Helene Goldnadel Suggests What to Do If Your Child Doesn't Like School

Growing up in older time, there really was no choice as to whether you liked school or not. It simply was not an option. School was mandatory and you simply went without complaining about it. No questions asked. Today's generation is far more sensitive, or perhaps today's parents are far more attentive to their children. When you really think about it, there is no reason for a child not to like school. The purpose of school is to educate children, teach them proper values and create a safe and comfortable environment that allows them to be themselves and thrive as an individual. This should be both fun and entertaining. So when your child complains to you that they don't like school, you should have a little red flag coming up in your mind. The first thing to do is to get the real story from your child. You will then need to communicate openly with the child's teacher and finally find a solution that is suitable for everyone. Helene Goldnadel explains the broader concept here.

Firstly, when your child begins to complain that he does not like school or would rather not go to school, you should never dismiss their statement as nonsense. It is imperative that you look deeper into what situation may be triggering such a bold statement. It is of the utmost importance that you set time aside to talk to your child and truly listen to what he has to say. This exercise is not about convincing him that school is important and that there really is no reason for him not to like school. Nor is it about telling him that there really isn't any choice involved when it comes to school and education. The key here is to ask as many questions as possible in a non offensive and comprehensive way in order to get your child to tell you what is really bothering them about going to school.

Next, you will need to start speaking with your child's teacher. Again, your mission is to get to the real reason your child suddenly does not like school, so don't go in accusing the teacher of not paying enough attention to your child. You really need to get the teacher's help. Keep in mind that teachers might have up to 25 or even 30 children they need to be watching out for and they cannot possibly concentrate on teaching your child the appropriate curriculum if they are busy acting as the behavior police. The teacher may however have noticed a particular event taking place or a change in your child's behavior that can give you clues as to what may be bothering your child. It's also very possible that the teacher may not have noticed anything and if this is the case, you want to make the teacher aware of your child's complaint about school and what he has told you so far. This will allow the teacher to keep a closer eye on your child and be able to report any changes or events.

Finally, when you have a good idea of what may be going on that is bothering your child or preventing him from enjoying school the way it should be enjoyed by any child, it is time to get your hamster wheel turning and find a solution to the issue. This may be a simple adjustment or it may involve more work and cooperation from many people. Whatever the solution, it must be suitable for the situation and everyone that is involved. You must be flexible in finding your solution. It is by cooperating with the people who are involved with your child on a daily basis that you will be able to achieve a positive outcome to the situation.

School is a pleasant environment that every child deserves to have the opportunity of enjoying to the fullest. However, life is not perfect and often times certain situations may arise that will make your child dislike being at school. As a parent it is your job to get the whole story from your child and then speak to his teacher in order to find a good solution that will allow for a better outlook for your child. As a parent this is a small investment of time and effort that will bring you the peace of mind of knowing your child is comfortable at school and is performing to his greatest potential.

Also read: A Parent and Teacher Challenge for Educating Children

Advantages of Children Being Properly Educated by Helene Goldnadel

Education is very important with little children because that it the first step they take towards living a correct life, one that starts from common sense principles and one that can help them build a good life afterwards and solve their problems appropriately.

If a child is well-educated, they can gain their self-confidence, they get to feel safe in the world that surrounds them and they know that their parents are always there for them and always support them, even if their parents are sometimes wrong about different situations. The effective methods to be used when it comes to children being educated include certain things, such as the following by Helene Goldnadel.

First of all, you have the separation, which represents the time you give your child to calm down if they are angry about something. Then, you have the administration of their behavior or the negotiations you have to carry with your child, regarding different situations, which is followed by the re-direct of the child's behavior.

Then, you have to make sure you set a good behavioral example for your child, so that they get to act nicely afterwards. Whenever you have problem, you should involve your child in your solving process. When your child has an inappropriate behavior, you should simply ignore it and they will understand they can stop because they aren't getting anywhere with it. In fact, you should always have a firm stand towards your child and the things they do, so that they understand who the boss is. You should always be in control and you should always keep your head clear.

Last but not least, when your child does something good, you should reward them, but be careful with the rewards you give them because you might end up bribing them and that is definitely something you don't want to do.

Helene Goldnadel on Educational Path for Children with Cerebral Palsy

How a child receives his education is one of the most important choices a parent faces. For the parent of a child with cerebral palsy, the choices are no less important and can be very difficult. Like all parents, you want to place your child in an educational environment that will allow him to thrive and reach his or her greatest potential. Every child with cerebral palsy has different needs and abilities and deciding whether to place them in a special education environment, with specially trained instructors or a mainstream education program, where they might find more opportunities to learn how to function in mainstream culture. Either choice has its advantages and disadvantages.

MAINSTREAM

Mainstream doesn't automatically mean "public school." Private schools also offer mainstream education and environment.

If a child's cerebral palsy is deemed "mild," he or she will probably benefit from a mainstream environment. It can provide them with certain social skills and emotional growth they might not get elsewhere. So much of early education is about socialization and learning to interact with others. Proponents of placing children with mild cerebral palsy into mainstream educational systems suggest it benefits both the afflicted child (by giving them a stronger sense of daily routine and boasting their self-esteem) and the non-disabled child (who gains a stronger sense of empathy and inclusivity).

As mandated by law (IDEA - Individual with Disabilities Education Act), children who meet the requirements of "special needs" can and should develop an IEP (individualized education program) to ensure a child's educational needs are met. IEP's may include additional or alternative physical or speech therapy or other special considerations during certain classes. This can help keep them in the mainstream environment while seeing that they get the special attention they require. IEP's can address both physical limitations as well as cognitive.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Children with more severe manifestations of cerebral palsy may not be able to thrive in a mainstream environment and may benefit from attending a special education school. Here they will work with a staff of education specialists trained to educate children with a variety of disabilities, not just cerebral palsy. In a special school program, each needs of each child is independently addressed and monitored, thus eliminating the fear that a mainstream school might move too fast for your child.

The lines between mainstream education and special education are not as harshly defined as they once were. Children who attend special schools often attend classes (such as art and music) at mainstream schools or attend mainstream school for the bulk of their courses and only attend special school classes in subjects they are struggling with.

In choosing an educational path that best fits the needs and abilities of your child, there are ample resources. Teachers, doctors and therapists are all available to work with you in bringing together the right components of the education your child needs and deserves.

To find more details, please visit here: http://helenegoldnadel.yolasite.com/

The Reciprocal Relationship of Reading and Writing Explained by Helene Goldnadel

Early literacy instruction is a complex process. There is no question that this process is a valuable part of a student's learning and helps create a solid foundation for future growth. There are countless strategies and methods to helping children to read and write. As such, every teacher will approach literacy instruction differently. Many people believe that a student must learn to read first and learn to write second. From this perspective, reading is a stepping stone to writing. This assumes that literacy develops in a very linear progression.

An alternate understanding of helping children to read and write is based on an understanding of reading and writing as reciprocal. The reciprocal perspective maintains that learning to read and learning to write are processes that complement one another. Marie Clay has championed this concept, producing research to support the benefits of identifying reading and writing as reciprocal. Teachers who subscribe to this methodology teach reading and writing at the same time, eliminating any boundaries that separate these skills. This path to literacy instruction requires a fluid school schedule instead of one that separates reading and online writing courses into different blocks in the school day.

Once you've done your research, you can present the information to your child in a variety of ways. You could approach the task as you would 'reading time' with your child, and read from your sources. Alternatively, you could set up a study space in your house where you can sit and learn with your children. Regardless of how you present or share the information with your children, it is important that you provide them with an opportunity to do a bit of creating on their own.

Based on this viewpoint, young children will recall text they have encountered as they begin to write. Likewise, they evaluate their spelling skills as they read. Here's an example: imagine that a teacher asks a young boy to spell the word "bone". Sounding it out, he writes "b-o-n". At this point, the teacher adds the "e" at the end. The child then exclaims, "Oh yeah! That's how I remember seeing it at the science centre!"

In sum by Helene Goldnadel, helping children to read and writing go hand in hand. Hence, it is valuable to treat reading and writing as complementary, rather than separate skills. Early literacy instructors see great gains when employing reciprocal instruction.

