Zest is not just a brand of soap! It is an enthusiasm and excitement for all that you do; a desire to be active and feel alive! Children learn to be passionate about things by watching their parents get excited and from receiving encouragement for things they are good at. Passion is rarely produced by constantly pointing out what a child does poorly. Kids get excited about things when they are anchored in good feelings and emotions. If a child comes home excited about a new book or a new school project, spend time talking about it and show enthusiasm for your child’s involvement. Encourage them to participate fully in whatever they are excited about.
My son Ethan learned to play chess at school and he was pretty excited about it. None of us play chess but Thad learned just so he could play with Ethan. After losing several times Ethan said he didn’t want to play with dad anymore because he never got to win. I explained that losing was a GOOD thing because he was getting experience that he wouldn’t have if he played against someone below his ability. I also told him that someday when he won, he would know that he had accomplished something that was difficult and could be proud of himself. Well it wasn’t very long before Ethan DID beat Thad! Oh my goodness, you would have thought the kid won the lottery! It was great! He couldn’t stop smiling and he told every person he knows! He also admitted to me that the victory felt so good because he knew he beat a challenging opponent and that gave him great satisfaction.
Kids don’t get excited about everything but when they do, encourage them and look for opportunities to help them stay excited. So today, promote zest and passion in your kids, and in YOU as well and Live Inspired Now!
COME BACK TOMORROW FOR THE NEXT CHARACTER TRAIT AND REGISTER FOR THE “STRENGTHENING THE FAMILY” TELECONFERENCE!
Heather Paris inspires people all over the world to create happier lives through talks, workshops, blog posts, and her book, Live Inspired Now; A Field Guide For Happiness. For more information about transforming your relationship, family, or your life, contact Heather today!
Albert Einstein said that “Information is not knowledge.” We can learn tons of information, read thousands of books, study for countless hours, but if we cannot interact on a social level then what good is all that information? Knowing how to interact with both individuals and groups of people is a valuable skill. Kids should learn to try and understand the feelings of others, how to resolve conflict, as well as how to act, react and interact with others. Make sure they have opportunities to spend time interacting with other people and that you are modeling good social interactions for them. Talk to them and explain human psychology as well. Help them understand why people say and do things and ask them how they might have responded differently. Teach them what is appropriate. Kids should learn manners and how to show respect to others. Explain the consequences of poor social skills. Let them know that people may choose not to be around them if they act inappropriately which is a real world consequence. Let’s face it, the guy who is rude in his interview won’t get the job, the “date” who goes on and on about past negative relationships won’t get invited back out, and the friend who talks bad about everyone else is likely to end up friendless.
So today, if you haven’t, start teaching your children about social intelligence. Help them to have healthy interactions with others so they won’t grow up feeling isolated or lonely. Have healthy relationships with kind people and model good social interactions. Raise socially and emotionally healthy children because relationships are the most important things we have in life and Live Inspired Now!
COME BACK TOMORROW FOR THE NEXT CHARACTER TRAIT AND REGISTER FOR THE “STRENGTHENING THE FAMILY” TELECONFERENCE!
Heather Paris inspires people all over the world to create happier lives through talks, workshops, blog posts, and her book, Live Inspired Now; A Field Guide For Happiness. For more information about transforming your relationship, family, or your life, contact Heather today!
Lao Tzu said “He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” Teaching kids self control is probably one of the most valuable character traits a person can learn. Self control is what keeps kids from participating in risky or dangerous behavior, it promotes confidence and instills a sense of security with the knowing that they are in control. Kids can learn self control through sports, karate or similar disciplines and by teaching them to wait or earn things. A common cultural norm these days is to give children everything. It may feel good to give lots of things to your children however it prevents them from learning to appreciate anticipation and the value of earning. When my kids were young, we had a “puffy jar.” The puffy jar was a large vase and when the kids did something extra special they would get a puffy (cotton ball) to add to the jar. When the jar was full, we would do something special like go to the movies or go buy a new toy or something fun. The puffy jar taught them that they could earn things, they learned how much fun it was to anticipate, and they learned self control because they knew the only way to get the treat was to fill the puffy jar rather than begging, nagging or tantrums.
There are many different ways to instill self control but by far the most effective way is to model it. Kids won’t always listen but they will always watch what you do and imitate it. So today, think about how you can give your kids the gift of self control, model good habits, and Live Inspired Now.
COME BACK TOMORROW FOR THE NEXT CHARACTER TRAIT AND REGISTER FOR THE “STRENGTHENING THE FAMILY” TELECONFERENCE!
Heather Paris inspires people all over the world to create happier lives through talks, workshops, blog posts, and her book, Live Inspired Now; A Field Guide For Happiness. For more information about transforming your relationship, family, or your life, contact Heather today!
Heather Paris inspires people all over the world to create happier lives through talks, workshops, blog posts, and her book, Live Inspired Now; A Field Guide For Happiness. For more information about transforming your relationship, family, or your life, contact Heather today!
Today I will be talking about “grit” which means finishing what one starts despite obstacles or challenges. This is something we could all work on, not just kids. Many people will quit something that becomes too challenging or only look for jobs/work that will be easy for them in order to ensure their success. Encourage kids to try new things and allow them to figure out solutions to problems. The “hover parent” has a hard time raising independent and resilient kids because they are constantly hovering and fixing the child’s mistakes. Allow kids to mess things up so they can figure out how to fix things themselves. Trouble shooting is a highly desirable skill but if they are always rescued from their mistakes, they never learn how to problem solve. Since they wont be equipt to handle problems, they could come to really dislike challenges, and thus becoming under-achievers.
Instill grit by allowing kids to do things on their own and without fixing their mistakes. You can let them know you are there if they need something but tell them “I know you can handle it!” Encourage them to show you what they have accomplished and praise their efforts. Let them know that failures are actually great rewards because they teach them valuable lessons and strengthen their skills.
So today, teach your kids about grit, allow them to do things and fix their own mistakes and Live Inspired Now!
COME BACK TOMORROW FOR THE NEXT CHARACTER TRAIT AND REGISTER FOR THE “STRENGTHENING THE FAMILY” TELECONFERENCE!
Heather Paris inspires people all over the world to create happier lives through talks, workshops, blog posts, and her book, Live Inspired Now; A Field Guide For Happiness. For more information about transforming your relationship, family, or your life, contact Heather today!
