Teaching Kids to Navigate the Streets

Age 10 is a guideline, but that doesn't mean your 10-year-old is ready. Some kids are cautious by nature, but others are impulsive. They may be distracted easily by their friends and may forget to pay attention to what they're doing. You have to decide if and when your child is mature and responsible enough to face traffic alone, based on your observations of how well he's learned the necessary skills and how consistent he is in using them.


When you begin to let your child cross streets alone, start gradually and work up. Restrict him at first to quiet streets. Only after he's established a track record of practicing safe pedestrian skills should he be allowed to attempt busier intersections.


Long before your child reaches 10, you can be getting her ready for safe street-crossing. Begin as soon as she starts walking. It's much easier to teach her safe habits from the beginning than to have to break bad ones later.


Beginning Lessons
The critical lesson for toddlers and preschoolers is never to play in the street or a driveway. Teach them always to stop at the curb or the grass edging the roadway because the street is for cars. Stress especially that they can't run into the street to retrieve a toy.


Teach your child good safety habits while holding her hand and walking with her in your neighborhood. Stop whenever you reach a corner and make a big show of looking left, right and left again before stepping off the curb.


Rules of the Road
Continue to reinforce the safety messages once your child is in kindergarten. But now you can add some practical lessons. When you walk to an intersection, ask your child whether it is safe for the two of you to cross. This helps you figure out how well he is grasping the rules.


Be patient. Navigating traffic is a complicated process for which he is not yet ready. Praise him when he makes the right call. Remind him, though, that he's still never to cross the street without an adult.


Here are fundamental rules to teach your kids:
1. Walk on sidewalks or shoulders, not in the street. 
2. If there are no sidewalks and you've got to walk on the shoulder, walk as far off the road surface as possible, facing traffic. 
3. Cross at a crosswalk or corner, not mid-block, and especially not between parked cars. 
4. Look left, then right, then left again before crossing the street, and keep looking all ways until you reach the other side. 
5. Try to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them so you're sure they see you. 
6. Obey traffic lights and “Walk/Don't Walk” signals, and stay within designated crosswalks. 
7. Keep a lookout for cars that are turning or backing up, especially around driveways and garages. 
When you're nearing the time you think your child is ready to solo, have him take charge of your walks, making decisions and leading you across streets. This lets him be on his own but with you still nearby to intervene if he makes a mistake.


A Green Light Doesn't Mean “Go”
Learning to handle traffic signals is tricky. Tell your child that a green light means she should stop at the curb and look both ways to make sure the traffic has indeed stopped. The same goes when the “Walk” sign is flashing. You have to allow for the possibility that a driver will ignore the light. Just because one car stops doesn't mean one coming the other way will.


If a child is in the middle of the street when the “Walk” sign switches to “Don't Walk,” the rule is to keep moving at a brisk pace (but not run) to the other side. She shouldn't stop in the middle of the street or turn back the way she came.


If your state allows right turns on red, teach your child that, at some intersections, drivers are allowed to turn even if they don't have a green light and may not always remember to yield to pedestrians.

Teaching kids the importance of sharing

     Many families now follow the single child norm. It is of course the prerogative of couples to decide the number of kids they want to have. However, having a single child may need additional conscious effort on developing some social skills in the child that remain undeveloped due to the independence of the child, due to non sharing of things, issues of incompatibility etc that children learn to resolve earlier if there are siblings.
    Single children may not learn to share things that belong to them, as they do not have a brother or sister with whom they could have shared toys, pens or pencils, clothes, eatables etc. Single children may get into the habit of having everything for themselves, and may become possessive about things that belong them. 
    They may develop tendencies like stubbornness, adamant nature, jealousy, not being able to give, being in control of everything in their life, not sharing emotions or even material objects with anyone else.
    Helping children to reduce their individualistic tendency and teaching them to share things can help them to cope and adapt better in adult life as adults are expected to be giving and accommodating people. Letting go of personal things and allowing others to use your stuff helps in making relationships easy and comfortable. If not, it may give an impression that you are selfish, jealous, and materialistic and cannot part with things that belong to you. 
    As parents you can inculcate this habit among children by creating opportunities for them to share. For example, you could invite friends for a party at home and allow the children to use the toys or play items that belong to your kid. Share video games or music cassettes with them. If a friend loves a toy or fancy object you may ask the child if the friend can have it or would the child like to gift it to the friend. 
   You may also invite friends or relatives for overnight stay and let the children occupy your kid’s room so that he/she learns to share the personal space, and personal life with others too.

