News Forum Group

Turn milk into plastic

Anxiety and Children? What Parents Are Learning About Anxiety and Children

Anxiety and children is a real deal, very serious issue and one that parents need to be aware of. It is also imperative to the one suffering that, if possible, you cease the suffering asap. The correct diagnosis can save you in more ways than you ever could imagine. Not just financially either but emotionally, mentally, and all around happiness regarding the quality of your life and family.

Any action you can take that would improve your state of mind and increase a more positive attitude is going to help you live a much happier life. There are a lot of seemingly solid things in life that, in reality, would tumble like a house of cards if only you have the right tools, information and courage to just, try.

We can all live better lives, if only we took cues from the gathered information and learned from the mistakes of our common history. True experts and therapists do their very best, by providing information to improve our lives and reduce our suffering. No one should have to suffer needlessly, least of all children. Recently, anxiety and children have been reported as growing more and more connected than ever realised before.

If you are like most people you are probably wondering, What on earth do children have to worry about? 'They have got it made. No bills, no job, no mortgage, they get food and clothing, and they are taken good care of. ' Yeah, from your standpoint, this is all true, but this is the absolute wrong way to perceive anyone or anything. Perspective can taint our understanding of our reality and the way we look at anxiety and children.

Think back to when you were a child and remember all the pressures, your friends, the schoolwork, after school activities, parental expectations; and the things that were important to you, were always like a life or death, super important thing for you, in your mind. What would make it any different for any other child?

Also, when you were young, things were a lot different. Things were much simpler and a lot more 'happy go lucky'. Of course, things are different for every individual but when were talking average family living standards, some generations had it particularly good. Children and anxiety are more a problem now, than was previously known about in the past, for two major reasons.

What we knew and understood then, as compared to what we know now, was one reason. We had less sophisticated tools and incomplete, inadequate information, especially when concerning children and anxiety. We also did not necessarily consider how to gage whether or not children and anxiety was an existing condition. At least specific to children.

However, It is more probable to be sure, that when an adult is diagnosed with general anxiety disorder they always had it. Only, the symptoms and effects are more noticeable and disruptive when coming from an adult. If the same outcome was to be established as coming from a child the confusion sets in, and our perspectives fail us. We are more prone to chalk it up to misbehavior or attention seeking behavior.

Another reason may be that children today are educated much faster and become comprehensive with expression in a considerably accelerated rate when compared to just ten years ago. Kids, can now know and explain what their bodies are going through and telling them in very easy to understand, intelligible terms. This is a freedom that children of younger generations never knew.

Now to mention, that with more freedom, comes responsibility. Children these days have a lot more to be responsible for and all the pressure that comes with it is bound to build into an anxious state from time to time. Not all children are capable of handling severe anxiety, nor some adults for that matter.

Science and research have come a long way with understanding emotional and mental disorders.Children and anxiety disorders are now a relatively common and socially acceptable condition. It has always been my contention that children are little people, deserving of respect and understanding just as any other person. They do apparently become entangled in the same webs that we adults find ourselves ensnared in too. This can bring on extra stress and pressure.

The Major types of Childhood Anxiety Disorders

G.A.D. or Generalized Anxiety Disorder- Extreme worry for extended lengths of time. Often disproportionate, excessive, and needless.

Panic Disorder- Unrealistic fear, fear of people and crowds, fear of one person, fear intense and extreme and sudden usually without an apparent cause or trigger.

Separation Anxiety Disorder- An unusually extreme need to stay with parent or relative, emotional distress caused by separation of someone they have bonded with strongly, severe anxiety occurs when even the suggestion is discussed openly to detach or remove them.

Social Phobias- Unreasonable, uncontrollable but never the less intense fears of social situations, fear of any social circumstances.

O.C.D. or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder- Obsessive behavior in a compulsive manner, ritual or redundant acts and commitments to patterns usually extreme and time consuming.

These conditions and the very brief description is in no way exhaustive or even adequate. They are just a small description of them to give the general idea. There are much more to the symptoms than I can give here. They all come with their own sets of symptoms, effects, and reactions all varying in degree and length. Some are common, some unique but these disorders are all very taxing on the one who suffers from one or more of them. Those that are afflicted have little or no control over their actions. The behavior a child may exhibit very well could be a symptom and not a misbehavior at all. Children and anxiety are often confused with misbehavior or some other problem.

Parents with anxiety disorders are likely to have children who eventually develop some type of anxiety disorder too. You can get the best helpful information and support from this highly acclaimed reliable system that alleviates and Resolves Anxiety and Panic.

