by Parent Juice
James*, 15, sits in front of his computer, simultaneously IMing his friends, checking his fantasy basketball stats, and looking up the price of a pair of sneakers. He is also listening to his ipod and occasionally flipping through the pages of a sports magazine. If you ask him what he is doing, he will say “Nothing.
Increasingly, many teens spend a majority of their time this way, and if pressed, they will confess that this kind of multi-media multi-tasking is what they are doing for fun in their spare time.
“To me, it looks like she’s just sitting around,” admits Callie, the mother of April, a teenage daughter. “But the more I ask around, the more I see that this is what teens are doing -- this is how they stay in touch, listen to music, and communicate with their friends. And they like to do it all at once.”
It will come as no great shock to the parents of teenagers that the time we spent on the phone or listening to records has been transferred to a set of electronic devices — computers and MP3 players and the like are really updated ways of participating in the kinds of hobbies and activities that teens have always enjoyed, from shopping to finding the latest music to sports. We may not comprehend how this translates, exactly, into fun, but to teens it’s a necessity, it’s familiar, and it keeps them in the loop. It also seems to be the case whether they live in Chicago or Cheyenne—the desire to be wired transcends boundaries.
But when -- and if -- your kids actually do leave the house, what are they doing for fun then?
Surprisingly, some of the same things we did.
The teenage years are often about getting together in groups, exploring both the unknown (going out without mom, dad, or grandma; figuring how much change to get back from the popcorn) and the known (seeing a movie, eating a hamburger.) It means, essentially, going to the movies or places to eat and hang out, thus fulfilling the basic physical and psychological teenage needs of food and knowing what’s hip.
For suburban kids that may mean hanging out at the local mall or restaurant; urban kids tend to congregate at someone’s house, or someplace that's inexpensive that welcomes teens—increasingly, places like a coffee chain, where the output of cash can be fairly low, but the input of information from friends fairly high. It provides an arena for teens to test their independence while in the safe confines of a large mass of people.
Other popular options for fun? Heading the list of an extremely unscientific poll (I asked my son’s friends) was “hanging out with my friends.” The gathering place was often secondary, but included playing sports (we hate to stereotype, but more for boys) and bowling alleys -- places where kids can be loud, and make fun of their prowess or else show off, while keeping busy and thus avoiding awkward silences and pauses. Further down on the list were venues like amusement parks and museums — places that require more time, and often, more cash.
It may also seem, at least to their parents, that today’s teens spend an enormous amount of time shopping, or at least, checking out merchandise. But hey—if today it’s the AT&T store or Urban Outfitters or Sephora, it's still not that much different from what we did-- looking for merchandise to tell the world who we were, tentatively trying out the adult world while keeping one foot planted firmly home with mom and dad.
And speaking of mom and dad, lest you think that all your teen thinks about is her friends, her latest outfit, or how to con more money out of your wallet, take heart from this statement from Lizzie, 15.
“I like being with my friends and going out to lunch and to flea markets,” she says thoughtfully. ”But I also (be still, my beating parental heart) just like to hang out with my parents.”
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Computer Games Make Fun In School
by Rainco
Computer games are just one way technology can transform potentially dry subjects into relevant and engaging experiencesTo help plan a lesson on the language of probability, year 5 teacher Tom Barrett decided to tweet for pavilion HP dv2000 battery. “What is the probability of it snowing where you are tomorrow?” he asked his 4,700 Twitter followers.
The answers were vast and different, he remembers. “I had someone in Australia using local slang, “Buckley’s, mate!”, to say “Not a chance!”, to fractions and percentages of Fujitsu lifebook t4220 battery. We did a timeline and put some of the responses on it, from “no chance” to “certain”, while we explored probability, plus globalisation and language use.”
Twitter is just one way in which Barrett, ICT subject coordinator and assistant head at Priestsic primary school in north Nottinghamshire, mines technology for his maths teachinglike VGP-BPS5 , vgp bps5a A prolific blogger, he also encourages his pupils to use games consoles and has developed a number of lessons based on the Nintendo Wii.
