Think of the Child First

I came across a neat website today and wanted to share. It is how I try to be a parent and it's nice seeing it in official words.

Think of the child first

Small encouragements can make a big difference in the life of a child. Here are some examples of everyday things you can do to put a child first. We hope they will inspire you to put down the laundry and go to the park or take the phone off the hook and read their favorite story. A little time goes a long way.

Encourage Children, Nurture their dreams, it builds self-confidence.

Kids have big ambitions. And even though sometimes they may seem a bit lofty, there’s no harm in supporting them. Saying no to a child’s dreams can cause resentment. It’s best to support their goals rather than to laugh at them and discourage the behavior. For instance, if a child says they want to go to the moon or be the President, buy them a book or take them to a museum to learn more. Often, children grow out of their childhood dreams and develop new ones. But in the mean time, they will feel your love and support.

Here are a few ways to support a child’s big dreams:

• Ask a child what they want to be when they grow up. They will begin exploring occupations.
• Observe sports or activities a child likes, then look into lessons and clubs.
• Take them to the library or museum to find out more about the things that interest them.
• Give them a book, or read them a story to show them you support their interests.

Praise a child when they make a kind gesture. They'll grow up to be kind.

Encourage your child to make a difference in the world and always help him recognize the positive effect the gesture had on the recipient. The goal is for kids to become less dependent on adult guidance by incorporating moral principles in their lives and making them their own.

One of the easiest ways to help kids learn new behaviors is to reinforce them when they happen. This is why you should purposely catch your child when they act morally and acknowledge good behavior by describing what she did right and why you appreciate it.

How to encourage kindness:

• Be kind yourself. Say please and thank when speaking to a child.
• Point out when another child does something nice for someone.
• Teach a child to be kind to animals.
• Open the door for others. A child will model your behavior.

Remove doubt from a child's mind. They will achieve so much more.

Remember to tell a child often that you love them. Tell them when they do a good job and use positive reinforcement every chance you get. Let a child overhear the nice things you say about them to others. This will help them believe in themselves and cause them to practice these positive traits.

Ways to help a child to succeed:

• Build confidence in a child’s abilities. If they ask you to “do something for them,” reply that you’d love to see them do it instead.
• Encourage independence. Most often kids will rise to the occasion.
• When a child makes a mistake, let them know we all make mistakes – it helps us grow.
• Urge children to work on skills they are pretty good at, so they gain confidence and refine their talent.

Feed a child's imagination. It allows their mind to grow.
A child’s mind is a magical place - one of innocence and unlimited possibilities. Giving a child room to explore will foster their emotional, physical and creative development. Children find pleasure in stretching their imaginations. Give them the opportunity to draw and write or tell stories. And don’t forget that a child’s artwork doesn’t need to look like an adult’s. Unique styles should be valued. The sky does not always need to be blue. Give them the freedom to be a kid. They won’t be one forever.

How to set their imagination free:

• Celebrate a child’s creativity by displaying their art.
• When a child is bored, give them fun suggestions like flying a kite or building a snowman.
• Urge children to use trial and error to see what happens when they use their imaginations.
• Create a special art center that allows kids to creatively express themselves.

Spend time with a child, it makes them feel important

There are many things you can give a child. But what they will remember and appreciate most is your time. Learn to listen. It is easy to tune out the talk of our children. But one of the greatest things we can do for our children is to take them seriously and truly listen to them. Ask a child about their day. It’s important to know what’s going on at school. If possible, try to sit down to dinner together and take time to catch up. It’s not the quantity, but the quality that matters.

Make a child feel like a V.I.P:

• Limit television and computer games. Instead choose something productive you can continue working on together like a puzzle or a scrapbook that they can be proud of.
• Plan family outings or vacations such as hiking or swimming.
• Discourage homework immediately after school. Instead give them a break and go for a walk outside.
• Create family traditions that will make a child feel special. Pick apples together in the fall or put them in charge of choosing the Christmas tree.