Parenting solutions that really are cutting edge gets excellent feedback. Learn how to properly and positively influence your children and help them to start living more positive. Increase their happiness and yours through positive behavior.

One of the most important things you can do as a parent of a child with behavioral problems is to know & provide the best solutions available. From misbehavior to Great Behavior is the best information to help in learning how to properly identify the reasons behind the Behaviors Children demonstrate and can tame difficult kids. Children and Anxiety can be related through ineffectual socializing. Help your child by teaching them the incentives of positive behavior before things become beyond your control.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julian_Anthony

Homework Challenges - How Much Help Should Parents Provide?

How are concerned parents supposed to help their kids with Homework? It seems that many parents are conflicted, feeling inadequate or discouraged about homework--especially when their kids get frustrated, angry or give up.

Many teachers suggest that kids spend 10 minutes per grade level on homework--at home. That translates to 20 minutes for a 2nd grader, 80 minutes for an 8th grader and 2 hours for a senior in high school. How should you participate in their homework assignments?

It's not your job to "teach" your child the subjects they are learning in school. Teaching is best left to the professionals--especially as education and the education process has changed since we were all in school. So, what's an anxious parent do to help?

Set a specific time for homework

Most kids need a little break from "school work" when they get home. A snack after school and/or some time to play is important. But, kids also need structure if they are going to willingly get down to work. As each child is unique, the best learning/working time depends upon your child's disposition and energy variations. But the important thing is to determine a consistent time and place so your child is accustomed to settling into the block of time to focus upon school work.

Reinforce the "process" of homework--not the content

Don't intrude into your child's subject activity unless the child is totally frustrated. Instead of rolling up your sleeves and sharpening your pencil and working out the actual homework assignment yourself, your task is to encourage your child to revisit what the teacher talked about in class from your child's viewpoint.

--Ask: What did the teacher say about.....?

How did you do it at school today.....?

What do you think the teacher wants you to do?

--If appropriate break the homework assignment into chunks. If there are several problems to tackle (or several questions or several items in the assignment), encourage your child to tackle them one at a time.

-- When your child has successfully solved the problem or answered the question, give him/her a cheer, pat on the back or a "high five". This reinforces your confidence that he/she CAN DO IT--your confidence is contagious.

Don't reward "helpless" behavior

If your child is ready to go ballistic with fear, inadequacy or frustration, you may need to postpone the homework session until your child is relaxed again. Kids can't learn if their self-talk is screaming that they can't "get it". The key word is "postpone". The homework still needs to be done but your child may need to calm down in order to focus.

Avoid inadvertently rewarding your student for emotional outbreaks or helpless behaviors. Make certain you don't fall into the guilt trap letting him/her off the hook to play video games or watch TV. Instead move on to a subject in which he/she feels confident and successful. Or, encourage your child to use the remainder of his/her homework time (remember the 10 minute rule), to read a book with you or talk about other subjects in school that he/she enjoys.

Be a "Partner" in your child's education

Remember, it isn't your job to teach your kids the subjects they are studying in school. If your child is truly over-challenged by his/her homework, get more info from the teacher.

1. Meet with the teacher--find out what the teacher would like you to do. Talk about your observations, your child's frustration and your desire to help.
2. Find out if there are additional resources you can use to reinforce what your child is learning. Are their non-school books or experiences that you can use to supplement your child's in-class learning.
3. Be open to any ideas that the teacher has to help your child at home. Each child is unique and the teacher may have more than one way to reach your unique child.

Tackling Homework is usually a joint project in most families. It's important for your child to do his part (do the work) and for you to do yours (support your child's effort). For more ideas about how to approach Homework and Effective Learning, you're invited to visit: http://www.HomeworkSuccessNetwork.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Armes

http://EzineArticles.com/?Homework-Challenges---How-Much-Help-Should-Parents-Provide?&id=3707063

Family Fun Time in the Car

Family Fun Time in the Car
By Taylor Martinerin

We are living in a society where more and more time is spent in the car. Long gone are the days when the father went to work in the only car the family owned, while the mother stayed at home with the children. In today's society, most parents work outside of the home. Quality of time is much more important than the quantity of time a parent is able to spend with his/her child. "Make every minute count!" should be the parent's motto.

Do we really need cars that come equipped with televisions and DVDs? Can't' we actually put some "quality" into the decreasing "quantity" of time that we are able to spend with our children?

The following are some ideas your child (and you!) might enjoy trying the next time you are going to or from home:

Sing Along
If you don't know any silly songs, then a visit to your public library, a search on the internet, or a conversation with your child's teacher is a good place to start. There are family-friendly sources like "Wee Sing" CDs that are compilations of songs children truly enjoy singing along with. And, of course, when the parent sings along, it multiplies the fun for the child! ("Mares eat oats, and does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy, a kid 'll eat ivy too, wouldn't you....")

