impact the ability for a student to identify what needs to be done.
Disorganization is another area of executive functioning that has a significant impact on a student's success. When a student is in a rush and unable to get situated or organized prior to a transition throughout the day, they start the next phase of their day already in a state of stress, confusion, and at times, frustration. This disorganization can have a ripple effect and carry over into the students home life and responsibilities. Allowing students an extra five minutes at the end of class to put their items away in the proper place will allow for organization throughout the day. Therefore, when they sit down at home to start on their homework, they know exactly where everything is, rather than spending time searching for their assignments and can start on their homework.
Being clear and concise about the expectations of an assignment can help to minimize misunderstandings. When assignments have a grey area, confusion tends to happen which can result in incomplete work or lack of focus. In an effort to reduce this, make assignments clear and check back to see if the student understands what is being asked. Work to keep assignments short and straight forward, not long, repetitive, and abstract, which will have the potential to increase focus.
Lastly, positive reinforcement is the key to motivating students. If the student makes the effort to complete a task from start to finish, even if there is difficulty along the way, a positive statement can go a long way. Empowering our students to be successful is half the battle. Just like adults receive a paycheck for their hard work, students need some form of incentive as well. Sometimes using small incentives to form routines can help with positive feedback.
How to Raise a Happy Child
All parents want their kids to be happy and healthy but sometimes we don't know how to make them happy or build self confidence. We are not perfect and need some guidance along the way. See below for 16 tips on how to raise happy children.
1. Acknowledge that everything you know is wrong.
Everything science tells us to do to make our kids happy we are not doing. Admit this to your children.
2. Stop giving them everything.
Kids are much happier when they give to others rather than receiving, Giving back also allows them to see the happiness they contributed to someone else's life.
3. Let them do it for themselves.
At a young age, we need to let our children learn how to do things on their own. It will help them grow independence. When they grow older it shouldn’t be about control it should be about mentoring and guiding them.
4. Unschedule a little.
If your child's schedule is jammed pack every day, take a look at what can be dropped so they have time to go outside and be with their friends.
5. Hit your own pause button.
Your stress level can have an impact on your children. If you are carpooling kids all day long from activity to activity take a look at what you can cut out to maintain your happiness.
6. Make time for others.
Make sure your child has real life encounters with others to promote social skills.
7. Collaboration on the rules.
Instead of giving a child a rule, ask them to contribute to it. If you have a teenager and you want their curfew to be 10 and they ask for 11, meet halfway and change it to 10:30. A little bit of compromise goes a long way with children being able to make their own responsible decisions.
8. Find the “just right” solution for each child.
Every child and their needs are different. Something that may have worked for one of your children may not work for the other. Find what works for each child.
9. Quality time is key.
Quality time and unconditional love are key components of a happy child. Use bedtime as a way to connect without other people around. Read a book together or talk about their day. This makes them feel special and important.
10. Get outside.
Kids who may have attention struggles or have a lot of energy, take them outside and get on their level. Playing and engaging with them connects you in a different way.
11. Play to their strengths.
Zoning in on a specific strength for a child is great for their self confidence. Praising them for their efforts in a positive way will become an internal voice for them.
12. Don't forget the basic needs.
Many kids are involved in so many after school activities and are shuffled around from activity to activity. Remembering that a well balanced meal and a good night's sleep can go a long way.
13. Check yourself.
The way you carry yourself affects your children. If you are anxious, your kids can pick up on those emotions and will begin to echo your tone of voice. Being able to control your moods and engage in self regulation is an important responsibility as a parent.
14. Rethink Consequences
Sometimes rather than implementing consequences, it is important to realize that this is an opportunity to teach and allow your child to grow. Let them tell you about their emotions because they could be struggling with how to deal with them. In addition, maybe giving them an opportunity to take responsibility for their actions can be a great teaching moment.
15. Focus on your relationship.
Developing a relationship with your child is key to their happiness. Being able to connect with them is crucial in their happiness and development.
16. Just ask...them
You would be surprised about how honest kids are. If you want to know what makes them happy…..ask.
https://mom.com/kids/secrets-to-raising-happy-children/just-ask-them
COVID-19 Summer Slide
COVID 19 made for a chaotic spring semester, with billions of children out of school all over the world. One of the most alarming effects of COVID 19 is the effect on subsequent school years. Since transitioning to distance learning and decreased social interaction, students are experiencing a significant decline in learning and retention due to school closures. Every summer student experiences what researchers call “summer slide.” According to a study done by the Collaborative for Student Growth, COVID-19 closures will amplify this summer slide and adversely affect student achievement for years to come.