Helene Goldnadel on Writing Camps for Children

Children are very creative, but unfortunately there are very few avenues where they can express their creativity. Most of their time is spent in school where they have to learn about topics that they might or might not like and whatever precious little time is left at the end of the day is spent in playing games, which essentially leaves them with hardly any energy. They end up going to sleep the minute their head hits the pillow.

Even when they are sent to camps, the focus is more on developing their physical skills, which is quite good. They love to appreciate the outdoors, learn new skills such as horse riding or trekking and also learn to respect nature. However, while they are enjoying themselves physically, hardly anything is done to massage the creative side of their brains. If you are one such parent that has a child with good reading and writing skills or even has a child that lacks the confidence to read, write or speak clearly on any topic then you should definitely consider sending your child to writing camps or workshops so that their creativity can be brought out in a structured manner.

Often children have excellent creative thoughts but get all muddled up while putting it on paper or even while speaking in front of an audience. Children writing camps can help them put their thoughts in perspective first, which would be followed by writing and going through those penned thoughts again to seek out any errors. This will help the child to turn his or her creativity into a well-worded and perfectly-written essay, article or even a poem. Once a child achieves this level of writing clearly then confidence levels will receive a boost and the child will also be able to speak with confidence. Even an unwilling or unenthusiastic child can quickly turn into a writer bursting with ideas and energy at such writing camps due to the presence of experienced teachers that lovingly bring the best out of your child with gentle persuasion. The camps combine writing with pleasure in the form of writing games, solving word puzzles, designing posters, and writing on varied topics including adventure.

Your child will be kept happily busy throughout the period spent at the workshop and this relaxed state of mind will enable creativity to burst out in many wonderful colors. Your child will be able to express his or her thoughts in an expressive and planned manner and you too will notice a positive difference in your child after just a few sessions. These camps have great flexibility and you can send your child on an hourly basis after school, on weekends or during their summer or winter holidays. The Internet has also ushered in online writing camps where your child can send his or her assignments through email and get guidance from the teacher by return mail.

In addition to the physical development of your child, it is also important to ensure that your child develops mentally. Children writing camps help children to open up their minds and express their creativity by turning a blank sheet of paper into a well-thought and well-written collection of words instead of a verbal collage of confusion. You can use the Internet and choose a writing camp that best suits the interests of your child so as to help him or her grow into a confident and informed adult.

Also read: Ways by Helene Goldnadel to Get Your Kids to Write

How to Raise a Child With High Self-Esteem? Helene Goldnadel Explains

Parents' words and behaviour have an enormous impact on child's self-esteem (SE) and self-confidence (SC). Carefully chose your words and watch what your behaviour communicates to your child. Kids require a healthy SE in order to have high SC. Only when kids think positively of themselves can they accept their achievements for what they are.

So what can you do to start raising your child's SE right away? It's simple!

Here are a few ideas by Helene Goldnadel to get you started. Grab a pen and paper and think about how you typically relate to your child as you read each point. Draw a line down the middle of the paper. On one side write down the typical wording you use (call it typical column) and on the other write down better, more encouraging words you can use instead (call it positive column) when communicating with your child. Write them down and study them!!! This way you will be able to recall the right words when you need them (even when you are tired, running on a short fuse, or caught off guard).

1) Encouraging comments: Even if your child didn't succeed, always provide encouraging comments first (e.g., "That was a really good try, I liked your initiative and novel approach."). It can be difficult to provide positive feedback, however when she obviously didn't put in the effort required but regular comments like "You could have done better," "That wasn't done that well" can and will lead to feelings of 'nothing I do is ever good enough.' This belief (and others like it) is conditioned once she continues to receive these types of feedback. Start off on a positive note and relate the good stuff first.

2) Connect the dots: Discuss the reasons for failure. If your child didn't put enough effort into the activity in question, it is important she understands failure was due to lack of preparation or not enough practice. This is different from believing it is her personal inability to be awesome. As such, your child is more likely to conclude "If I practice hard enough, I will be able to succeed," instead of "Doesn't matter how hard I try, I don't have the ability to learn." Let her know that not doing well was due to a poor choice and choices can always be changed. Comments like "You've got some natural talent. With extra practice you'll 'ace it' or "Some things really do require more effort to be done well, what can you do differently next time?" connect the dots for your kids. What is obvious to you may not be obvious to them.

3) Encourage independence: Independence produces feelings of mastery which increases SE. It is important, however to recognize when a task is too hard for your child. Not all activities are age appropriate. By providing a mix of independence and a helping hand you teach her to stretch her abilities but to also know when to get help. It also sends a message that it is OK to get help. Comments such as "Look how far you have gotten on your own. What did you learn? How did you ever think of that!?!? That is awesome! You know I have some ideas too. Can I share?" If your child asks to be left to it alone, let her continue on her own. Pushing unwanted help onto your child can lead her to conclude that you don't have faith in her abilities. Over time this can translate into feelings of inferiority. Leaving your kids to complete a task means you trust them enough to work it out on their own. Let them know you have fresh ideas when they are ready for them.

4) False beliefs: False beliefs are highly responsible for low SE and SC. Watch your kid's verbal and behavioural patterns (they are a clue to what is going on in the mind) and ask questions. Get to the bottom of things so you can understand your child's insecurity. Let's say you notice your child speak badly about herself when she receives a low grade, your conversation with her can go something like this: "Why do you speak so meanly to yourself when you get a low grade? What does this grade mean about you? Are grades the only way of measuring how smart you are (or good enough)? Is it fair for you to be mean to yourself based on your performance on this test? Why is it so important that I am happy with your grade? Would I love you more if you got a better grade? What makes you think that? Did I ever imply by accident that I would love you less if your grades were lower? Tell me so I don't make the mistake again.). The more you understand the root cause of the belief, the more you can help her.

5) Famous people and role models: Role models are always great inspiration. Having a role model (AKA hero) works even better when the person is from the same field as the child's interests (e.g., musician, visual artist, scientist, etc.,). If your child gives up before giving things a fair chance or tends to avoid things she thinks she can't do, provide examples of the struggles her hero went through and how she had to try many times before the hero achieved her goal (e.g., Thomas Edison tried 10 000 times before he got the electric lamp to work; Einstein was considered to have a learning disability (some even speculate autism) and was told he would never amount to much). The great thing about all these wonderful people is they all faced adversity but believed in themselves the entire way. This belief lead them to success.

When Your Child Needs You, Stand Up and Be Counted?

Many of us know that children whose parents are actively involved in their school and other activities tend to more well-adjusted, happy and healthy than those whose parents are not. They also tend to excel in school, in play and other extracurricular activities.

Helene Goldnadel believes that parents who get themselves involved motivate their children to do well in school. Such involvement enhances the child's cognitive development. It also fortifies the bond between parents and child. Parents in turn feel fulfilled from their parenting chores. The enhanced personal and academic progress of the child raises the parents' self-worth. The whole process is therefore mutually beneficial for both parent and child.

So it comes to a point where parents need to ask how they may be able to productively help and get involved in their children's activities. Parents are hard pressed finding time for activities away from domestic chores, school, and work. Making quality time for extra involvement in children's activities is therefore a challenge. You need commitment and careful planning to be able to provide your child with whatever amount of support--given your availability--you can give him.

There are lots of entry points where you can be of help to your child. Begin by knowing what interests him. You might, for example, think of joining a fundraising drive at your child's school, only to find out later that your child is more passionate about his scouting activities. When this happens, try to relate to and network with other Boy Scout parents for scouting-related activities.

You may also think of skills, abilities and talents which you can contribute to the parent-child partnership. Do not force yourself to volunteer for an environmental advocacy campaign in your child's school for the sake of getting involved if this is not your cup of tea. You will not be happy with this work and your child will notice it. He will not be happy with it either. Instead ask around where your abilities might be of help to the school. The point is to make your involvement a truly positive experience for you and your child.

Your getting involved can go a long way for your child. It gives him self-confidence, keeps him away from misbehaving or running into problems. The wonder of it is you also derive satisfaction and other emotional benefits from seeing your child in great shape.