Scavenger Hunts
Mom and/or Dad, get off that cell phone! Let's play! This car game can be adapted to the age of your child. "Let's all look for a dog." "Can anyone see a woman wearing a hat?" The first person to spy the intended object can nominate the next search item.

Rhyming Game
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Remember to match the difficulty to your child's age. Start the game with an easy word like "cat" and take turns adding new words to the list. Cat-mat-sat-rat-pat-bat...

Memory Game
In this game, each person takes turns and adds one more item to the ever-increasing list of items already on the list. "I went to the store and bought a pencil." Becomes "I went to the store and bought a pencil and an apple." ETC.

Find the Letter
Each person tries to find the letter that is being searched for. Billboards, signs, and license plates make ideal places to look.

Easy Arithmetic
Make sure to gear this game to the age of your child. Don't make it a chore! "Mr. Bee-bop has five cows and one walks down the road. How many cows are left?" "Miss Potato-flu had three kittens. She found two more. How many kittens does Miss Potato-flu have now?"

License Plate Game
See how many different license plates you and your children can find en route. If your child is too young to read the plates, then have him/her search for different colored license plates or cars.

I Spy Game
This game used to be referred to as "Is it bigger than a bread box?" or "Person, place, or thing?" Have the person who is "it" think of an item. The other players try to discover what the object is, asking questions which can only be answered with "yes" or "no."

Color List
Pick a color and have the children list items that can be that color. Yellow: banana, sun, pencil, etc. Be forewarned: This can get pretty silly!

The Best and the Worst
Let each family member share the worst thing that happened to them that day, and then the very best thing. Hopefully, there will be many great things that your child will have on his/her list of "Bests."

Sing Along with the Oldies
Ever wonder why so many twenty-year-olds love the Beatles? Chances are pretty good that they grew up singing along to the group that their parents discovered in the 1960s. Simon and Garfunkel, John Sebastian, Carly Simon, Randy Newman, the list goes on and on!

So, rather than turning the television on while your in the car with your child, why don't you spend that same time having fun with your child? It may be that you'll actually enjoy yourself! It's probably safe to say that your child will!

A Guide For Dad's to Bond With Their Newborns

When a baby is born, there is already a strong bond between the baby and the mother. The mother has carried the baby in her womb for nine months, usually, and they have had this much time to bond together and form a connection that will last a lifetime. The baby has already gotten accustomed to the mother's soothing voice, the beating of her heart, and her very soul. The mother has already had the time to feel the baby kick and move around inside of her body. These are all things that can help the mother and baby to already feel a strong connection to one another. When you consider the father, there is not much bonding that goes on during the pregnancy. Sure, the father can rub the mother's belly during the pregnancy and talk to the baby, but there are more things that should be taken into consideration once the baby is born to promote a stronger bond.

You will find that one of the best ways for a new father to bond with his baby is through talking. When you take the time to talk to your newborn, it lets them know that you are around them. While your voice may not be as soothing as the mother's voice right at first, they are sure to get used to it and grow to love it just the same. You can really talk about anything with your baby. Although, they will not understand everything that you tell them, it can greatly improve their communication skills as they get older. Do not sound overpowering when you talk to them, instead talk to them in a soft voice as to soothe them. This is a great way to bond.

Once the baby is born, the mother may want to hold them most of the time. It is very important that the father hold the baby too. They will not be small enough to hold in your arms forever, therefore you should always take every moment you can in order to be able to hold them and love on them when they are small. It is something that you will remember forever and it is a great way to fulfill a strong bond together. You can even hold and rock the baby until they fall asleep. This will give you that strong connection that you have been dying to have with them since the moment you found out that you were going to be a father!

It may not seem the most appealing thing, but you should even change some of the diapers. This is an experience that every father should have with their child. Not only will it give mom a break, but it will also help your child to see that you help out even with the dirty stuff.

If the mother is not breastfeeding, then you should take some time out to feed the baby as well. This is a very great way to encourage bonding, for mother, father and baby. If the baby is breastfeeding, then you can pump some of the milk and bottle feed them.

Herb constantly works to become the best parent he can be. He like researching and writing about family issues. Consider visiting his website with information on dining room chandeliers.

A Guide For Dad's to Bond With Their Newborns
By Herb Leibacher

Is a Father and Daughter Relationship Important?

Father and daughter relationship is important because you can see signs when a daughter talks about their relationship with their father and whether it is good or bad.

The guidance from a father to his daughter last a lifetime and is always a part of her when she goes out in life and chooses a mate for life.