Barrett claims gaming is the simplest way to keep students’ attention: “This is about switching learners on to maths,” he says. “We often separate the two worlds the kids live in: home and school for Fujitsu lifebook t4220 battery. Using gaming consoles and game space learning is still very niche in the UK, but it shouldn’t be.”
He says that he spotted how engaged pupils were by games consoles when many brought in their Nintendo DS one end of term. “We now have 30 of them in class for SONY VGP-BPS5 , SONY vgp bps5a ” he says. “I use them with Dr Kageyama’s Maths Training first thing in the morning, and in maths lessons.”
Meanwhile, he uses Big Brain Academy on the Nintendo Wii to teach a lesson visualising and matching 3D shapes to 2D, while Wii Golf proves an effective way of discussing subtraction; the students take the distance left to the hole of Fujitsu lifebook t4210 battery, then one student takes a shot, and the class works out how much further is left to clear.
He says he can see at least a week of lessons in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games for Wii, based on using decimals in swimming and running races, and angles and distances in javelin throwing for pavilion dv2000 battery .Dan Sutch, senior researcher at Futurelab, an independent organisation that promotes the use of technology to make teaching more relevant and engaging, says good teachers are increasingly seeing the potential of gaming.
“This doesn’t take away from written teaching methods,” he says. “But it engages the class in the actual task compared with the written method, which can be pretty stale and boring. It also helps them do the task for longer Fujitsu lifebook t4210 battery, and remember what they’ve learned.”
One game adapted by teachers with Consolarium, the Scottish Centre for Games and Learning for ThinkPad T60 Battery, part of Learning and Teaching Scotland, is Guitar Hero, a video game in which players use a guitar-shaped controller to score points by matching notes on the screen.
Teachers use the game to get the class to pretend they are rock stars about to go on a world tour for ThinkPad T60 Battery. They have to work out which countries to go to, which brings in geography, then look at the miles they need to travel and money needed to get there, which brings in plenty of maths.
“Great, imaginative teachers can take these games that are not developed for the classroom and make them work as a teaching resource,” says Sutch. “This has been happening for years of vgp bpl8, whether it’s a teacher picking up a leaf on the way to school in the morning to use in a lesson, or looking online to find new resources.”
Barrett blogs regularly about his experiences of using technology in the classroom, using it to get his thoughts in order, get feedback from other educators and people in technology, and tap into ideas from experts for vgp bpl8 . “Using networks, you can build great value into any maths lesson,” he says.
Computer games are just one way technology can transform potentially dry subjects into relevant and engaging experiencesTo help plan a lesson on the language of probability, year 5 teacher Tom Barrett decided to tweet for pavilion HP dv2000 battery. “What is the probability of it snowing where you are tomorrow?” he asked his 4,700 Twitter followers.
The answers were vast and different, he remembers. “I had someone in Australia using local slang, “Buckley’s, mate!”, to say “Not a chance!”, to fractions and percentages of Fujitsu lifebook t4220 battery. We did a timeline and put some of the responses on it, from “no chance” to “certain”, while we explored probability, plus globalisation and language use.”
Twitter is just one way in which Barrett, ICT subject coordinator and assistant head at Priestsic primary school in north Nottinghamshire, mines technology for his maths teachinglike VGP-BPS5 , vgp bps5a A prolific blogger, he also encourages his pupils to use games consoles and has developed a number of lessons based on the Nintendo Wii.
Barrett claims gaming is the simplest way to keep students’ attention: “This is about switching learners on to maths,” he says. “We often separate the two worlds the kids live in: home and school for Fujitsu lifebook t4220 battery. Using gaming consoles and game space learning is still very niche in the UK, but it shouldn’t be.”
He says that he spotted how engaged pupils were by games consoles when many brought in their Nintendo DS one end of term. “We now have 30 of them in class for SONY VGP-BPS5 , SONY vgp bps5a ” he says. “I use them with Dr Kageyama’s Maths Training first thing in the morning, and in maths lessons.”