Children need parents to help them to deal with difficulties

Normally, when the children are in trouble, a parent always deals with it, because parents always love your child, want my childhood was peaceful as well as mental health.
But parents have forgotten what is important, if one does not know childhood difficulties and obstacles, it is hard for parents to see them as an ideal preparation (psychologically) so the children can later exist with the vast world environment complex and volatile … Excessive protection of parents will make many children lose the chance to learn how to deal with these problems and more serious obstacle is a child behavior dependence. Therefore, follow educational psychologists, the parents can help children to remove the problems positively by the following:
Be calm and balance in solving
This is a very important issue, especially when children proved to lose confidence in the ability to solve problems by themselves, parents must be very calm, strong, do not panic, beat, curse or to put to nonplus … Attitude of parents then have to realize that if you solve the problem, children will quickly recover. On the other hand, by solving the problem, children will mature and self-learned valuable lessons about overcoming challenges, risks of life. Many parents or indulge too deeply involved in solving the problems of children is so much distrust in our ability. When the minor child, of course, parents must be responsible, but when they move into adolescence, parents only as an observer, advice, suggestions and encourage them when necessary. Parents need to remember: not by the number or extent of the problem that troubles the child or the loss of self-harm to health, the spirit  which is due to the method of solving it .
5 methods to help relieve problems with confidence:
a) Children must be revealed to parents: The first step is to counsel and encourage children to tell their parents or a relative of the fact that the problems they are experiencing. When expressed with the trust, is in the heart of children has decreased by half the trouble is weighed.
b) Encourage children to think: Encourage children to calm your mind back, reflect on all aspects of the problem before deciding what to do. Thereby, children will make a new resolution, reasonable… When children know themselves to think, that is helping them move from a status of “kids” to adult status, which makes them more confident in yourself and have more spirit strength.
c) Know action: To help children know the outlines plans to tackle problems that are practical, feasible and reasonable.
d) Always monitor and encourage the evolution of all things that young children act or think the appropriate ways suitable solve.
e) Reward: To encourage efforts though not much progress. Set the specific rewards to encourage young.

Toys- a place to express thoughts and feelings for kids

Toys are familiar little joy, a treasure, desire, pride … of virtually every child in the world. Children need places, need a place to express thoughts and feelings. And toys world is a perfect source. They are easily get along with, playing together, or even thrown away indiscriminately.
If most of the toys are considered “learning tools” early in the first life, then children become familiar with the world, learn to behave, to receive and process information. Research has prove that all development is enhanced through a child’s play behavior, from the first months of life until he went to school. And each game, each toy, has different implications.
Development capacity awareness
Have the toy looks very simple but can make you forced to think and form links. Depending on your age and sex of the child that it may be dolls, soft toys, cars, sets and models … Playing with a set of such shapes, they will be gradually to learn their own conclusions as the circle can rolled and square can’t, or from some of dolls and toy children, baby could play buy goods, playing teacher … Thus, the toy plays a very important role in the development of children intellectual capacity, preparation for later life.
Inspiring creativity
Besides the development of cognitive skills for children, toys also create intellectual challenge – even though these challenges did not initially seem to help much for baby, but you will see its impact on the this, when I started school. You just try to observe children playing with Lego pieces, such as: first, the only known place them overlap, but then she will be able to create many different shapes. Imagination and creativity of the children were very differently.
Motor development
The physical development of children depends on us moving. Games such as puzzle, model or simply like playing modeling clay will help balance the development and awareness campaigns. In mind when creating the different models, the hands and feet – or rather the ability for motor of children – will also be trained to develop more. There are other games such as soccer, running, jumping rope … it is necessary to exercise the ability to mobilize crude.
Skills development
Providing the right kind of toys for children in the right age will help to provide both hard and soft skills – the first seed, but can say is most important for the mental development of children. These are language skills, emotional expression, social work skills … While children communicate with you, we will develop these skills, and then, higher, we will learn how to admit defeat, victory celebration, accepted the challenge … things essential for life in the future.
Playtime is fun time
Besides the benefits listed above, the toys and games help kids be themselves and enjoy the pleasures of childhood. That is the most important thing! Limited right to play and playing time will cause serious consequences on the development of children, as well as children’s behavior as adults.
Experts in child development frequently expressed concern that children today do not spend enough time to play in different age groups, or spend too much time to play the interactive games (like games electronics) than creative play, movement necessary. This situation can occur for many different reasons, both subjective and objective as there is no space, no time, parents are too busy doing, child was too busy learning …
But remember that only a simple block of wood can also be one of the best toys for children – it can help children develop their thinking, the ability to hand-eye coordination, creativity and many more. So, make a little more attention, spend time with his family to play together and encourage your kids use their imagination.