Also read: Stimulating Your Child's Brain For the Future

Make Your Child More Creative By Boosting His Visual Development

Psychologist as well as a coveted philosopher William James said that the world of vision for infants is a big confusion. In fact as soon as the baby takes birth their vision undergoes rapid developments till the first year. Gray, hazy images and images which are not in focus during the initial weeks start to become defined and perceive color in the following months. The journey of creativity and development of vision starts when these blurred images start becoming clear to the child.

Visual sense plays an important function for growth of the brain during the child's first year. Baby's sense of vision is very important for the development of creativity. It is due to creativity that the newly born baby distinguishes and identifies anything he/she sees. Almost 90 % of the information that enters the brain of humans is visual in nature. To provide adequate visual stimulation is something very significant for the baby's complete mental and physical development in future.

Just born babies may not have coordinated eye movement and therefore may look cross eyed during the beginning months of their birth. However, babies can see closer range that is between 9 inches to 12 inches, in other words the distance between the face of the mother and the new born baby in arms.

Experts believe the new born babies can see and track the object during initial few weeks itself. At the age of 6 months, the vision and creativity system is nearly like an adult in operation. In fact, newborns are able to see about 20/400 subsequently after birth, then 20/40 by the age one. There is improvement in focusing during 2-3 years that eventually reaches 20/20 vision that is considered normal. The most spectacular changes happen in the first 8 months.

New born babies can see dark and light shades but are unable to see all the colors. Differentiating colors are not tuned finely till the age of 3 months. That's why toys for infant stimulation have distinguishable black and white patterns. Such toys have patterns that demonstrate highest contrast that is 100% for the eyes and that's why babies are attracted to them.

Development of vision, creativity and also physical development like jiggling, arms waving, kicking is encouraged by high contrast images. Babies can also identify the shades of gray which is shown by recent studies. At the age of two months, babies can see almost all the faint and difficult to analyze shades which have made our visual world rich and textured.

There is an area in the human brain which is concerned with the recognition of faces, this could be the reason for newborn babies being attracted to human faces. This very act of recognizing which is also specific indicates creative development in the child. This act forms a strong bond between the baby and the mother especially during breast feeding.

When two months old, baby can recognize features of the face like eyes and mouth. When the child is 4 months old, he or she can recognize mother's face from others.

Visual stimulation starts creative development. Therefore, every parent and care giver should show all sorts of colors and different images at early age itself so that child is fully equipped with required skills during the actual stage of creative development which happens between the ages 2-3 years. Creativity is acknowledgment of existing colors and images which is succeeded by improvement in ability to build.

Also read: Effective Child Discipline Tips by Helene Goldnadel

Hints by Helene Goldnadel for Talking with Your Child

There are some specific things we can do to help us communicate with our young children. The next series of articles will cover some of these ideas.

The idea we will discuss today is called "Joining children at their level of conversation." Young children have varying abilities in conversing and we should be aware of these and respond in kind. Consider the following points made by Helene Goldnadel:

MATCH THE COMPLEXITY OF YOUR CHILD'S LANGUAGE: Is your child is speaking in full sentences, phrases or single words? If your child uses phrases, you will want to respond in kind...using phrases similar to hers. If your child is speaking in full sentences you will want to respond in sentences of similar length.

For example if your child says "I carry baby bottle." Your response should not be a two paragraph discourse on baby bottles or a long explanation about babies. Instead, a simple "And I'll carry the baby" would be appropriate.

To encourage development of her language to the next level, make your response just a little more complex than hers. For example, if she is speaking in phrases you may want to respond with a simple sentence. If your child says "put baby sleepy" you might respond by saying "You want to put your baby to sleep ". This will encourage the next stage of her language development into simple sentences.

MATCH THE SPEED OF YOUR CHILDS' LANGUAGE. Listen for the speed of her language. Children who speak fluidly can also speak rapidly. Those children who are still developing primary language skills will speak more slowly, needing time to think as they create images and find the words to describe them. If your child is speaking slowly you will want to slow down your speech also.

MATCH THE AMOUNT YOUR CHILD SPEAKS. Some children speak a lot-others speak less frequently. With a child who speaks less, we speak less. With a child who speaks a lot, we speak may speak more. Generally speaking you want to speak the same amount or less than your child. She needs the practice. You already know how to talk!

TAKE TURNS SPEAKING. Think of taking conversational turns in a 50-50 turn taking manner. In other words: your child speaks and you listen. Then you speak and your child listens. Then your child speaks again as you listen. This provides the time your child needs to interact with language. In this process we become partners in language with our children.

ALLOW TIME FOR YOUR CHILD TO SPEAK. Be sure to give your child time to speak. Frequently we are so rushed and focused on our day to day business that we talk "at" or "to" our children without giving them the time to respond. Giving them time to respond and taking the time to listen is what allows for the give and take that establishes good communication. Sometimes it helps to count to ten after asking a question. Otherwise it's all too easy to answer it ourselves before our child has had the chance to process our question and formulate an answer.

When you are sensitive to your childs' level of conversation and support that level with your responsive language, your child will feel comfortable about talking with you and will develop her language skills to the maximum of her ability. She will also find it easier to communicate - to listen, to understand and to respond. All of this will build her language on a day to day basis while establishing a positive and nurturing relationship.

Also read: Developing a Hobby - A Creative Investment For Your Child's Future

Give Your Child The Gift of Good Eating Habits

Creating good eating habits for your child is one of the most important jobs you have as a parent. Like most things that children learn they are going to accept and learn what you demonstrate to them far more than they will what you tell them. And eating habits, like most good habits must be formed early in order to have the most impact.

Here are just a few things by Helene Goldnadel that every parent ought to know to help their child cultivate good eating habits to prevent a lifetime of frustration and discouragement that comes with becoming overweight.

• As soon as your child starts eating solid food keep them away from sweets. A child who grows up without candy, soda pop and dessert will never miss it as they grow older. Most people who have a sweet tooth developed it very young.
• When you serve your child food, don't serve them more food than about the size of their fist. This will usually fill them up. If they are hungry and ask for more, make it a smaller portion.
• Never force a child to finish what is on their plate and if you're trying them on a new food start out with very small portions and allow them to decide if they like it or not.
• Never use food as a reward for good behavior and never withhold food for discipline. Take food out of the equation as a bargaining chip with your child.
• Encourage your child to eat foods that you know are healthier and less fattening. Talk up how good salads, vegetables and lean meats are and have them experiment tasting these foods with you.
• Don't force your child to eat on a rigid schedule. They know if they are hungry or not and forcing them to eat when they're not disables their ability to eat when they need to, not when they think they should.
• Have your child eat at the kitchen table, not in front of the TV where he will develop mindless eating habits.
• Discourage snacking between meals and never use food as a pacifier for your child in the car or at home.
• Finally, encourage your child to develop good eating habits by following those habits yourself. Kids never buy into the "do as I say, not as I do argument."

If you are able to instill good eating habits in a child early, you will have given them a gift that is priceless. They won't have to fight the diet demon and they will have a far better chance of getting the gift of good health.

If you don't change your habits, your habits will ensure that you never change.

Also read: Helene Goldnadel on Releasing the Genius in Your Child

Building a Secure Attachment With Your Child

Building a secure attachment with your child in my view is paramount to healthy parenting. Having a secure attachment means that you have an emotional relationship with your child. This means the individual child feels safe and secure that you as their parent will protect them, love them, nurture them and take care of their basic physical needs. Physical needs include things like clothes that are appropriate for the weather, nutritious food and water and shelter.

Meeting the emotional needs of your child is not easy because we as parents are human beings. We have had our own life experiences and we respond to life's difficulties, challenges and grief according to these experiences. We get stressed, over loaded and at times we want to bury our head and make it all go away. However, as parents our emotional well-being directly affects our child's emotional well-being.

For me, building a secure attachment with your child is the platform in which your child learns about life. Most of all they learn about trust. They also learn to be confident in their choices, develop the self-esteem in knowing that they are worthy of love and to be in relationship with others. Your child's attachment to you as a parent will define the person they will become.