Meanwhile, he uses Big Brain Academy on the Nintendo Wii to teach a lesson visualising and matching 3D shapes to 2D, while Wii Golf proves an effective way of discussing subtraction; the students take the distance left to the hole of Fujitsu lifebook t4210 battery, then one student takes a shot, and the class works out how much further is left to clear.
He says he can see at least a week of lessons in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games for Wii, based on using decimals in swimming and running races, and angles and distances in javelin throwing for pavilion dv2000 battery .Dan Sutch, senior researcher at Futurelab, an independent organisation that promotes the use of technology to make teaching more relevant and engaging, says good teachers are increasingly seeing the potential of gaming.
“This doesn’t take away from written teaching methods,” he says. “But it engages the class in the actual task compared with the written method, which can be pretty stale and boring. It also helps them do the task for longer Fujitsu lifebook t4210 battery, and remember what they’ve learned.”
One game adapted by teachers with Consolarium, the Scottish Centre for Games and Learning for ThinkPad T60 Battery, part of Learning and Teaching Scotland, is Guitar Hero, a video game in which players use a guitar-shaped controller to score points by matching notes on the screen.
Teachers use the game to get the class to pretend they are rock stars about to go on a world tour for ThinkPad T60 Battery. They have to work out which countries to go to, which brings in geography, then look at the miles they need to travel and money needed to get there, which brings in plenty of maths.
“Great, imaginative teachers can take these games that are not developed for the classroom and make them work as a teaching resource,” says Sutch. “This has been happening for years of vgp bpl8, whether it’s a teacher picking up a leaf on the way to school in the morning to use in a lesson, or looking online to find new resources.”
Barrett blogs regularly about his experiences of using technology in the classroom, using it to get his thoughts in order, get feedback from other educators and people in technology, and tap into ideas from experts for vgp bpl8 . “Using networks, you can build great value into any maths lesson,” he says.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
When They're Young, Make Everything Fun
by Pfallerj
'm a big believer that the environment you're raised in determines your personality and outlook on life, so I try to make everything my son does fun and exciting. Everything from diaper changes, to singing, to being bounced up
and down, and even sneezing. I never thought I'd see a kid with such a huge grin after sneezing or coughing, but he loves it because we smile and laugh at all his little accomplishments.
I also have a co-worker that made taking medicine fun for her little girl. Now whenever she sees the syringe with medicine in it she gets super excited. I think if you take this type of attitude right from the beginning and apply it to everything, your kids will pick up on it and soon everything becomes an adventure and something they enjoy doing. I'm hoping it works with mowing the lawn and scooping up dog poop, but maybe that's wishful thinking.
Plus, there's plenty of time to be serious later in life. Why not make the mundane, tedious and sometimes uncomfortable a big laugh?
'm a big believer that the environment you're raised in determines your personality and outlook on life, so I try to make everything my son does fun and exciting. Everything from diaper changes, to singing, to being bounced up
and down, and even sneezing. I never thought I'd see a kid with such a huge grin after sneezing or coughing, but he loves it because we smile and laugh at all his little accomplishments.
I also have a co-worker that made taking medicine fun for her little girl. Now whenever she sees the syringe with medicine in it she gets super excited. I think if you take this type of attitude right from the beginning and apply it to everything, your kids will pick up on it and soon everything becomes an adventure and something they enjoy doing. I'm hoping it works with mowing the lawn and scooping up dog poop, but maybe that's wishful thinking.
Plus, there's plenty of time to be serious later in life. Why not make the mundane, tedious and sometimes uncomfortable a big laugh?
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Have Fun With Camping
For those who want to go camping and experience being outdoors, but do not want to run the risk of running into some lions, and tigers, and bears; a great alternative camping location for them to go to would be the beach.
This is perfect for those beach lovers and water babies who just love being near the ocean. A great way to spend the night would be to look at some stars while listening to the sound of the waves lapping in on the ocean. But before individuals can experience this wonderful camping experience that sounds like it came out of a scene from a movie, they would need to prepare for a few things.
Camping-Friendly Locations
Before camping on a beach, individuals would have to make sure that the beach they have set their eyes on does not have any prohibition concerning camping. It is best to contact the local officials that preside over the beach area to find out the regulations.
