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Life Skills: Teaching Children Respect – By Role Modeling Our Expectations, Not Creating More Rules

Showing respect for others is more than just knowing the “nice” words to say at the right time.  It is also about recognizing the right thing to do at the right time.  One of the teachings we have in our classes is “You do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.”  Now while we teach that so that the students learn that doing the right thing is not just about ‘not getting in trouble’, it is also about showing respect to others.

Following the rules of the society you are in, is about respect.  Unfortunately our litigious society has so many rules and laws in place – when in reality we can establish some good guidelines in our schools (or classroom), homes and communities that would really be better for teaching respect.  What we are really looking to teach is that everyone has the right to be safe and have fairness applied to them.

How do we teach that to children? Continue reading “Life Skills: Teaching Children Respect – By Role Modeling Our Expectations, Not Creating More Rules”

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Life Skills: Respect – How We Speak and Act To Others When They Are There and Not There

As parents we have all worked with our children on having good manners.  By good manners we begin with teaching them the “magic” words; please, thank you, sorry, your welcome, excuse me.  In the end though is it about the words or is something else?  What do good manners have to do with respect?

Teaching our children good manners should also include helping them to understand the concept of respect.  When we say “thank you’, we are recognizing someone has done something special or unexpected for us and we appreciate the thoughtfulness of the other person.  When we say “sorry”, well actually I teach our kids not to just say sorry, but rather to say, “I am sorry”.  Teaching them to take personal responsibility and to express it in more than one word is the beginning step in understanding that it may be necessary to say a little more.  They may need to express to the other person what they are sorry for doing and finding a way to “fix it”.

Showing respect by HOW we say our words is important also.  Using a kind voice, with sincerity is an effective way of demonstrating respect.  We can model this for our children in our own interactions with others and in our conversation with those close to us.  Very quickly our youngsters learn if we have respect for others or if we are just faking it.  As one person said, “You can tell a lot about the character of an individual by the way they treat those of least importance to them.”  Children soon learn if you as a parent respect everyone or only those that can do something for you at that moment.  They really pick up on hypocrisy very quickly.

So showing respect is not only WHAT we say, HOW we say it – but also what we say when the other person is not there.  Our children are there and listening to the parents true feelings.

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Life Skills: How Children Lose Confidence and Creativity

Confidence is a feeling that we have that is rooted in working hard, having goals and overcoming challenges.  Confidence gives us the positive energy that we need to be willing to take risks and to move forward with our pursuit of goals, even when we know it might be difficult.  When we are feeling confident we are willing to accept challenges that others may not, and we are likely to succeed.

Amazingly though there always seems to be one or more persons around who will challenge us and say or do things that is intended to make us feel less than confident.  They may question our goals, ideas or dreams as not being real.  It is funny how when we are very young we think we can do anything.  One of our sons dreamed to play soccer on the moon and to be a paleontologist.  Yet in just a few short years, in fact by the time a child is 10 or so, they have lost that confidence and creativity. (Take a look at this TED Talk)   Others have told them to “be real”, “that is not possible”, or other things that lead them to feel that they need to get in line with “reality”.  What a shame for our young people.

Others just for the sake of making themselves feel “better than”, make others feel “stupid”, “less than”, and may boast or brag in a way that someone might feel that they cannot live up to that persons abilities or life.  While it is hard to get when it is happening, when one person is bragging or “putting others down’, they really are not building themselves up in anyone’s mind but their own.  When we need to tell everyone how great we are, it shows a lack of confidence in ourselves.  Unfortunately both adults and youngsters share in this activity, and bring down some very creative confident young people in the process. Continue reading “Life Skills: How Children Lose Confidence and Creativity”

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Life Skills: Respect – The Definition

Each month we define and discuss a word of character development and life skill with all of our students.

This month the word is Respect and will be defined this way.

Young students: Respect means: I treat people the way I want them to treat me!

Older students: Respect means: Showing consideration, courtesy, and care for someone or something.

Here are the worksheets for our students:

Respect Tiger Tot worksheet

Respect 5-6 worksheet

Respect 7 – 12 worksheet

Respect Teen Adult worksheet

If you would like to see how we will deal with this subject with our students please follow our discussions here during the month of April or come in and TRY A CLASS.

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Life Skills: Build Confidence in Children To Try New Foods & Meet New People

Every parent has had to look at their child and say to them, “Look at their eyes”, when someone is talking to them.  We continue to stress that because we know that doing so is first of all respectful and it also helps the child build confidence.  Helping our children build confidence can be a rather difficult and long term project for us parents.

Here are a couple of examples of how to help our children build confidence.  Lets first recommend that when we are confident in ourselves we may be willing to try new things and meet new people.  For others this could be a scary thing and make us very nervous.  As a parent though we should continue to introduce new foods or a new activity to our children and encourage them to use their courage when trying this new part to their life.

If our children are not confident in trying a new food – they may pick at it or complain immediately, even before tasting the food.   Continue reading “Life Skills: Build Confidence in Children To Try New Foods & Meet New People”

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Life Skills: Building Confidence in Mind and Body

Recently I completed a list and investigation into the top 6 trends that were most dangerous to our children today.  I must say that it is not just our children, but in fact adults too that must deal with these 6 dangerous trends.  One of the trends that students of all ages must deal with is low self confidence.

How is it that our children go from being able to do anything that their minds can imagine at the age of 3 & 4 to feeling that they are not “smart enough”, “good enough”, “thin enough”,  “successful enough”,  in such a short period of time?  As each child gets older they many times are influenced by the opinions of others as their method of measuring themselves.  As they listen and watch those in their circle of companions, they begin to believe that this is how they should look, act, and be.

It is that “self talk” that can make us feel horrible about our bodies and mind.  One of the influences that everyone of us must combat is the influence of the media.  Yet the portrayal of the models and lifestyles of the celebrities many times is created in unnatural and fake ways that does not relate to the real world or maybe even that person.

Build Confidence In Your Body

Your body can do some amazing things.  Your body is different than anyone else.  We can be confident in our bodies and who we are, what our skills are,  and how we approach our life.  That does not mean that we should not take care of ourselves. It does mean though that the world of fake looks and lifestyles should not be our goal.  Our goal can be to continue to make positive changes in ourselves through eating healthy, getting regular exercise, and getting the sleep we need.  It means hanging out with kind and thoughtful individuals, developing our knowledge and points of view, and not being skewed by those that want to sell us something.

Visit this blog regularly as the 6 Most Dangerous Trends Facing Our Children Today is coming soon!