Trust is probably the most important facet of developing a secure attachment. This means that your child trusts that you as their parent will provide for their needs. Helene Goldnadel gives you an example of how the trust cycle evolves.

• The child has a need (eg hungry, fallen over and hurt themselves)
• The child has an emotional response (eg they are fussing or crying)
• They need a sense of gratification (eg the parent provides food or comfort)
• They develop trust (eg the child learns that their parent will help during a time of need)

So as parents to build a secure attachment you need to learn your child's emotional and physical cues and respond appropriately. if your child cries, comfort him or her. If your child is angry, find out why, validate their emotion and talk about healthy ways of expressing anger. If your child is happy, join in on the fun. When your child is playing, play with them and enter their imaginary world. This will in turn affect how well your child can trust others in the world to meet these needs.

Well Child Checkups: A Crucial Aspect of A Child's Overall Health Care

Most parents will hardly give a thought to taking their child to a doctor when they are not ill. After all, if your child is well, where's the need to go to the doctor, right? The truth is, regular well child checkups are a vital part of your child's overall health care. They allow your pediatrician to do a regular assessment of your child's development, especially in those first crucial years.

What Happens in a Well Child Checkup?

Well child checkups are basically check ups that you take your child to even though he or she is the picture of good health. These checkups are done at regular scheduled appointments from the time the baby is born till they are 3 years of age.

During your well child visits, your pediatrician will conduct a few medical tests and administer certain medical services depending upon your child's age and health.

At every doctor check up, your child's height and weight will be measured in order to track regular growth and development. In addition, the pediatrician will check your child's temperature and heartbeat and do hearing and vision tests. If your child is under 3 years of age, the doctor may also decide to do a lead screening.

Immunizations are also an important part of these well child visits.

Why Well Child Checkups are So Important

When you take a sick child to the doctor, everybody's immediate concern is to get the child well and healthy again and that becomes the focus of the visit. When you take a child who is not ill to the doctor, it allows the doctor to do a proper assessment of the child's physical health.

These healthy check ups also act as an effective preventive measure. Because the visits are scheduled regularly and recorded, the doctor will immediately notice when something is wrong. This allows the doctor to identify problems in the early stages and recommend a course of action accordingly or refer you to a specialist if need be.

Preparing Yourself for a Doctor Visit

For parents, these visits are the ideal time to get all your questions answered and all doubts clarified. As parents, we worry about our children all the time. Are we doing the right thing? Is my child growing as he or she should? Should I worry because my child has not yet started walking or talking? We have a hundred questions going through our minds. While asking other parents can be helpful, sometimes it can only deepen our fears as every parent has a different experience. When it comes to your child's health, it is best to get professional advice from your doctor. Make a list of questions and doubts as and when they crop up and take that list with you on your next visit so you can get all your doubts clarified. Use this time to get all your issues addressed whether they are on health and safety; growth and development; nutrition and diet or sleep habits.

Also read: Understand the Importance of Emotional Development of Child

Helene Goldnadel on The Impact of Computer Use on Childhood Development

If you are curious about the impact of computer use on child hood development and would like to know if your child is benefiting from your home computer or the computer they use at school, then read on to learn more about the pros and cons on the impact of computer use on childhood development.

The impact of computer use on childhood development in today's society can be beneficial and yet damaging. Some computer programs have been made to teach our children how to write, read, and spell. There may also be a large amount of children that have gotten more knowledge through using such programs and have succeeded immensely. Many programs developed throughout our technologies history have been proven to heighten children's learning abilities. Such programs include, matching, problem solving, and even skill building.

Another pro that can be considered when figuring out the impact of computer use on childhood development, falls under the category of learning how to navigate and being able to achieve in certain games that allow your child to defeat various challenges and levels. Completing these goals can build a child's confidence and make them feel like a winner. Some computer games let you choose how difficult or easy you want the game to be allowing almost anyone to accomplish a challenge.

Whether your child is at a young age or is approaching their teen years, some computer programs were made to be more of a menace to your child's development. Be aware of these games, for they can ruin your child's ability to learn with just one click. If your child is becoming obsessed with a certain computer game and tends to be getting more lazy around the house, then it is time to try intervening and helping your child find more upbeat activities to engage in.

Another important factor that you should consider while figuring out the impact of computer use on childhood development, is the ratings on the games your children choose to play. Some computer games are extremely violent and include high rating content that most children should not be able to get their hands on. These games can invite hostile emotions that may impact your child to the point of acting out the characters in the game, causing a problem for not only your child, but for everyone that lives in the home.

There are definitely some important factors that need to be explored before purchasing any computer program for your child or children. Try looking up the program on-line first to see what the rating is or if the program has any qualities to help your child in their learning development. Also, don't forget to check the rating on any computer games your child purchases or brings into the home. It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the safety of what kind of content your child may be engaging in.

Also read: Way by Helene Goldnadel to Develop Your Child's Genius

Are You Making Any of These Parenting Mistakes?

As a parent, "Connecting" with your child may be the most important thing you do. When kids feel close to their parents, there is less conflict in the relationship, more trust and more caring. Also, when kids feel secure, they are more likely to share problems, listen to you and follow your advice.

So let's take a look at 3 of the biggest and deadliest mistakes according to Helene Goldnadel parents make that cause a break in their relationship with their children, and, then, what to do instead.

1) Ignoring attempts at connecting. When your children talk, ask a question, share good news, pout, get angry, or even tattle what do you do? How you respond can make or break your relationship. Do you ignore them, snap at them to be quiet, keep on with what you were doing and give a slight acknowledgment?

What to do instead. How you react to all the small interactions each day is the secret to creating a close, trusting, sharing relationship. When your child talks to you, stop what you are doing (as often as you can), listen and respond to what they are saying in a positive way. They will feel valued and important and be much more interested in talking with you.

2) Giving evaluative praise: When you tell your child they are awesome over the littlest thing, praise their work as "absolutely the best" or tell they they are so "smart" they might smile and like it at first. But pretty soon children can begin to distrust and blow off your compliments. Sometimes they develop a sense of entitlement, feeling like they shouldn't have to work for anything at all. They might even become praise junkies doing whatever they can just to get praise.

What to do instead: Specifically describe what your child said or did, and tell the impact, as you see it. This allows your kids to "paint a positive picture of themselves" which builds true self-esteem. It also lets them know what they need to do to be successful in the future. For example, "I enjoyed reading your book report. All your research helped me learn a lot of interesting facts about dinosaurs. I had no idea there were over 700 types of dinosaurs."

3) Criticizing: There is nothing that can put a wall between you and your child faster than feeling disapproved of by you. It's especially painful if you attack character like saying "You're lazy, or irresponsible."

What to do instead: Respectfully tell your child what they said or did that you found unacceptable, suggest an alternative behavior, explain the benefits of your suggestion, and, when appropriate, ask for action. For example, "You left your dishes on the table, they belong in the dishwasher so they can get clean, please put them there."

Also, did you know there is an amazing difference in the impact of how you praise your child? One type of praise can cause your child to give up in defeat when he runs into an obstacle. Another kind of praise can motivate your kids to positive action! Changing a few words can make a night and day difference in your child's life.

Read also: Common Developmental Disorders in Children Discussed by Helene Goldnadel

Developing Self-Esteem in a Special Needs Child

All children deserve to hold themselves in high esteem -- that is, to respect who they are and what they are capable of. But many children have a hard time developing their self-concept to the level of being able to respect themselves, much less esteem themselves. It's up to you to help them.

What Is Self-Esteem?

There's a significant misunderstanding of what self-esteem is today. Too much of the rhetoric in our culture has put any use of the term 'self-esteem' in the category of 'participation ribbons' and false compliments. The truth is that those things actually destroy self-esteem, not build it. In order to build self-esteem, a child must have four things:

• Consistency, the ability to feel like previous lessons will continue to be applicable,
• Agency, the ability to make decisions that they believe matter,
• Competence, the ability to overcome challenges, and
• Associations, the ability to maintain a stable group of peers to interact with.