First love

The first male the little girl love is her father, and with this charge it is important that her father have respect and integrity for her because this helps them to bond in a healthy way.

The little girl first connection to male energy and what they stand for is represented by her father, how you as a father use this to help your daughter find her place in life can be rewarding or hurtful for the rest of her life.

This first love for a little girl will determine how she will behave in later years with male energy which means, does the little girl feel it is fine for her to take her place and express how she feels with male energy or she has to deny her feelings for fear of not being received or misunderstood.

A daughter's love and respect for her father in the early beginning is very strong and she holds to every word her father says as the truth and that her father cannot make mistakes because he knows more.

Guidance

A father may not know everything in life however he has live longer and have done many things and this is why he can help his daughter to avoid mistakes or to prepare her if it came to pass just because of his longer time on earth.

The father is there to encourage and support and to show he trust his daughter, to help her build confidence in herself and to know that she is always love.
A daughter need her father's guidance and support to help her to know that she is not alone and it is fine to make mistakes in learning new things.

Teaching about limits

As a father helps his daughter to know his limits this in turn helps his daughter to know about hers and to maintain it.
A father is there to show his daughter how to respect her limits.

Having limits for a father and following through with it with his daughter can be easy as when he tells her to pick up her toys, it is time for bed, or it is time to eat.

Words and Action

A father is there to help his daughter follow through with her words and actions because he shows by example.

Having a one to one relationship with his daughter such as taking her to the park or library builds trust and support for his daughter in time when it is needed.

Many of these actions are done as his daughter is still small for this is where she is more receptive to learning from her father.

As his daughter gets older and their relationship becomes distant because his daughter's need to express her independence it is a time for the father to remember what he build with his daughter at an earlier age and it is time to let go and trust.

Conclusion: Is father and daughter relationship important and the answer is a resounding yes for it helps to guide the child to have a better relationship with the outer world.

The author grants full reprint rights to this article. You may reprint and electronically distribute this article so long as its contents remain unchanged, and the author's byline remains in place. Francis is the owner of trans-formers.com if you want more information on free relationship advice in your life you can find it at: http://www.trans-formers.com/father-and-daughter-relationship-importance.html

Is a Father and Daughter Relationship Important?
By Francis Hosein

First Grade Math Lessons : Food Fractions for First Grade Math

3 Secrets to Getting Your Child to Transition From One Activity to Another

3 Secrets to Getting Your Child to Transition From One Activity to Another By Erin A. Kurt

Have you ever told your child that it's time to go somewhere or do something else and their response was either to ignore you or yell at you? There are ways to avoid this and make the transition from activity to activity easy and smooth.

In order for your children to feel comfortable and cooperative moving from one activity to the next there are a few things you will need to do.

First, children need and love routine - no matter how old they are. If they experience the same basic sequence each and every day, they will simply expect and anticipate a change in activity. For example, if your basic routine with your toddler is to wake up, play, eat, watch TV, get dressed, go out somewhere, come home and eat lunch, go to sleep, wake up after 2 hours, have a snack, do a one-on-one activity with you, play alone for an hour, watch TV, eat dinner, brush teeth, then go to sleep, they will naturally move through their day with ease. They often will remind you when it's time to go out if you are running a bit late.

When I was a teacher I used to write our schedule for the day on the whiteboard and added short bits of information describing exactly what they needed to have ready. Our day always flowed smoothly and the children were calm knowing what to expect. If you have a child three years or older who tends to be a bit anxious or may have autistic tendencies this is a terrific way to help them feel calm and competent that they are able to handle their day. (For younger children, you could use pictures posted on poster board or the fridge instead)

The second area to look at is the way in which you tell your child it's time to move on to the next activity. Yelling from the other room is not a positive or effective way to handle this. A better way is to go to your child a little before you want to move on, sit with them, enter their world, make a comment such as:

"You sure like your trains, don't you?" or

"What a neat idea you had to build a LEGO house like this" or

"I loved that book when I was young"

Then say, in a very excited tone of voice:

"It's time to get our shoes on to go to the __________(park,store,friend's house,playgroup) Let's go!" Extend your hand towards them or pick them up and give them a big hug then begin talking about where you're going, who you'll see, etcetera. This will keep them focused and will build excitement and cooperation.

If your child whines, there are other issues going on like hunger, tiredness level, not being used to a routine or not being used to having limits set for them.

The technique I suggest for bedtime or leaving a playground is to use the countdown method. Go to your child and say, "Anna, you have 5 minutes and then it's time for sleepy, sleepy, (or whatever words you want to use)" OR "Sam, you have 5 minutes and then it's time to go home for lunch".