Another great idea is to camp on the campsite of the beach. There are a lot of commercialized beaches that have special areas set aside for camping. The best thing to do would be to make reservations ahead of time, because sometimes the campsites get too crowded.
This is perfect for those beach lovers and water babies who just love being near the ocean. A great way to spend the night would be to look at some stars while listening to the sound of the waves lapping in on the ocean. But before individuals can experience this wonderful camping experience that sounds like it came out of a scene from a movie, they would need to prepare for a few things.
Camping-Friendly Locations
Before camping on a beach, individuals would have to make sure that the beach they have set their eyes on does not have any prohibition concerning camping. It is best to contact the local officials that preside over the beach area to find out the regulations.
Another great idea is to camp on the campsite of the beach. There are a lot of commercialized beaches that have special areas set aside for camping. The best thing to do would be to make reservations ahead of time, because sometimes the campsites get too crowded.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Have Fun While Working Through Your Fears
by Meridith Alspektor
If you are determined to use your fears and phobias to the extent of really enjoying them so that they become "user-friendly," regularly do these exercises. Doing all of them as part of a regular routine will develop in you the ability to use fears to your advantage.
Remember, you are developing a life and character as you do these exercises - these are habit-forming. All these are geared towards giving you a new and fresh outlook in life and the world you are in. Most fears breed in stale life perspectives. These exercises will gradually give you a radical and positive look to dominate even the worst fears.
Note: The fears aimed to be dominated by utilizing these habits include the negative fears and phobias.
1) Searching Habit
Wherever you are, try to observe what people around you are doing. If you are in the office or at home, stop what you are doing occasionally, and watch the people around you. If you are in a public transport, an eatery, or a bus station, watch and observe details about people. What are they doing? What are they wearing? What are their mannerisms? What are they doing with their fingers, feet, legs, eyes, etc.? Search for truths that come out of people during their unguarded moments. Just make sure that you do this unnoticed. Don't be obvious.
APPLICATION: This practices your awareness and presence of mind. This also trains you to know simple facts about people immediately around you. If you observe someone who often scratches his nose, ask yourself why he is doing that. Is it always itchy? Try to imagine reasons for the action. Small truths and facts about people often manifest without their awareness during unguarded moments. If you make this observation or searching process a habit, you will develop the ability to size up persons and situations, or know the reasons behind actions. Eventually, you will find this habit amusing. This is sometimes called caricaturing. You assign people to behavioral groups in your mind according to their character types.
2) Smiling Habit
Practice smiling whatever the circumstance, even when the going gets tough. Also, softly whistle or hum happy tunes as you keep up a good mood and do your daily routine. Do this wherever you are, even in public vehicles or the comfort room.
APPLICATION: When pressures and tensions mount and troubles seem to be everywhere, or when somebody gets really mad enough to harm somebody else, smile. Smiling releases a natural relaxant on your muscles, triggering a calming effect. When muscles are relaxed, the emotions tend to calm down a bit. Whistling or humming merry tunes add to the relaxation. If you keep up this habit, it will lessen shock when sudden terror or trouble appears. Make sure your smile is really a manifestation of your good and high spirits, and the happy tune is really felt in your heart. Enjoy your constant preparation for anything that may come up.
3) Predicting Habit
Always try to guess what people are up to, or what they are thinking. Never mind if you always miss. Try to guess what they had experienced in the past, and what they are doing or experiencing in the present. It's like a game of hit or miss. At times, you hit it correctly; at times, you miss. For instance, stare at acquaintances or officemates. Watch their mannerisms, idiosyncrasies, personal preferences, weaknesses, and strengths. As you do this, be aware of what thoughts or pictures enter your mind as you stare at these people. Then make some guesses about their past or present.
Let's say, you notice that a person is irritable and inclined to complain. It seems that as you note these dominant traits in the person, the first thought that enters you is a crying child in a playground. Ask the person about his childhood days, especially his experiences with playmates. Without actually asking, take note if playmates liked him or if he was often rejected. If his accounts coincide with the pictures you saw in your mind, then you hit the jackpot. If not, then try better next time. Just let the person tell his story and check if your mental picture is accurate. Don't interrogate him or act like you are a clairvoyant.