Tips for Parents and Educators: Supporting Children’s Mental Health

1. Create a sense of belonging. Feeling connected and welcomed is essential to children’s positive adjustment, self-identification, and sense of trust in others and themselves. Building strong, positive relationships among students, school staff, and parents is important to promoting mental wellness. 


2. Promote resilience. Adversity is a natural part of life and being resilient is important to overcoming challenges and good mental health. Connectedness, competency, helping others, and successfully facing difficult situations can foster resilience. 


3. Develop competencies. Children need to know that they can overcome challenges and accomplish goals through their actions. Achieving academic success and developing individual talents and interests help children feel competent and more able to deal with stress positively. Social competency is also important. Having friends and staying connected to friends and loved ones can enhance mental wellness. 


4. Ensure a positive, safe school environment. Feeling safe is critical to students’ learning and mental health. Promote positive behaviors such as respect, responsibility, and kindness. Prevent negative behaviors such as bullying and harassment. Provide easily understood rules of conduct and fair discipline practices and ensure an adult presence in common areas, such as hallways, cafeterias, locker rooms, and playgrounds. Teach children to work together to stand up to a bully, encourage them to reach out to lonely or excluded peers, celebrate acts of kindness, and reinforce the availability of adult support.


5. Teach and reinforce positive behaviors and decision making. Provide consistent expectations and support. Teaching children social skills, problem solving, and conflict resolution support good mental health. “Catch” them being successful. Positive feedback validates and reinforces behaviors or accomplishments that are valued by others. 


6. Encourage helping others. Children need to know that they can make a difference. Pro-social behaviors build self-esteem, foster connectedness, reinforce personal responsibility, and present opportunities for positive recognition. Helping others and getting involved in reinforces being part of the community.  


7. Encourage good physical health. Good physical health supports good mental health. Healthy eating habits, regular exercise and adequate sleep protect kids against the stress of tough situations. Regular exercise also decreases negative emotions such as anxiety, anger, and depression.


8. Educate staff, parents and students on symptoms of and help for mental health problems. Information helps break down the stigma surrounding mental health and enables adults and students recognize when to seek help. School mental health professionals can provide useful information on symptoms of problems like depression or suicide risk. These can include a change in habits, withdrawal, decreased social and academic functioning, erratic or changed behavior, and increased physical complaints. 


9. Ensure access to school-based mental health supports. School psychologists, counselors, and social workers can provide a continuum of mental health services for students ranging from universal mental wellness promotion and behavior supports to staff and parent training, identification and assessment, early interventions, individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, and referral for community services. 


10. Provide a continuum of mental health services. School mental health services are part of a continuum of mental health care for children and youth. Build relationships with community mental health resources. Be able to provide names and numbers to parents. 