Establishing Consistency means creating a regular routine and enforcing a set of rules that doesn't change without warning. For example: a child who gets giggles for using a vulgar biological term one day but gets punished for using the same term the next day cannot establish a 'value' for that action. The most common result is that they will keep using it, trying to figure out what factor it was that got them the 'jackpot' that first time around. Often, they will simply continue to get punished more and more severely until they realize that they have failed and they will never get that positive result again. That's not the basis for good self-esteem.

Another very important element of consistency is establishing expectations. Especially for a child with special needs, it's very important that you explain to them before any new experience exactly what you expect of them -- how to act and how to react. This will also give you a chance to manage their expectations, explaining to them what is about to happen and why their actions and reactions are important.

Allowing Agency means teaching your special needs child that they have the right to make decisions about their lives, and sometimes about parts of the lives of others. At almost every juncture at which the long-term result isn't going to be negatively impacted, a child should be given options (all of which should be acceptable, obviously) and allowed to choose between them. You should praise wise choices, and unless it's untenable, ignore bad ones (i.e. allow them to make a bad choice and experience the results themselves without 'rubbing it in.')

Encouraging Competence means recognizing the areas in which your child is capable and encouraging them to test the limits of their capability. If they are capable of dressing themselves, make a contest out of it by timing them while they do so. If they want to enter a contest, participate in a sport, or otherwise put themselves in a situation where failure is a real potential, don't keep them from it unless it's absolutely necessary for their safety. Failure doesn't lead to low self-esteem -- but being told you're not even allowed to try totally does.

Enabling Associations means helping your child find a group they can belong to that will continue to be there for them as time goes by. Whether it's a soccer team, the Girl Scouts, or just a few good friends who consistently come over to do homework together, having a regular set of associations is the single factor most strongly correlated with good self-esteem in any person, child or adult, special needs or not.

Also read: The Value of Playing in a Child's Development

The Natural Development of a Child

Raising a child can be a learning experience for the parent as well as the child. The various child stages are milestones to be achieved from being an infant to becoming a teenager. The stages are to be celebrated and enjoyed as they grow into successful young adults.

Child stages begin with preterm infants, which are when the baby was born earlier than expected and not around the forty week period which is for a term baby. Preterm infants, otherwise called "preemies" are smaller in size and require a longer stay in the hospital until they can successfully eat from a bottle, sleep without any breathing apparatuses and when they have reached a certain weight limit which is generally around five pounds. They many require certain additional help at home until they can feed and sleep as a full term baby would.

Read also: Helene Goldnadel on Developing a Sense of Self

Next in child stages would be the infant stage, which is from around one month to almost two years old. During these months the child will grow immensely and learn to walk, crawl, feed themselves, sleep all night, speak and even begin potty training. These are the biggest years as far as development is concerned for the child that they will endure their entire lives. There seems to be a new change in their skills and progression each week until the child is two years old from walking to climbing and these months are the ones when you must watch the child at all times until they can safely move about the home without suffering from any injuries from falling.

The next years in child stages are the called the children stages. This is from the ages of two until they are eleven years old. These years are when the child will graduate to attend school, begin to play on team sports, begin to dress and care for themselves and not be as dependent on you the parents as they previously were. While the child is growing they may begin with attending preschool classes then progress to a kindergarten setting when they are five years old.

These years are generally not mandatory for a child to graduate, but it is encouraged to prepare them for a smooth transition into first grade and those to come so they are not so attached to you the parents. After the elementary school years the last in child stages is the adolescent one, which is from a twelve year old until an eighteen year old. This is the teen years that can be a tad tricky, but it is important to support your child and to allow them to become the people they want to be as adults.

Helene Goldnadel says that always have open communication with your children and be a good listener even when they are preschoolers, as when they want to tell you about their day and their lies they are doing so to engage with you. For information on child stages, you can do some research on the web for free to ensure your child is right where they should be.

Ways by Helene Goldnadel to Promote Creativity in Your Child!

Creativity is most often associated with the Arts but did you know anybody and everybody is creative to some extent? Creativity is not simply the talent to execute some artistic skill, but a thought process. Artistic talent is simply a tool to express creativity... and it is only one in a plethora! Creativity is displayed in many different ways. It can be used to create something entirely original and unique, put to work in using old concepts in new context, or called upon to adapt already existing ideas into something a little more relevant. It can be summoned out of boredom, necessity, or simply for the sake of expression.

Children are naturally masters of creativity. They do not automatically have a set vision of how the world should be. They explore their way through each day and learn through stretching themselves out into their environments, reaching further where they are not impeded and withdrawing where they find it is too difficult to proceed. Parents can help their children discover paths to creativity in many different ways. Below are few of the things that Helene Goldnadel has discovered to be great creativity builders and avenues to creative living. (...not in any particular order.)

1) Let your children be bored. We know, this is a pain in the neck, but forcing your child to think, dream, and invent ways to entertain themselves will help your child develop thought patterns that will improve the quality of his or her life.

2) Raise readers! Reading encourages children to think in many different ways and many hours of creative play can be invented around the contents of one book!

3) Encourage your children to play. Creative play is an excellent platform for learning and vital in the development of healthy, happy, children.

4) Hold off critiquing the 'artwork' or 'artistic expressions' of younger children (preadolescence). Have your children explain their work to you instead of guessing what they are showing you. Point out concepts that your child has executed correctly, not what he or she has done wrong. Ex: Wow, your drawing is perfectly balanced! How did you think to add that bird up there? You did a great job of filling up your whole page and I love your use of contrasting colors!

5) Push your child to think of 'one more'... one more way to draw a cat, one more word that rhymes with moose, one more way to move across the room. Artists draw multiple sketches, called thumbnails, to help them design a finished piece and it is necessary to push passed the obvious idea to be able to produce interesting work.

6) Be creative yourself! Come on, we know you've got it in you! Think of a dinner that your family loves and present it in a new way... Think of a fun car game and change one thing about it... Wear an article of clothing in a way it was not intended to be worn... Write a poem, choose new colors for your washroom, draw something... Anything that gives birth to new thought will do! Creativity breeds creativity!

Read also: Does Your Child Benefit From Preschool? Helene Goldnadel Explains

How Parents Contribute to the Development of Shyness?

Of all the people we interact with as children, parents play a major role in the formation of our personality. For shy people, their parents play a significant part in their becoming shy as well. It's worth understanding how this works.

A Positive Intention with a Bad Outcome

First off, this is the proper moment to emphasize the almost every parent that contributes to their child developing shyness is well intentioned. They don't want their child to become socially inhibited or to lack a social life.

Parents just pass along lessons and models of behavior in an attempt to educate their children in the proper way. However, despite their positive intention, the outcome may not turn out to be positive.

Most timid individuals come from your average family. There is no major drama in their childhood. They just get certain messages on a consistent basis, directly or indirectly, that encourage them to be afraid of putting themselves out there.

Creating Shyness with Words

One key way parents contribute to the development of shyness in their children is through the things they say to them, often intended as words of wisdom. Many shy people have often been told in the past, one way or another, to please others and avoid at all cost getting rejected.

For example, many timid individuals report that as children, whenever they would say something even slightly impolite, they would be admonished by their parents and told that they are rude or bad.

Such minor events happening over and over again, in a period of many years, quickly sticks in the child's head the idea that they must always please others and never do anything inappropriate. And since they do realize this is almost impossible, they eventually become afraid of authentically interacting with people.

The Influence of Behavioral Models

Many shy people have had models of shy behavior as children, in their parents. Children have a very strong tendency to internalize the type of behavior they see around them, especially in their close family members.

If a child sees a parent being withdrawn and being very careful around others, their mind involuntarily takes in this kind of behavior and attitude as being the proper one. Thus, the child begins to mimic the same kind of behavior and become shy.

We could say that parents teach children how to be shy by providing a good model for it. For this reason, many of the cases where shy parents have shy children are not proof that shyness is transmitted genetically. Rather, they are proof that it is transmitted through family education and natural behavior modeling.

Whatever role parents play in the development of shyness, it is often a significant one. However, blaming parents now that you comprehend this, is pretty much purposeless and useless.