APPLICATION: As you practice this with people, you will find that your mind can easily identify certain patterns in people that often lead to similar conclusions. The point is to gradually develop the skill to read people's thoughts and actions. By practice, you would get to a high level of sharpness in discerning people through identifiable patterns. Most people's lives are patterned similarly. Thus, many people are predictable. They can put masks on their faces, but their lives and body actions (or gesticulations) still show some patterns that betray them. If you master this secret, you would find that influencing some people is easy.
When you discover traits and behaviors of people, then you can act towards them accordingly and tame them. You already know what tickles their weaknesses, and what triggers their annoyance.
You can then use this secret to take advantage of your fear of certain people. Your fear of strangers would become an adventure once you discover the excitement of accurately guessing their past and present, or their real personality. The real thrill comes in influencing the persons you fear. Think of what this can do to people you imagine being muggers, attackers, murderers, and other scary personalities out to get you. You can study them and ascertain if they are indeed, what they seem to be. Practicing this habit can be an enjoyable and exciting adventure.
4) Something-New Habit
Daily, try to do something new. If you never enjoyed watching soap operas before, try to watch one today. Take off all your biases and negative presumptions, and try to watch it sincerely. If you haven't been in a certain place - and you often hear about it from friends - visit it with a companion. If you know you are poor in drawing so that you never tried it before, try to draw now.
APPLICATION: This attitude stretches your mind's ability to broaden its perspectives. Studies show that irrational fears are really products of a narrow mind.
Small places are easy to conquer. When you try to drive away termites from your room, it would not be such a difficult task. But when it's a whole town full of termites we are talking about, conquest seems impossible. The same principle applies to dealing with fears. They can easily rule a narrow-minded person. But with a broad-minded one, their capacity to control you would be almost non-existent.
Now, imagine trying many new things daily. The thrill you get from that would scare the fear out of you. Fear weakens considerably once you begin to have a bright look at life and enjoy it. New things are strong spices of life. Discoveries turn on the proverbial bulb in your mind. This enables you to see things truthfully. Seeing the truth sets you free. Fears will just be around you, but they will not be able to overpower you anymore - as long as you enjoy your life.
If you are determined to use your fears and phobias to the extent of really enjoying them so that they become "user-friendly," regularly do these exercises. Doing all of them as part of a regular routine will develop in you the ability to use fears to your advantage.
Remember, you are developing a life and character as you do these exercises - these are habit-forming. All these are geared towards giving you a new and fresh outlook in life and the world you are in. Most fears breed in stale life perspectives. These exercises will gradually give you a radical and positive look to dominate even the worst fears.
Note: The fears aimed to be dominated by utilizing these habits include the negative fears and phobias.
1) Searching Habit
Wherever you are, try to observe what people around you are doing. If you are in the office or at home, stop what you are doing occasionally, and watch the people around you. If you are in a public transport, an eatery, or a bus station, watch and observe details about people. What are they doing? What are they wearing? What are their mannerisms? What are they doing with their fingers, feet, legs, eyes, etc.? Search for truths that come out of people during their unguarded moments. Just make sure that you do this unnoticed. Don't be obvious.
APPLICATION: This practices your awareness and presence of mind. This also trains you to know simple facts about people immediately around you. If you observe someone who often scratches his nose, ask yourself why he is doing that. Is it always itchy? Try to imagine reasons for the action. Small truths and facts about people often manifest without their awareness during unguarded moments. If you make this observation or searching process a habit, you will develop the ability to size up persons and situations, or know the reasons behind actions. Eventually, you will find this habit amusing. This is sometimes called caricaturing. You assign people to behavioral groups in your mind according to their character types.
2) Smiling Habit
Practice smiling whatever the circumstance, even when the going gets tough. Also, softly whistle or hum happy tunes as you keep up a good mood and do your daily routine. Do this wherever you are, even in public vehicles or the comfort room.
