Should a parent give a child a tangible reward when he or she has behaved properly or performed some important task such as doing homework, or helping around the house? Understandably, many parents are hesitant to use incentives, such as prizes, or food treats, to influence their children, especially considering the negative comments by some, but not all, contemporary parenting experts. For many parents, giving their children rewards feels like bribery and to them, should be thus avoided. Some parents object to giving rewards, because they conclude, that a child will end up wanting a reward for everything he or she does!...

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"I don't know and I don't care." I've heard those words more than a few times in my office. Sometimes I think "I don't know and I don't care" is the universal teen tribal motto. So what to do? I remember working with one kid who said absolutely nothing in the first session but "I don't know and I don't care" at least 10 times each. So just before he came for his next session, I wrote "I don't know" on one side of a sheet of paper and "I don't care" on the other side. I then taped the piece of paper to the couch I thought he was most likely to sit on....

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As a mom of 4 who's youngest child is about to start Kindergarten this Fall, I'd like to share with you some things I've learned about Preschool over the last ten years, along with a list of readiness skills every child can be learning at home - whether attending Preschool or not. Preschools, especially those taught in a church environment, are a wonderful resource that help prepare children for regular school. Not to mention they also provide social interaction with children of the same age, and for a few hours each week, a much-needed break for Mom....

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Fall marks the beginning of many new things both for our children and for us. Starting something new always means change and all of us respond to change differently. Many of us welcome it but many of us are filled with apprehension and fear. Many of your children will be starting elementary school for the very first time. Others will be starting preschool for the first time and others will be carrying on in elementary school but in a new grade with different expectations and more than likely a new teacher....

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Memorabilia - Children can create enough artwork for an entire gallery in a few short weeks. The key here is choices; establish a particular place-e. g., basket, drawer, or shelf - for each child to put artwork. When that space is full, have one-on-one time with Mom and select your "three favorites". This is a lesson in life, which is continually full of choices. Then create a Memorabilia Box for each child where the favorites are kept. Keep the box in a convenient place, with the lid off, so it's easy to add new items....

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The teenage years are a crucial time in a child's life. They arenot children anymore, but they are also not adults. During thistime the choices they make may have an effect on them for therest of their lives. It is the parents' responsibility to guidetheir teenagers in the right direction by helping them makeresponsible choices and building their character to the pointthat when their teenagers move out of the house they are on theroad to being responsible adults and have the tools they need tosucceed in life....

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Using 14 "at" Flashcards To Teach Reading: This exercise helps your child increase the speed with which she reads the words she has a grip on so far. Write each of the words flat, chat, brat, spat, splat, and drat on a separate index card. Add these new flashcards to the eight flashcards you made before (bat, cat, fat, hat, mat, pat, rat and sat) so you have a set of 14. You can use the dialogue in bold text when following these steps with your child: 1. Spread the cards face down on the table....

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If you are like most people today, you do not have a will. Thereasons for this failure are many, with the most common being along the lines of "I don't have enough assets to worry about", "I don't know how to write a will", or "Lawyers charge a lot of money". Here's my answer to the last two - buy a software package that helps you draw up your own will and follow the forms. This software will ask you a series of questions and you supply the answers. When you are done, you have a piece of paper ready to be signed;...

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Dear friends here we will charge up our mind with the information of jealousy, Meaning of jealousy, causes of jealousy & effects of jealousy on personality. Meaning - Jealousy is an form of emotional stress. Jealousy comes form the feeling or insecurity & inadequacy in situations the person regards as curcial to his happiness & welfare. Causes - Jealousy develops in early adolescent. specifically parents are responsible for it. Parents compare their kids with the other kids or subject or anything who has lesser standards than their child....

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Yesterday my husband Wade took the day off (that's one of the really cool things about having your own business!). The only bad thing about yesterday is that two of the kids are still sick-they have that cold with the horrible cough and congestion. So, needless to say, I've been going a little stir crazy and was so happy for the extra help. The kids were excited too. They love spending time with their Dad. In fact, on days he does work, there's a terrible commotion when he comes home. As soon as the van pulls in the driveway, the kids run to the window and start yelling, "...

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Encouragement comes when you focus on your child's assets and strengths in order to build his/her self-confidence. It comes from seeing the positive. Even failures can be outstanding learning experiences. Encouragement sounds like this, "I like the way that you did that," or "I know that you can do it," or, "It looks like you worked very hard at that." Encouragement is NOT giving compliments for work poorly done, but under those circumstances it IS inspiring your child to work harder and do better....

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From the time the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620 until the 1850s, most parents taught their children to read at home or sent their children to small private or religious grammar schools. Education was voluntary and local governments did not force parents to send their children to state-controlled schools. Yet, literacy rates in colonial America were far higher than they are today. In 1765, John Adams wrote that "a native of America, especially of New England, who cannot read and write is as rare a Phenomenon as a Comet....

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