Helene Goldnadel says that whatever happened in the past needs to stay in the past. Accept it, don't hold a grudge towards your parents and move on with your life. If you want to improve you life now, your focus needs to be on addressing shyness in the present moment and effectively overcoming it.

Also read: Helene Goldnadel on Promoting Imagination to Your Child

Child's Personality Type by Helene Goldnadel

Child development experts are still locked in a debate over nature versus nurture. It is the longstanding argument over whether a person's innate qualities ("nature") or her personal experiences ("nurture") carry more importance in determining individual differences in her physical, behavioral, and personality traits.

As a parent, you may have often wondered what your child's personality type is. Although tons of books on parenting and child development have coined many different terms to describe children's temperaments, they pretty much boil down to these three basic types:

The difficult or spirited type finds it difficult to adapt to new situations and often tends to have a negative attitude. If your child easily gets frustrated when things do not go her way, she might belong to this type. For example, if she insists on getting that pricey doll in the baby boutique and you say no, before you know it she will probably start an elaborate public tantrum and not stop until you give in. Some children are just naturally harder to manage than others and a spirited child can still be taught limits and healthy self-expression over time.

The slow-to-warm-up or shy type is very cautious when facing new situations and is usually slow to warm up to new people. If your little one finds it difficult to socialize with other children, she might belong to this type. While shyness is not necessarily a "problem," you can help her break out of her shell. Help her build self-esteem by praising her whenever she tries new things. Pretty soon, she may be happily showing off her massive hair accessories collection to her new friends.

The easy type is upbeat and adapts easily to new people and situations. Her response intensity is mild to moderate. An upbeat child can be a joy and a challenge too. Children under this type are usually easygoing, sociable and have positive temperaments and on good days, there's nothing challenging about that! She loves being with her friends and meeting new ones. And she is usually the type who does not mind sharing her baby gifts with others.

Of course, these basic types are far too general to sufficiently describe your wonderful little tot. So here are a few more key characteristics discussed by Helene Goldnadel to help you define your child's personality type:

Energy level: Can your child sit quietly long enough to read a book? Or is she in perpetual motion? It is not just her behavior during the day that her energy level affects. It also affects the quantity and quality of her sleep at night, and this can in turn affect her behavior the following day.

Adaptability: How does your child adjust to new situations? Does this reaction change over time? For example, she may be uncomfortable going to a new place like school at first, but she may warm up to her surroundings eventually.

Intensity: How intense are your child's emotional reactions? This goes for both positive and negative reactions. For example, if she is prone to tantrums, she is likely to be described as an intense child.

Mood: If you could sum up her general attitude in one word, what would it be? Some children tend to be naturally upbeat, while others tend to be melancholy.

Attention span: Is your child able to stick with a task without getting distracted? For example, if she cannot do her homework when someone is talking or music is being played, it could be because she has a short attention span.

Sensory threshold: How much stimulation does your child require before she responds? For example, some children find even the faintest noise annoying while others are not bothered even with a steady bombardment of TV, radio and computer noise all at once.

To find more details, visit here: https://helene-goldnadel.jimdofree.com/

What Can Be Done About Nightmares?

Most children awake with nightmares and then are worried about going back to sleep. Nightmares happen during the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep. This is a stage that occurs late in the night during the last 1/3 of sleep time.

Nightmares do not occur in adults as often as they do in children. This is because children are taking in new experiences and information much more quickly. Adults are more likely to experience bad dreams or just waking up in the middle of the night.

Nightmares are a normal thing for children to go through. They are a reflection of the many difficult things that kids have to go through. Most of the time nightmares reflect a child’s developing fears of things like spiders or dinosaurs, starting a new school or trying to understand a new problem in life.

There are many things that can cause kids to have nightmares which are outside the realm of normal. Violence on TV, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), sickness (such as flu), Medicinal side effects and a stressful family life.

Children normally start having nightmares from about 6 months of age. Younger children might nightmare about things such as going to preschool and being separated from their parents for such a long time. Older children might nightmare over more serious things like death or real dangers.

When a child awakens from a nightmare they are normally completely aware of their surroundings and conscious. It is likely that they will be very confused and scared. This can be very stressful for you, as parents, and the child.

As with anything, there is a tipping point when you should be worried and when to just ride out the storm. If your child shows any of these signs then Helene Goldnadel suggests you to consider talking to your family doctor or psychologist:

• If there is a large amount of stress in your family
• Your child drools, jerks or stiffens up. This could be seizures.
• Your child's anxiety seems to be increasing.
• If your child goes through a traumatic experience and is still having nightmares plus post traumatic stress symptoms.
• The nightmares start to interfere with daily life and cause a disruption of sleep consistently.
• The nightmares seem to be increasingly terrible and happening more frequently.

There are many homeopathic and prescription medications that can help your child deal with his/her nightmares. Check with your family doctor or naturopath to find out what solution might be best for your specific situation.

To learn more, visit here: https://helenegoldnadelblog.tumblr.com/

Turning Around the Behavior of Troubled, Defiant Kids

Child behavior programs can be very helpful in terms of changing inappropriate behaviors. If you feel like you've had it up to here with your child's attitude or behavior, then read this article in its entirety because there is a good solution.

If you've tried discipline and other means of trying to change behavior in your kid or teenager, then you might feel that nothing will ever change. If taking away privileges or penalizing your adolescent doesn't work and in some cases, makes him even more rebellious, then you have an issue that you need to attend to immediately. This is not the time to bury your head in the sand and hope that things will get better. Living with an explosive, defiant kids ruins your family life, slowly destroys your marriage and negatively influences younger children in the home. If you don't get a handle on your child's behavior, one day, the authorities will be involved. On top of this, your child is headed straight for an unhappy adult life that is fraught with difficulties and discouragement.

Helene Goldnadel thinks although you can take your child to a counselor or put him in a variety of professional child behavior programs, the most effective way to change behavior starts at home. Since the problem is how you and your child relate to each other, learning how to change it is an opportunity for bonding and is a great way to gain respect from your child as you help him begin the process of transforming his behavior. While taking him to a counselor might be easier, some kids will be unwilling to go, unwilling to do the work or will fail to open up to therapist, not to mention the costs of long term counseling.

Before we look at the benefits of at-home change behavior programs, let's look at what you can reasonably expect from buying and going through such a program. First of all, set your expectations: your child's behavior will not change over night. Although it took years for your child to develop the attitude he shows right now, using the right strategies, you can turn his behavior around in about 3-6 months. Some techniques will work right away and will surprise you with their effectiveness, while others will require more effort and firmness on your part. The steps you use will be simple, although not always easy. You will need to learn new parenting skills. You will learn to treat your child and respond to his defiance, disrespect and anger in a new way that will serve his best interests and motivate him to change.

That said, it's important that you stop yourself from feeling guilty about the need to research child behavior programs for your child. It's not your fault that your child acts like he does. However, now that you realize the long term penalties of allowing this behavior to continue, it is up to you to take the steps necessary to help your child change behavior for good. Once you start using the techniques in the best child behavior programs and your child or teen starts doing better, he will feel better about himself which will make him want to continue doing good things and treating others with respect so he can feel even better about himself and his relationships with others. The bigger truth is: We all want to be helpful and contributing members of our families and society, even kids who are currently disrespectful and rebellious.

Your child needs to discover his full potential and grow up to become a happy, productive adult. Do the work and change behavior now before it is too late. Don't give up on your child. Take action and put your faith in your child's ability to change.

Read also: Family Activities to Reverse Child Obesity by Helene Goldnadel

How Your Child Can Benefit From Counseling?

What is counseling and why is it important?

Child therapy or counseling is a specialized field of psychology that focuses on working with children. It helps children who are discontented, have gone through a traumatic event, have a troubled family life, grief, are going through educational stress, anxiety, and other issues. We have to understand that having mental issues is not an aspect of just adulthood, children can have issues as well. A lot of times children cannot express themselves efficiently and when they express themselves in non-verbal ways it becomes difficult for parents to pick up on their cues as they lack the lack the appropriate knowledge. Working on these problems with a therapist helps break down these problems and helps children and their parents have a better understanding of these issues and cope with them. Therapy is important because it gives them a secure environment where they can express their thoughts, feelings and emotions without being judged.