APPLICATION: When pressures and tensions mount and troubles seem to be everywhere, or when somebody gets really mad enough to harm somebody else, smile. Smiling releases a natural relaxant on your muscles, triggering a calming effect. When muscles are relaxed, the emotions tend to calm down a bit. Whistling or humming merry tunes add to the relaxation. If you keep up this habit, it will lessen shock when sudden terror or trouble appears. Make sure your smile is really a manifestation of your good and high spirits, and the happy tune is really felt in your heart. Enjoy your constant preparation for anything that may come up.
3) Predicting Habit
Always try to guess what people are up to, or what they are thinking. Never mind if you always miss. Try to guess what they had experienced in the past, and what they are doing or experiencing in the present. It's like a game of hit or miss. At times, you hit it correctly; at times, you miss. For instance, stare at acquaintances or officemates. Watch their mannerisms, idiosyncrasies, personal preferences, weaknesses, and strengths. As you do this, be aware of what thoughts or pictures enter your mind as you stare at these people. Then make some guesses about their past or present.
Let's say, you notice that a person is irritable and inclined to complain. It seems that as you note these dominant traits in the person, the first thought that enters you is a crying child in a playground. Ask the person about his childhood days, especially his experiences with playmates. Without actually asking, take note if playmates liked him or if he was often rejected. If his accounts coincide with the pictures you saw in your mind, then you hit the jackpot. If not, then try better next time. Just let the person tell his story and check if your mental picture is accurate. Don't interrogate him or act like you are a clairvoyant.
APPLICATION: As you practice this with people, you will find that your mind can easily identify certain patterns in people that often lead to similar conclusions. The point is to gradually develop the skill to read people's thoughts and actions. By practice, you would get to a high level of sharpness in discerning people through identifiable patterns. Most people's lives are patterned similarly. Thus, many people are predictable. They can put masks on their faces, but their lives and body actions (or gesticulations) still show some patterns that betray them. If you master this secret, you would find that influencing some people is easy.
When you discover traits and behaviors of people, then you can act towards them accordingly and tame them. You already know what tickles their weaknesses, and what triggers their annoyance.
You can then use this secret to take advantage of your fear of certain people. Your fear of strangers would become an adventure once you discover the excitement of accurately guessing their past and present, or their real personality. The real thrill comes in influencing the persons you fear. Think of what this can do to people you imagine being muggers, attackers, murderers, and other scary personalities out to get you. You can study them and ascertain if they are indeed, what they seem to be. Practicing this habit can be an enjoyable and exciting adventure.
4) Something-New Habit
Daily, try to do something new. If you never enjoyed watching soap operas before, try to watch one today. Take off all your biases and negative presumptions, and try to watch it sincerely. If you haven't been in a certain place - and you often hear about it from friends - visit it with a companion. If you know you are poor in drawing so that you never tried it before, try to draw now.
APPLICATION: This attitude stretches your mind's ability to broaden its perspectives. Studies show that irrational fears are really products of a narrow mind.
Small places are easy to conquer. When you try to drive away termites from your room, it would not be such a difficult task. But when it's a whole town full of termites we are talking about, conquest seems impossible. The same principle applies to dealing with fears. They can easily rule a narrow-minded person. But with a broad-minded one, their capacity to control you would be almost non-existent.
Now, imagine trying many new things daily. The thrill you get from that would scare the fear out of you. Fear weakens considerably once you begin to have a bright look at life and enjoy it. New things are strong spices of life. Discoveries turn on the proverbial bulb in your mind. This enables you to see things truthfully. Seeing the truth sets you free. Fears will just be around you, but they will not be able to overpower you anymore - as long as you enjoy your life.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Top 10 Tips For Making Potty Training Fun
by Lily Bell
Not many people would associate the word "fun" with potty training for toddlers. But injecting a few laughs into the process is a great way to keep everyone enthusiastic and motivated. With a bit of creativity your toddler will see potty training as something to be excited about, rather than as a chore.
