July 9, 2019 - Raising World Children

Worldly Ways to Give Children Happier, Steamlined Mornings

Heart to Heart : Get Your Kids to Stop Interrupting Your Conversations

How do you get kids to stop interrupting and give you that semblance of space when you are on the phone with the Internet company, wondering why you WIFI won’t work?!

It is the bane of every parent’s existence. Kids talking over, behind, under you while you are striving to have conversations, work or be on the phone. The sound of Mom, mommy, mama, are enough to drive you crazy when you are trying to focus on anything else.

Those sweet voices from which you yearned to hear “Mom” & “Dad” now won’t stop saying those words when they need something. Which is ALL. THE. TIME! And specially when you are distracted, because that is when these sneaky critters know you will say Yes to anything to get them to shush.

How do you get them to stay still and be quiet? Here are the tricks that have worked for me. Tried and tested. Hope they give you some idea on how to get kids to stop interrupting.

1. Monkey See, Monkey Do

Have you noticed how many times we interrupt our kids? They come to us when we are sitting and instead of listening, we give them a job to do, or change their clothes or some such task that could have waited two minutes after they spoke. Listen to your child. Give them the respect of your listening ears. Point this out when they interrupt your flow in THAT conversation with, “I’m not done”.

2. A Taste of Their Own Medicine

Silly. Yes! Kiddish. Yes! But it’s fun. After they have done it to you, give it a few minutes and when they start talking do it right back to them. I don’t encourage this more than a couple of times and explain to them how utterly distressing it is to have your words cut off.

3. Signal for Listening

One that works both ways. So if you are with friends/spouse and they come over, if it’s not urgent, they need can your hand and wait for you or everyone to finish. That way they know they are connected to you but waiting for their chance. Also, another signal like a raised hand when something urgent comes up that is MOST important.

Also, a signal from you that you cannot be stopped during THIS conversation, specially ones on the phone. Maybe a raised finger. Practice it during your conversations like a Red Light, Green Light Game.

4. Talk to Them About the Importance of Your Calls

Dad goes to office, so his meetings do not have to be disturbed. Kids learn this very early and easily. But with moms calls, they tend to take us for granted. A HUGE shift in our listening skills came when my I told my kids that me being on the phone with a company, the doctor’s office and even friends is the same as me being in a meeting. It is important for me, and thus they need to respect it. They grasped the relative importance and it made quiet a difference.

5. Don’t Hold Your Breathe

With the BEST kids, these tips work with perseverance. It all takes time, and after all they are kids. For them, their desire for TV/snack arises the moment they know you are busy for they feel they have to keep themselves occupied. Make sure they know that you are NOT going to be available to cater to them and that works best!

Find out more ways here, and share your experiences below.

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Read more about how to help your child be a strong, confident child here.

Not Just a Phase : 4 Things to Know When Helping Kids with ADHD

Having a son or daughter with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be challenging for both you and your child. You may feel frustrated at their lack of focus and discipline, and they can quickly become frustrated with themselves as well. Learning to recognize the symptoms and knowing what to expect can help both of you manage the condition better so that your child can still be happy and productive in their life. Here are four things that every parent should know about helping kids with ADHD.

Learn More about Helping Kids with ADHD

Kids Don’t Outgrow ADHD

It’s important to realize that ADHD isn’t just some childhood phase that your kid will grow out of someday. For many people, having ADHD is a lifelong struggle that can impact their work and home lives in a variety of ways. With time, they can find ways to manage it better, whether it be through focus exercises, medication, neuro-feedback sessions, or basic coping mechanisms throughout the day.

However, in order to do that, they need help right now in their youth to find ways to work with and around their condition so that they can carry those methods into their adulthood.

Early Treatment Is Crucial

Getting early treatment for your child can help both of you avoid certain problems that are often associated with untreated ADHD. This treatment should include working with doctors and mental health professionals, like those at Smarter Parenting, who can customize treatment plans to help your child better cope with the condition. ADHD often includes problems with impulse control that cannot be handled with regular disciplinary methods.

Professional help and guidance can help you and your child recognize when their disorder is interfering with their thoughts and actions, and how the child can take pre-emptive steps to handle it. While it isn’t ideal, medication can often become necessary, especially if their impulsiveness gets to the point that they frequently become injured.

Distractions Aren’t Intentional

In the early stages, you might believe that your child is intentionally getting distracted to avoid certain responsibilities in school or around the home. However, this isn’t the case. The fact of the matter is that so many areas of their mind are firing up at once, that focusing on just one is like trying to keep cats out of trouble in a china shop. Increasing the stress and pressure on them will only add to the problem. Instead, help them find coping mechanisms to focus their minds.

Fidgets like spinners and stress balls can help direct the excess energy in their minds and bodies, giving them more mental space to focus on the task at hand. White noise, such as wordless music, can achieve the same effect in some circumstances, as well. Understand that finding what works is an effort of trial, error, and research that may take years before you finally see your child excel.