Does my child need therapy?

These are a few signs discussed by Helene Goldnadel that your child needs professional help -

• They seem withdrawn from family and friends
• There are notable changes in their sleep pattern and/or eating habits
• Misbehaving in school and not being able to focus on studies
• Is a victim of bullying or bullies other children
• They constantly indulge in negative thinking or demonstrate negative behavior
• They seem anxious all the time
• They talk about death or suicide frequently
• Has low confidence or low self-esteem issues
• They engage in self-harm
• They suffer from separation anxiety
• They are unable to focus their attention on studies and their grades drop without any reason.
• Seems disinterested in activities that they once loved
• If there are easily irritable, has mood swings, lethargic and/or express unmerited anger
• If they have behavioral problems

Let's take a look at a few ways by Helene Goldnadel a life coach by which your child can benefit from visiting a child psychologist -

• Therapy does not just provide an immediate solution, it provides long-term benefits as well. A therapist will help your child establish lifelong abilities like being self-aware, watching out for warning signals, seeking help, developing coping mechanisms, and so on.
• A good counseling psychologist will help your child build positive thoughts and a positive outlook to life which in turn elevates their mood and helps them be happy.
• Therapy helps children learn new and efficient ways to solve their problems and come up with solutions.
• A therapist will teach your child to build healthy relationships with family members and friends.
• Counseling can help prevent uncalled for behavior as they grow up because therapy helps them makes informed choices in the future by instilling self-control and patience as well.
• Therapy helps a child build better communication skills by encouraging them to speak about their feelings and share their thoughts.

Sometimes certain odd behaviors and issues that a child displays can be temporary and harmless, which makes waiting it out a good option. But if your child is suffering from any of the above-mentioned signs and if their issues are not addressed it and impede their development. As a parent, you will always get a sense of when your child needs help and it is your duty to get the professional help that your child needs.

Child Development - Does Your Child Measure Up?

Researching normative or normal stages of child development can be a daunting task for even the most seasoned child care veteran or parent. It is not uncommon to find child development literature infused with phrases like "normal behavior", "delayed functioning", "critical periods" or "patterns of attachment" - phrases that leave some parents feeling guilty, confused and concerned about their child's developmental progression.

Although these terms can be useful indicators of whether or not a child is developing to his or her potential, it is all too easy to get caught up in precise time-lines. As a result, we forget that these terms and their corresponding milestones are merely designed as guidelines- helpful hints that we as parents can periodically refer to in our quest to mold smart, well-rounded children. As such, they have a certain degree of flexibility, and should not be used to rigidly establish whether or not Jimmy measures up to his playmates.

Instead, when all things are considered, a child's development is based on more than just academically approved criteria. Family structure, cultural values, social norms, socioeconomic status, and the child's unique traits and characteristics all play a part. A stubborn child for instance may not make toilette training easy but it does not mean he is not developmentally capable. Likewise, a child who does not receive adequate food and nourishment may show signs of delayed physical and intellectual functioning, while the same child will thrive in a home with a full fridge and balanced meals. By combining these criteria, a more accurate developmental estimation can be made.

If you have concerns about your child's development do not hesitate to speak to your doctor - there are things that you can do in the early years of your child's life to promote healthy development.

Also read: Good Eating Habit For a Child by Helene Goldnadel

Preschool to Facilitate Child Development

When a child comes into your life, whether you're a parent, aunt, uncle or grandparent, your role in their development and education is crucial. However, there are several other individuals who you will inevitably entrust with the furthering of their social and academic growth. This process begins with the parent's selection of a high standard and high performance preschool in your area. Nowadays there are several avenues to discover the most highly recommended freestanding facility or elementary affiliated program for the young boy or girl in your life.

For your child, the criteria should always include sensitive and educated instructors, the quality of effective teaching tools, and a diverse learning environment to further your child's emotional and social development in preparation for kindergarten. For you, the parent or daytime caregiver, the most highly qualified location closest to your home or office may even outdo the lessons you have taught the child for the first few years of their life. Enrolling your child in a reputable preschool should feel like you are extending your support system to help your son or daughter continue to grow along with a healthy social and challenging academic path to a bright future. Every stage counts, especially those first five years. Research is revealing more about how a child's dietary (developmental), psychological (emotional coping and processing), or cognitive (mental/reasoning) abilities gain their foundation in their first five years of life.

As Helene Goldnadel says that the process of each child's well-rounded education experience begins at home and extends to the classroom, so when the parents select a positive, structured and supportive preschool environment the rest is up to your child's adherence to the program. The program includes: building a routine, fostering cooperation, reading to them, working with numbers, and fostering creativity. By having such a diverse learning environment, children are able to find their niche and develop a stronger sense of self as a result. They are also able to feel more confident about further academic development with kindergarten in the future. While in preschool they get to spend several hours learning with their teachers and working with the other children, which will only help them prepare for a strong academic future.

In summation, preschools are a great opportunity to provide your son or daughter with extra opportunity to learn and grow with other children in an academic environment. It provides them with the consistency they need to reinforce the structure and support they receive at home.

Also read: Child Development Psychology Explained by Helene Goldnadel

Positive Parenting Tips by Helene Goldnadel

Imagine what it would be like to have a future in which all your children grow up to be responsible adults and contributing members of society. Positive parenting is the approach to parenting that invests in kids and believes best supports all aspects of healthy child development. It helps create a lifelong warm, respectful and loving relationship between parent and child and most of all will help teach parents how to reward for good behavior and also help parents and children have a positive relationship.

To help achieve that goal, Helene Goldnadel provides the following positive parenting tips:

1) Learn how children develop and know your unique child. When it comes to your child, the real expert is you, the parent. Know all areas of your child's development -- physical, intellectual, social, emotional and moral -- and remember there is nothing to be ashamed of if your child needs special help to progress at his or her own best rate.

2) All parents need to be their child's first source of information. Start encouraging your children to ask questions now because it makes it easier for them to ask questions when they are older. Answer your child's questions with honesty and openness so you can create a relationship of mutual trust and respect that can prevent your child from developing unsafe habits or taking unnecessary risks.

3) Many parents too often made the mistake of comparing children with their siblings or their friend's kids. Doing so, damage a child's self esteem. A better approach is to learn to cherish your child's individuality. Support your child's interests and talents. Try to spend time alone with each of your children every day. Praise your children's differences and avoid comparing them or asking why they can't be like someone else.

4) Make time for family activities have a positive impact on children and the memory it creates is priceless. It creates a sense of belonging to the children when their families take time to engage in common activities such as having meals together and sharing tasks and responsibilities, taking family vacations. Use family time to discuss need and feelings, to solve problems and promote cooperation.

You know, the truth is no one was born knowing how to be parent. We all have to go through the experience ourselves and make adjustment where needed. Such positive parenting tips can help you understand what you may be missing when educating your little one.

Also read: Assessment and Importance of Early Child Development by Helene Goldnadel

Helene Goldnadel on Art Development in Children

As children grow their perspective on art grows with them. Scientists that study child development have been able to map out the progression of art skills in the average child. By looking at the artistic techniques a child uses to draw it is possible to make assumptions about a child's level of development. However it is important to remember that just because a child is creating art that fits with a different age group it may not mean that child is not developing correctly. Helene Goldnadel says that there are many factors involved in child development which cannot be gauged though art alone.


Many parents have had the frustrating experience of finding scribbles on the wall in their house made by their one or two year old. This is the first stage of art that lasts until the age of two and is mainly comprised of random marks. A child is beginning to develop motor skills at this stage and the random lines will soon turn into basic shapes. Many people are familiar with a child drawing a picture of their family or their favorite person and providing a detailed explanation of who and what is represented in that drawing. These types of pictures are usually the first ones to be hung up on the family refrigerator or saved in a scrapbook. This type of are begins to happen between the ages of three and four when children start to realize that a drawing can represent something they see in the world. Most children start out drawing basic pictures of people. As they continue growing they begin drawing pictures of other things they see in the world like their family or pet. At this stage children begin using art to express feelings. By the age of six they begin to express spatial relationships in pictures. Most pictures will feature the ground and the sky with objects and people in the drawing. At this stage drawings become more representative of reality and children begin to take more care in making sure everything is drawn just right.