1. Books and dvds - Take the time to include a few potty training story books into reading time with your toddler well before you intend to start the training. Allow time to discuss the story as you read it in case your tot has any questions. Most toddlers love dvds and there are some terrific dvds available with fun cartoon characters who explain the process of toilet training in easy-to-understand language.
2. Sticker chart and rewards - Get creative when you decide on the reward system you are going to use to motivate your toddler towards toileting independence. Ask your child what reward they would like and try to incorporate this into the process. Another reward option is to buy a range of small cheap gifts (including the occasional sweet) and wrap them in colorful paper. Small children love the process of unwrapping a surprise.
3. Pee-pee song and dance - make up a silly ditty to sing when your child has a potty success. Make sure it is accompanied by an equally crazy dance and you will be onto a winning formula for fun.
4. Toilet targets - Put Cherrios or a ping-pong ball into the toilet bowl for little boys to aim at, or add a few drops of blue food color to the toilet water so that your child (boy or girl) can enjoy the miracle of the water changing to green.
5. Take them shopping for undies - Letting your child choose her own "real" undies is very exciting for most children. It builds excitement and anticipation of being able to finally wear them when she has finished potty training.
6. Potty doll or teddy - Use an existing doll or teddy and put a small diaper on to it so that your toddler has a friend to go through the training with. As you are your child's potty trainer, your child will be his toy's trainer.
7. Decorate the potty - Let your toddler decorate her own potty using stickers. She will be desperate to use it because she will be so proud of it.
8. Support team - Ensure that your friends and family know that potty training is underway. Prepare them so that your child can telephone them and tell them all about what they have done!
9. Make the bathroom welcoming - Bathrooms tend to be very functional (out of necessity). Put a couple of small toys and books in there to keep your toddler occupied during potty sitting times. A special hand towel with a favorite character on it will also make hand drying a fun activity.
10. Fun food - Constipation is a common problem for potty training children. Ensure that their diet has been modified so that constipation promoting foods (including processed foods) are kept to a minimum. You may need to introduce new foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Make these more appealing by cutting them into fun shapes either with a knife or cookie cutters.
The most crucial element for making potty training for toddlers, fun, is you. Your positive, patient attitude is important to keep everyone motivated and on track for success.
Not many people would associate the word "fun" with potty training for toddlers. But injecting a few laughs into the process is a great way to keep everyone enthusiastic and motivated. With a bit of creativity your toddler will see potty training as something to be excited about, rather than as a chore.
1. Books and dvds - Take the time to include a few potty training story books into reading time with your toddler well before you intend to start the training. Allow time to discuss the story as you read it in case your tot has any questions. Most toddlers love dvds and there are some terrific dvds available with fun cartoon characters who explain the process of toilet training in easy-to-understand language.
2. Sticker chart and rewards - Get creative when you decide on the reward system you are going to use to motivate your toddler towards toileting independence. Ask your child what reward they would like and try to incorporate this into the process. Another reward option is to buy a range of small cheap gifts (including the occasional sweet) and wrap them in colorful paper. Small children love the process of unwrapping a surprise.
3. Pee-pee song and dance - make up a silly ditty to sing when your child has a potty success. Make sure it is accompanied by an equally crazy dance and you will be onto a winning formula for fun.
4. Toilet targets - Put Cherrios or a ping-pong ball into the toilet bowl for little boys to aim at, or add a few drops of blue food color to the toilet water so that your child (boy or girl) can enjoy the miracle of the water changing to green.
5. Take them shopping for undies - Letting your child choose her own "real" undies is very exciting for most children. It builds excitement and anticipation of being able to finally wear them when she has finished potty training.
6. Potty doll or teddy - Use an existing doll or teddy and put a small diaper on to it so that your toddler has a friend to go through the training with. As you are your child's potty trainer, your child will be his toy's trainer.
7. Decorate the potty - Let your toddler decorate her own potty using stickers. She will be desperate to use it because she will be so proud of it.
8. Support team - Ensure that your friends and family know that potty training is underway. Prepare them so that your child can telephone them and tell them all about what they have done!