11. Establish a crisis response team. Being prepared to respond to a crisis is important to safeguarding students’ physical and mental well-being. School crisis teams should include relevant administrators, security personnel and mental health professionals who collaborate with community resources. In addition to safety, the team provides mental health prevention, intervention, and postvention services.

Advice for Starting a Conversation

        How can you begin a conversation with younger children about the environment? How do you help kids think more consciously about energy conservation? What do you tell children about reusing materials? Or recycling?
If you’re interested in engaging your kids around these issues, the following are some simple ways to start:
1. Start by modeling behaviors related to energy conservation and recycling. Turn off lights when you leave a room or put newspapers in the recycling bin instead of the trash. Your children will learn from what you do.
2. Involve young children in sorting activities. Children can help you sort scrap paper for recycling.
3. Reuse materials for craft and/or educational activities with your children, such as toilet paper rolls to create owls, scrap paper and newspapers to make paper airplanes, plastic bottles and juice containers to make planters, plastic containers to conduct science experiments (mix oil and water and see what happens), etc.
4. Talk with children about the products you buy at the grocery store and what decisions you are making based on product packaging. For example, talk with kids about why you might choose to buy apples from the produce shelf instead of prepackaged in a plastic container. If you put apples from the produce shelf in a plastic or paper bag, talk with children about ways you might reuse that bag.
5. Help kids understand what happens to your household garbage. On trash collection day, take children outside to observe what happens when the trash and recycling is picked up. If possible, talk with the garbage collector about what s/he is doing.
6. Explore with your kids the different energy sources people use (coal, oil, natural gas, solar power, wind power, etc.). Talk with children about how we get the heat or electricity we use.
7. As you’re out with your children, notice products that have been created with reused or recycled materials, such as rubber tires on playgrounds, running tracks, etc.

30 minutes each day helps children grow up
    When you can not spend more time with children, you tend to feel guilty, want to offset by the gallantry (usually too far), as people same age rather than as parents. And it often will cause the opposite effect, causing the children see themselves as “victims.”
    So what is quality time? “Some quality time” means that the communication is done in a positive and helpful. Parents are not always on the embankment embankments but should be present in the lives of children, to help create moments of happiness, fun, more special needs children there is just a hard time, take in a positive way to the “struggle” of children everyday.
    The solution to this is simple: you only need to determine the extent important for family, once identified priority position, you will be very easy to clean off what does not important, arrange schedules to suit their own family instead of trying to cram in the opposite direction.
    Spending time and attention your attention – honestly – maybe only 30 minutes per day only, but be careful, because children “refined” than you imagine it. Talk to your children is one of the most important thing you can do to create cohesion, help children mature and confident. Do not start with the story too seriously and ask questions to be answered more than just “yes” or “no.” With little children, you can ask about school, talk with your fellow or a certain story that you and your child read together. With bigger children, you can talk about what takes place outside the home, neighborhood, and a discussion of a movie or an ads … You can also mention the difficulties that you face yourself in the day and how to deal with them – the experience and problem solving skills can help children avoid becoming dependent on stimulants or alcohol when encountering difficulties later.
    “Some quality time” can also be created by you to participate in the education of children. Later on it the more you exercise, but the anxiety and tension before the workload can be greatly reduced if children know will not be faced alone. You do not have to worry that “I don’t pedagogical skills - I can not remember it?” Help your child learn does not mean you have to know how to explain all of the exercises, which can be done by creating a learning space without distractions so you can focus, ask your child’s learning, help me to arrange a time, to plan …
    In addition, please also recognized the efforts of children. Commend the praiseworthy things, such as when you up on time, helped mother clean rice or self-study, all praise when successful and less successful but when I was trying. Do not promise what you can not perform, it can make you vulnerable – especially if you time your proximity is limited. Try to understand is that you respect my feelings and is ready to support you when needed … All the work that shows your concern and help me a lot of confidence.

Introduction

This blog is my first bog. And it isn't about anything particular. Just show my views on some human behaviors and also somethings of my personal life...