After this, go to them at 4 mins, 3 mins, 2 mins, 1 min, and then say, "Okay, time to go now." or "Okay, time for sleepy, sleepy".

The last point I want to make about transitions is this: you must speak in a happy tone, yet a matter-of-fact tone as well. There is no room for soft voices here, no room for reminding and no room for explaining or coercing. You are just stating a fact in a happy voice about what it is that you ARE going to be doing.

Do your part by stating excitedly what you will be doing and then carry on. The only thing left to do is to enjoy the time you will be spending with your happy child.

Erin Kurt, B.Ed, spent 16 years as a teacher and nanny around the world. Now, she applies her expertise as a parenting expert and author of Juggling Family Life.

You can learn more about Erin and her simple, loving parenting method, and subscribe to her weekly parenting tips e-zine at http://www.erinparenting.com. Doing this, you'll receive a free copy of her Special Report entitled, "The 8 Habits of Highly Effective Parents".

Dealing With Naughty Children

Dealing With Naughty Children
By Thomas Timmerman

At times it can become really challenging to deal with kids. Some of them are very naughty and they just don't seem to understand at all. Every time you think they have become good they end up hurting your feelings again and again.

One of the tips for parenting is to stay patient and committed towards your kids discipline. With your continuous hard work he would definitely understand it. As he would start getting old things would also pour inside his head and you would see a change in his behavior. Whenever you feel that your child has done something wrong sit down with him and tells him about his mistakes. Tell him once again about the rules that need to be obeyed. Make sure that you give out the message that whatever he has done is completely unacceptable.

Make sure you use an authoritative tone and warm the kid that if the same behavior has been repeated he would have to bear the consequences. If you feel that your child is behaving in certain because he's hungry or sleepy then you should do things to put him in comfort.

At times you can also control the behavior of your kid by diverting his attention to other games and activities You should make him do colorings, drawings and play with his toys so that he doesn't get time to behave badly and disrespectfully.

You can also punish your kid for one minute for every age. You can make them stand in the corner for a few minutes and tell them that if they don't listen there can be bigger punishments. It has been discovered that you should not be too aggressive with your child especially if he is too young. This can change his personality and can leave certain effects on his mind which would not be too good.

Control your calm and learn the different ways you can control the behavior of your child. Take things step by step and do not start being aggressive from day one. At time kids just do things to seek their parents attention. So make sure you are giving enough time to your kid and that he is not upset about something. Try to stay close to your kid as much as possible. Make him share his feelings and emotions and this would help him become a better man.

Thomas is new to writing articles, and hopes that you enjoyed his work. You can read more of his work dealing with children about the clip on high chair and also information on rocking chairs for nursery.

You Should Not Rush Blindly Into Child Discipline

You Should Not Rush Blindly Into Child Discipline
By Gayle Jacobson

It's been said before; child discipline is not easy in fact it's one of the toughest jobs we face as parents. Unfortunately children don't come with instructions; if they did our job would be much easier. The only discipline method that we know of is the methods that our parents used. They may have been worth modeling and then again they may not have been.

Child discipline is really about teaching and guiding your children to know the difference between right and wrong. It's about teaching them what is acceptable and what is not. It's not about sheltering your child from the real world. This promotes insecurity

Child discipline should be about encouraging the good behaviors as much as it is about discouraging inappropriate or bad behaviors. If you reward your child when they do something that you want them to, then they will know to repeat that same behavior again.

Child discipline is about finding the techniques that work best for you and your child. What works for some children might not work for you and your child. Try different things, if one way isn't working for you do some research and try something else until you find what works best. This is a continual process because as our children grow and we are forced to find new ways of dealing with new behaviors.

When you find methods of child discipline that are working for you remember to be consistent. Discipline is far more effective when your children know what to expect from you. It gives them a sense of security. You want them to feel secure it promotes more well adjusted individuals.

Child discipline is also about leading by example. If you expect your child to act one way and you act in an opposite way, then you are sending your child mixed messages. This is very confusing for your child. Children Learn by watching the adults in their lives. Make sure that your behavior is worth modeling.

When you are trying different child discipline methods remember not to argue with your child. Believe it or not this gives them power. It sends a message to your child that they have some control over you; they know how to upset you.

When you are looking for a way to approach child discipline you should take the time to do some research. Our children are an investment and you certainly would not rush blindly into a financial investment without first doing some extensive research. We want our children to grow and mature into adults who are fully capable of success.

Are you struggling, overwhelmed and exhausted with your methods child discipline? Learn some new simple and effective parenting tools that ensure that you're raising a child that you can truly be proud of.