Between the ages of eight and ten children begin to focus on creating realistic pictures of objects. At this stage details become very important and children struggle with drawing pictures that look like what they see. Most kids also become more critical of their work. They struggle with perspective and have a difficult time recreating the spatial relationships on paper that they see in reality. By the age of twelve children start to focus on light and shadow and other more complex techniques. At this stage they become extremely critical of their work. The inability to figure out certain techniques may cause so much stress that they give up on drawing completely. By this time art is no longer childlike exploration. Art becomes an attempt to create realistic depictions of what they see. This is the stage where children can really benefit from structured art lessons. As children grow older they become more obsessed with creating realistic drawings and lack of skill can be very frustrating. This is a great time to introduce alternative art styles such as abstract art. This can enable kids to express themselves through art without being consumed by perfectionism.







Helene Goldnadel believes that by paying attention to the stages of art development parents and educators can add structured art lessons that address what children experience as they grow. Adding the right types of structure at the right time can make a world of difference when it comes to developing a child's art skills.

Domestic Violence Effects on Childhood Development

Children brought up in with domestic violence may experience stunted childhood development. Most children go from childhood to adulthood almost overnight because they have to learn quickly how to survive. If they don't, they could suffer an early death if there isn't an intervention. Children don't deserve to be abused, no one does. Men and women need to learn that domestic violence has dire consequences on children. The sooner this is learned the better. Perhaps children everywhere will be freed from suffering within a violent home environment.

The Effects of Domestic Violence on Childhood Development

Learned to be prepared for anything. Most children who grow up within a hostile environment learn from an early age to be prepared for anything. If their father is an alcoholic, they may not know what they'll find when they come from school. This leaves them to feel edgy and nervous. They also have to think fast in case dad tries to take a swing at them. They must protect themselves the best they can until mom or an older sibling comes home.

Children tend be introverted rather than extroverted. Most children brought up within domestic violence are silent. They've been told not to say anything to anyone about the situation at home. They lose their voice and become lost within themselves. While their peers are happy and cheerful and try out for sports or the school play, they're quiet and reserved. They don't speak up because if they speak up at home, they could suffer for it.

Children have a heavy sense of responsibility than their peers. Children go from childhood to adulthood in less than 60 seconds. They'll have to cook and clean and make sure the house is kept. They become the 'parents' and end up being robbed of their childhood.

Behavior problems. Children could become extremely aggressive and have violent outbursts. They don't have a safe outlet for releasing their emotions. If they show emotion at home, they could suffer repercussions like being hit or punched. Their emotions are bottled up; they're like a pressure cooker waiting to let out the steam.

Emotional and social development may be stifled. Children brought up within domestic violence can suffer from low self-confidence and low self-esteem. Their feelings become numb as a way to protect them. They may not understand or know how to interact with their peers because they've had more responsibility put onto them. They could develop issues with authority figures. After all, most children raise themselves and see authority figures as a nuisance or useless. If children have been raising themselves from an early age, it makes sent they wouldn't believe in having a boss, supervisor, or manager. They wouldn't believe in authority because where was the 'authority' when they were growing up?

Academic problems. Children may have issues concentrating in school. If they're not getting adequate sleep, they could fall asleep in class which can get them into trouble. They may not have respect for the teacher or principal because they're 'authority figures' and children will have issues with them. Functioning in school isn't easy -- it can cause truancy.

Feeling they don't belong anywhere. Children may feel their life is useless -- what's the point? They may feel they don't belong anywhere. This can lead to 'suicidal' tendencies and thoughts. Suicide becomes a way out of the horrific situation. It will stop the pain.

The effect of domestic violence on childhood development is sad and unnecessary. Men and woman who grew up with domestic violence need to get help before they begin dating, get married, and have children; if they don't their children will suffer because they did. No one deserves to be live in a hostile environment. Luckily, the awareness of domestic violence is spreading more and more each year. If you're in a violent situation, get out today so you can live a better life tomorrow. If you'd like to more about domestic violence, contact your local shelter and inquire as to how you can volunteer. Children are innocent victims -- they don't deserve to be used and abused.

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Promoting Child Development Play Activities with Your Kids

Child development play activities are designed to guide parents and carers into learning how they can best promote meaningful and creative play with their children.

Parents and carers who play and talk with their children regularly, on the floor at their level, following the child's lead, make the best intellectual and emotional companions.

It is important to let your child be the learner and play with your child when you are feeling patient and relaxed.

Child development plays activities discussed by Helene Goldnadel:

• Make sure your child is in the mood for play and wants to be actively involved.
• Provide safe areas where there is great opportunity to explore with a variety of play materials.
• Have play materials organized so your child can find them and safe enough so they can explore them freely.
• Set up an exploratory environment where you won't have to say "no" all the time.
• Variety of toys is more important than quantity. Rotate different toys and play materials weekly and move them from one room to another every so often.
• Provide your child with a range of different experiences, they need to get out and about. Go to the park, library, pool, shops, friends house, the zoo. Child development play activities need culture and exposure to feed the imagination.
• Expose your child also to a variety of people and children. This doesn't mean they have to go to daycare to achieve this. You can accompany them to playgroups, mother's groups, fun swimming/music/dancing lessons, friends houses and so on. Anything that provides a change of people, scenery and experience is excellent for child development play.
• At any age, activities need lots of repetition to connect neural networks for mastery. Young children love repetition, which helps concepts sink in.
• For babies, place a variety of toys just out of reach so they can choose which toys to grasp and investigate.
• Try to keep restraints such as playpens and strollers to a minimum when is a safe area. These can inhibit child development play opportunities.
• Look through magazines for creative project ideas, modify them to suit what resources you have. Save some household materials for construction projects such as toilet rolls, tissue boxes and string.
• Examples of materials that help refine and organize sensory intake are easels and paints, clay, sand, play doh, water and finger paints. Try to buy materials that are washable so that you're not worried about the mess.

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Art and Craft Books Help in The Overall Development of a Child

Even before a child learns to write in his or her early years of development, art or drawing is the only thing that he or she resorts to for expressing ideas. You will notice that whenever a kid is engaged in drawing he gives full concentration during the whole process. Whether it is about drawing spirals or straight lines in a sheet of paper, art helps children to express creativity.

Helene Goldnadel says that art plays a very significant role in the mental and emotional development of child. Many scientific studies say that art develops the right side of the brain. Children take this in the form of fun and in the process of doing so, they learn a lot. In the initial stages of childhood it is important for a child to get expose to art books.

A lot of skills are developed inside a child through art activities. To start with, communication is one key area that a child develops. When kids draw pictures, they express any particular thought or experience that they have faced in one time or the other. For instance: drawing homes, park or a drawing depicting parents is a quite popular habit among the children. They try to recollect a particular instance or experience by making a sketch of the event. Even when a child does not speak properly, the art books help them to communicate first.

Problem solving skills of an individual is also developed quite rapidly with the help of such books. The concept of art helps children to solve a complex problem. For instance: before coloring one has to decide what is the color is to be put in an animal or what will be the color of the house. Hence, the brain is engaged is filled with a number of questions that includes many whys and hows. Moreover, these books always allow a child to experiment and handle the art materials like crayons and sketch pens carefully.

Improving motor skills is one of the major benefits that a child gets by reading art and crafts books. It becomes a difficult process at least for a toddler to hold a paint brush or a crayon pencil properly in his hand. These books enable or encourage them to make proper use of the books thereby improving their motor skills. Apart from this, some craft books also require a child to cut paper in to specific shapes with the help of scissors or squeezing gum from bottle to fix paper cuts and many other motor works. Doing all these activities, help a child to have a control over all these materials.

Creativity is another important area where the art & craft books hold an advantage over all other books. Few of the books come with exercises that ask the reader to color or sketch either an animal or a figure from their own mind. Thus, the child uses his or her thinking capability and expresses the ideas by exposing the creative potential of their brain. It also stimulates the cells of the brain as it5 requires a lot of analysis and experimentation.

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