Time and Patience Are Required

To properly cope with ADHD, you and your child will need a lot of time and patience. Getting frustrated or expecting your child to progress quickly while undergoing a certain treatment could be detrimental. Children with ADHD often respond better to parents who show compassion and are willing to take the extra time to help manage the condition. If you and your child are struggling to find the time and patience to deal with ADHD properly, consulting with a counselor or another professional in the ADHD field is advisable.

There is a lot to learn about having a son or daughter who’s been diagnosed with ADHD, but making yourself aware of everything that’s involved with the condition can be highly beneficial for both you and your child. With the right knowledge, you’ll make the entire process of managing ADHD easier for everyone.

Protect Earth: Talking to Children about Plastic Pollution

Talking to children about plastic pollution is paramount. This below statement just about sums up the plight of our planet.

“For small and immediate gains never loose the wisdom to foresee future loses.”

The news channels have been bringing gruesome images to our drawing rooms. Birds , fishes and all kinds of other creatures dying due to plastic pollution.

What is interesting, these living beings are suffering due to our callous attitude.

The bane of our existence “Plastic”.

Plastic was invented and it revolutionized the human world. It won’t break like glass. Lasts longer than paper. Cheaper than metal, so on and so forth.

Here is where we got dealt a bad hand, for the present profits we jeopardized our whole future.

Like most of the human inventions this one is also backfiring and in a major way.

We are getting choked to the brim in plastic and now reeling in the after effects.This thing that takes at least 400 years to decompose is everywhere.

Even in the remotest of places where you might not find a human being some form of plastic can be found flapping in the wind.

Before we place all the blame on plastic let me tell you it is not the plastic that is the culprit, it’s us. Human beings.

Let’s introspect, we invented this thing put it to some really good uses while at the same time for small profits, let it get out of hand and turn into an uncontrollable situation.

What we can do:

The time to act on this is now. The onus lies with each and every one of us. Along with raising kids to understand the world we have to teach them to understand the environment too.

Talking to children about plastic pollution starts here.

Learn the value of “Planet First”.

The earth is the most important thing they will inherit, rest all is replaceable. While teaching them we have to incorporate it in our lives too, make it second nature to think about our planet first.

There is so much that needs to be rectified environmentally but we can start at the basics. While plastic has all encompassed our lives not all of it is bad. What is slowly choking the planet to death is the waste that is being generated by us through single use plastic.

At the basic level what should be done? Here are some small steps that we can even make our kids a part of.

Stop buying :

The first thing on this list is plastic straws and cups followed by any other form of single use plastic. Look around us even single pieces of fruit are wrapped in plastic. These bits of plastic get thrown away and more often then not end up in landfills. The trick is just don’t buy the items that come in these pretty packagings. Not only is it economical it also helps curb plastic waste generation. Buy sustainable and reusable straws and cups. Carry own water bottles. Sometimes if it is inevitable to use plastic items then recycle.

No wastage:

Again the same solution that is purse friendly too, don’t buy. We need to curb the mindless consumerism. Our kids don’t use half of what we buy them. Look around at the toys that are forgotten the minute they are unpacked, mostly plastic. Stationery that is filled up in boxes waiting to be acknowledged, again mostly plastic. These things get thrown out once they have completed their duration of being useless. New things are bought and it is an endless cycle. Break it. Go through what the kids have, rediscover and use it. Educate them about the significance of buying less for a healthier planet.

Whatever is surplus share it. Donate toys, stationery, books.

One persons waste might be another’s treasure. Use things well, most things have a life and when put to optimum use save some money too.

Still whatever you might not need and are sure you will only end up hoarding donate it. It can be difficult to let go of things after paying money for but if you don’t use it for a few months chances are you will not use it. Think of it as a service to your planet.

Recycle:

The most important thing that we need to incorporate in our lives. Recycle everything that can be recycled. Don’t throw plastic waste mindlessly anywhere. Talking to children about plastic pollution starts with talking about recycling.

Upgrading phones or computers recycle the old ones. All the electronic stores provide the option to recycle.

It might be a bit of a stretch to locate that recycling bin for recycling of everyday use plastic, but it is pertinent that we do that.

According to stats only a very small percentage of plastic is recycled leading to disastrous consequences. Talk to children about how every piece of plastic is harming the planet and what needs to be done. Educate them and help them identify the areas in life where plastic waste can be reduced. Every small effort counts.

The crucial time to act was yesterday and there is so much that can be done, these are just some baby steps. We as a planet are already walking thin ice and heading towards imminent ruin.

Us adults need to wake up to the damage that has been done all the while instilling in the next generation an appreciation of a sustainable lifestyle. Our planet deserves better than being choked to death with plastic.

Learn more ways to protect earth by helping kids nurture their little gardens.