Learning loss affects every student in different ways, however, the predictions are learning loss is more significant in older students. Research indicates that steeper decline in math compared to reading. There is also a concern regarding learning gaps as students advance to the next grade level without mastering this semester's content. In addition, schools are not sure what next school year will look like regarding reopening which will amplify the gaps.
Providing students with effective support this summer is imperative to alleviate the named “COVID-19 Slide”. Having students engage in enrichment programs and subject specific courses will help with learning loss. Assisting children in learning loss over the summer can be daunting but we are here to help. Below are three vital steps to assuring your student gets ahead and stays ahead this summer.
Assess Student Needs
Figuring out the individual needs for a student is imperative in assisting them over the summer with their academic needs. Each student is different and their content needs to be specific for them. As you start to devise an action plan for your student, think about what classes they struggled with, what classes they may need to brush up on before entering into middle or high school, and what difficult courses they will be taking next semester. Talk to your students, teachers and find the trend.
Devise an Action Plan
Once you have assessed what the student needs academically, come up with a plan for the summer. During the summer, students do not mimic the structure of school, sleep schedules and habits. To help with the lack of structure, devise an action plan with specific schedules and goals to keep the student on track. Utilize the S.M.A.R.T goal framework to help students create self improvement.
Find Support
COVID-19 has been difficult for all of us, there is no shame in asking experts for help to get your student ahead and stay ahead. Whether you are looking for academic remediation and enrichment over the summer to combat the “summer slide” or other supplementary services like standardized test prep, we are here to help! Head over to our services page or contact us for more information.
How to Eliminate Procrastination
It’s Thursday evening and you’re frantically working to finish up an English project due tomorrow morning. Tired, angry, and anxious that you can’t watch your TV show tonight, you ask yourself, “How did this happen?”
First, you spent your entire weekend binging Netflix, since you were giving yourself a break from the week. Then during the week, you spent hours on Tik-Tok, then you shared them with your friends, spending more time laughing at them and discussing what other videos are comparable in a group chat. That is called procrastination, and it is one of the most destructive habits.
However, if you make a habit of being proactive, it can lead to positive results if you focus and stay committed. Below are a few quick tips that you can use to transition from being a procrastinator, to a proactive student.
Make a Plan
Using a planner and making a detailed plan for the project is key. All supplies need to be present and important rubric points need to be highlighted for various parts of the project are just a few of the many details needed. A planner helps you keep all of the notes, comments and steps within your plan. A whiteboard is also beneficial as it can help you see the big picture when you lay out your plan. Remember, always get an overview before going through the details.
Remove Distractions
Whether you’re studying at home in a living room, bedroom, or kitchen, you are surrounded by distractions. You know what those specific distractions are and they’re part of the reason you procrastinate. Your social media accounts, your phone, your Tik Tok videos – all are in your control. Remove those distractions and watch your productivity rise and you’ll come to realize later that you’ve finished the project early and have time for yourself. Next time you find it hard to focus, look around the room and remove the biggest distractions. The environment plays a huge role in productivity. Control it or it will control you.
Start Early
The earlier the better, as it will allow time to fix mistakes or add to your project, while leaving you with more time for yourself when you are finished. You should start your project like any other homework, immediately the day it is received. No matter how small the first step is. Procrastination is often caused by the fear of starting. By making progress, even minimal progress, from the beginning, you are less likely to procrastinate later on.
Dividing Goals
Whenever any project is assigned, it is best to divide the project into small manageable steps. In addition, writing the amount of time each part will take gives a realistic idea of how long it will take. This makes it easier to focus rather than getting overwhelmed by the project as a whole. By breaking your project into small manageable chunks, you’re able to measure the progress you’re making with each item complete.
Support Systems
Getting started on tasks isn’t always easy, and it’s difficult to push yourself when it’s a task that isn’t fun or interesting. Therefore, find someone to push you to get started. Whether it’s a parent, friend, sibling, or tutor, find a support system that works for you so that you are motivated to start and finish your project.