9. Make the bathroom welcoming - Bathrooms tend to be very functional (out of necessity). Put a couple of small toys and books in there to keep your toddler occupied during potty sitting times. A special hand towel with a favorite character on it will also make hand drying a fun activity.
10. Fun food - Constipation is a common problem for potty training children. Ensure that their diet has been modified so that constipation promoting foods (including processed foods) are kept to a minimum. You may need to introduce new foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Make these more appealing by cutting them into fun shapes either with a knife or cookie cutters.
The most crucial element for making potty training for toddlers, fun, is you. Your positive, patient attitude is important to keep everyone motivated and on track for success.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Creativity - Imagination Needs to Play
by GK Eckert
Imagine your creativity as a young child
Imagine a young child of four or five years old, playful and fun loving. Can you imagine a child not playing? A child would not be a child if they did not play. Your creativity is the same way. Your imagination needs to play. How is it working for you? Are you giving it enough play time?
Create Art for Art's Sake
When we were children we played. We were happy, we pleased our self. Creativity was natural and flowed easily. Your creativity is no different. We need to treat our imagination as a child. We need to give it enough play time.
As adults we put pressure upon our talents, worrying about dollar value and will it please. We demand of our ourselves to produce again and again and again. Create your art and don't worry about who will like it. Chances are they will like it -- if they liked your work before, they will like it again. Worrying about what others will think will only stifle your creativity. When you are working away in your studio, create art for art's sake.
Make it a Game
Every child loves a game. Recently I was at a family gathering, where my niece was trying to get her young daughter to pick up her toys, in anticipation for going home. The young one was not cooperative or enthusiastic. Feeling in the mood to have some fun, I intervened and offered the child an invitation to play a great game. Her frown immediately turned into a grin. My game was tossing the toys into the basket and to see if we could get it in. As a four year old, this was a challenge. After her first successful toss, with much encouragement, she was sold on my game. In less than ten minutes, the job was done and we had a fun time.
Your creativity is no different. I try to make everything I do a game -- not for any young child -- but for me! Your imagination is a child ready and willing to play. Whatever you are faced with make it into a game. It can be a challenge at first, but once you work it for a while it becomes easier. Your little child, your creativity will be much more willing to cooperate if it is a fun game.
So, imagine your creativity as a young child - a child who loves to play. Turn whatever project is before you into a game. Find a way to make it fun. You can do it! And your imagination will love you for it.
Imagine your creativity as a young child
Imagine a young child of four or five years old, playful and fun loving. Can you imagine a child not playing? A child would not be a child if they did not play. Your creativity is the same way. Your imagination needs to play. How is it working for you? Are you giving it enough play time?
Create Art for Art's Sake
When we were children we played. We were happy, we pleased our self. Creativity was natural and flowed easily. Your creativity is no different. We need to treat our imagination as a child. We need to give it enough play time.
As adults we put pressure upon our talents, worrying about dollar value and will it please. We demand of our ourselves to produce again and again and again. Create your art and don't worry about who will like it. Chances are they will like it -- if they liked your work before, they will like it again. Worrying about what others will think will only stifle your creativity. When you are working away in your studio, create art for art's sake.
Make it a Game
Every child loves a game. Recently I was at a family gathering, where my niece was trying to get her young daughter to pick up her toys, in anticipation for going home. The young one was not cooperative or enthusiastic. Feeling in the mood to have some fun, I intervened and offered the child an invitation to play a great game. Her frown immediately turned into a grin. My game was tossing the toys into the basket and to see if we could get it in. As a four year old, this was a challenge. After her first successful toss, with much encouragement, she was sold on my game. In less than ten minutes, the job was done and we had a fun time.
Your creativity is no different. I try to make everything I do a game -- not for any young child -- but for me! Your imagination is a child ready and willing to play. Whatever you are faced with make it into a game. It can be a challenge at first, but once you work it for a while it becomes easier. Your little child, your creativity will be much more willing to cooperate if it is a fun game.
So, imagine your creativity as a young child - a child who loves to play. Turn whatever project is before you into a game. Find a way to make it fun. You can do it! And your imagination will love you for it.
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