The truth is procrastination plagues the productivity of people all over the world, not just students. However, students who learn how to manage procrastination by becoming proactive thrive in the adult world. If your student struggles with procrastination or any other executive functioning skill, let us help!
Helicopter Parenting
Everyone talks about helicopter parents, but what exactly does that mean? Parents & Teenagers, a book written by Dr. Hiam Ginott, interviewed teenagers about their parents and they described them as hovering over them just like helicopters. Dr. Ginott also describes helicopter parenting as any behavior where parents are overly involved in the child's life. This type of parenting usually involves teenagers but can show up at any age. Many times, parents may start calling their teachers, become overly involved in play time, or try to complete or do the majority of their homework.
Reading this, you may be thinking…”wow that is over the top.” However, helicopter parenting comes from a good place. There is no one size fits all with this type of parenting but usually the root cause is misplaced concern for their child.
We often see helicopter parenting with parents who are anxious. They may feel they don’t have control over their own lives and therefore try to control their child’s. The need for control usually lies within their past; potentially parents who felt neglected or unloved as a child overcompensate in this area. In addition, some parents want to protect their children from failure, bad grades or negative interactions with their peers. Therefore, they hover over their child so this doesn't happen. Lastly, just like children, parents can feel peer pressure as well. If they see other parents using this style of parenting, they may feel pressured to “keep up” with the other parents.
The Consequences
Being an engaged parent is always wonderful, however there is a big difference between an engaged parent and a helicopter parent. A helicopter parent may be shielding their child from failure and disappointment for the short term but the reality is we all need to fail at some point to succeed. A part of growing up is to learn lessons and change from them.
Doing too much for a child causes lack of self confidence. Although parents don’t intend to, doing too much for their children makes them believe they are not capable of it or their parents don’t trust them.
Another negative result of this parenting style is, when things inevitably do go wrong, usually children who have helicopter parents often don’t have the coping skills to handle it. If a parent always made sure that a child never had to face disappointment or clean up a mess, those children have been denied the opportunity to learn the coping skills that will get them through life.
The end result of helicopter parenting is never good. Lack of coping skills turns into two main things: Entitlement or Anxiety. Children who have never experienced failure sometimes develop feelings that everything will always go their way and in some ways feel that they deserve it. Many times this leads to them acting entitled or spoiled. Another attitude that manifests from this is anxiety. Children who have never faced disappointment or failure can lead to anxiety about letting people down. Regardless if entitlement or anxiety manifests, deep rooted issues can come from helicopter parenting.
Avoiding Helicopter Parenting
There is no simple answer to avoid being a helicopter parent. There are a few things that you can keep in mind when parenting. Awareness is a huge part of parenting, realizing what is overbearing and what is the appropriate amount of involvement is key. In addition, knowing what is age appropriate to allow them to begin to overcome challenges on their own. What is necessary and appropriate for a 4 year old is not the same for a teenager. Being aware of the differences between the ages is extremely important.
College Admission Changes
You are getting ready to go into your senior year of high school….you have your college picked out and then realize you need the dreaded SAT and ACT scores to apply. You begin to sweat and panic that you now have to sign up and take the exam. You ask yourself...how am I supposed to take this test during a pandemic? Think again! Several universities are beginning to wave their requirement for 2021 to not include SAT and ACT scores.
Although not all universities are waving this requirement just yet, several are and you should be on the lookout for your school. The schools who are forgoing these exams feel that they cannot comprehend what students and families are enduring during this pandemic and the last things students should be concerned about are standardized tests. This is a strange time for everyone and being flexible and changing the way of doing things is the only way we are all going to get through this together. This will reduce a great deal of stress not only on the students but the families. They will not have to worry about the cost of the exam as well as being able to find a time slot to complete the exam from home.
In addition to the anxiety of having to take the exam, there are less opportunities to schedule the exam due to the Coronavirus. If you are lucky enough to find an open slot, most places are allowing you to take the test from home. However, this can pose other challenges, with technical issues, lack of quiet space or any other potential issues that may arise while being home.
Each college is in the position of making their own decision regarding the requirements of waving the SAT/ACT scores to be accepted. Read this article for additional information.
https://www.nytimes.com/article/sat-act-test-optional-colleges-coronavirus.html