Moving you Forward

 Why your child doesn’t listens to you ?  First off, it is going to be okay. This is natural for this stage of the life of a child. Joseph Shrand, M.D., said, “Instead, take a step back and recognise that your child isn’t purposely trying to undermine you — he’s just acting his age,” From time to time most children defy the wishes of their parents. This is a part of growing up and testing adult guidelines and expectations. It is one way for children to learn about and discover their own selves, express their individuality, and achieve a sense of autonomy. As they stretch their independent wings and engage in minor conflicts with their parents, they discover the boundaries of their parents\" rules and of their own self-control. Just because your child isn\"t listening to you doesn\"t mean they don\"t feel close to you.  Sometimes, however, these conflicts are more than occasional disturbances and become a pattern for how parents and children interact. Disobedience ca...

Social Anxiety !  When fear of how you appear gets in the way of functioning Twelve-year-old Girl says she wants to be friends with two kids in her class, but she “freezes” every time they ask her to join them. Fifteen-year-old Boy loves to build things and can spend hours in his room making mechanical toys. He’s  been invited to join the Robotics Club but absolutely refuses to go. Do any of these kids sound like your child? If so, it’s not uncommon. Many children and adults worry excessively about social interactions. This is especially true during adolescence. Social anxiety isn’t limited to avoiding fun-sounding activities. It can also play a big role in kids refusing to go to school. What is Social Anxiety Disorder ?  Social Anxiety Disorder is the third most common mental health condition. It’s a pernicious disorder. Someone, some thing, or some idea has infected your child’s thought processes to convince him/her  that he is  not as good as other people. ...

What is child potential ?  Each and every child is unique and special. All children are gifted with a unique set of talents and potential, in which they may shine and excel. Every child is distinctly talented and no two children can or should be compared.  They are blessed with their own special individuality. Most often, parents fail to recognise these abilities in their children and push them into something which is not their forte. As parents, we are anxious about the well being of our children. We want the best for our children and desire that they be successful and happy in life. In our anxiousness, we tend to push them into a rat race and we fail to recognise their true potential. In order to help our children be happy and successful we need to embrace their individuality and recognise their abilities. Children naturally do the things they love to do without prompting, so you should be able to determine their talents by simply observing them for awhile. However, children...

All you need to know about depression in children.  It's normal for kids to feel sad, down, or irritated, or to be in bad moods from time to time. But when negative feelings and thoughts linger for a long time and limit a child's ability to function normally, it might be depression. Depression is a type of mood disorder. The main sign is when kids are sad, discouraged, or irritable for weeks, months, or even longer. Another sign a kid might have depression is negative thinking. This includes focusing on problems and faults, being mostly critical and self-critical, and complaining a lot. Depression can interfere with energy, concentration, sleep, and appetite. Kids with depression may lose interest in activities and schoolwork, seem tired, give up easily, or withdraw from friends or family. When kids have depression, it's hard for them to make an effort, even when doing things they used to enjoy. Depression can make kids feel worthless, rejected, or unlovable. It can make ev...

Teaching Your Child About Peers with Special Needs There is a good chance that your child will meet someone with a disability. Learn how to encourage your child to be a friend. The term \"special needs\" can be applied to a wide range of disabilities; some are obvious, such as a child with a physical impairment who uses a wheelchair. Other disabilities may be less apparent, for example learning disabilities, epilepsy or autistic spectrum disorders. There is a good chance that your child, at some point in their educational or social life, will meet someone with a disability. You should encourage your child to learn about and be a friend to all their peers, regardless of their abilities and differences. It is important for non special needs children to understand the emotions of other children with special needs. Raising your kids in a disability-positive environment may be challenging, but it will help your kids become more aware, compassionate, and helpful adults. Moreover, m...

The strongest oak of the forest is Not the one that is protected from The storm and hidden from the sun. It’s the one that stands in the open Where it is compelled to struggle For its existence against the winds And rains and the scorching sun. —Napoleon Hill  Each day, 10-year-old Seth asked his mom for more and more lunch money. Yet he seemed skinnier than ever and came home from school hungry. It turned out that Seth was handing his lunch money to a fifth-grader, who was threatening to beat him up if he didn\"t pay. Identifying Bullying Most kids have been teased by a sibling or a friend at some point. And it\"s not usually harmful when done in a playful, friendly, and mutual way, and both kids find it funny. But when teasing becomes hurtful, unkind, and constant, it crosses the line into bullying and needs to stop. Bullying is intentional tormenting in physical, verbal, or psychological ways. It can range from hitting, shoving, name-calling, threats, and mocking to extort...

Rich Parenting , Poor Parenting !  From small allowances for young children to bank accounts and credit cards for college students, parents have many questions and various beliefs about how to try to teach their children about money. Like most parenting issues, the key to success is to have a clear sense of purpose about what you are doing and to involve your children in the decision-making. Let’s do this chronologically. With preschool children, don’t even bother. Just pay for things as you go along. The issues are too abstract for most very young children to grasp. In fact, I wouldn’t begin to address “paying” children until at least age 8. Allowance  The word “allowance” would seem to imply that the money given to the child will allow the child to make purchases. Is it in fact “free money”? Can the child really spend it on anything? Should the child have to save some of it or give some of it to charity, two things that parents often see as part of teaching children about mo...

Doubtful regarding whether your parents would understand you or not ?  Are you suffering from “The Blame Game” ?  WHY WE FEEL MISUNDERSTOOD Often, when we feel overwhelmed in our day to day lives, we wish to share our feelings, thoughts and perspectives with people who are part of our lives like firstly with our parents. We share these for several reasons – to feel validated, to find an emotional release, to ‘sort things out’ as we speak, and so on. Underlying many of these reasons is the need to be understood. However, sometimes it feels like they have misunderstood us, or have not completely understood. The feeling of being constantly misunderstood by people close to us can deeply impact us. How it feels to be misunderstood?  Despite repeated attempts to share feelings, if our parents or any dear ones you feel like sharing with don’t seem to understand, it can make you feel helpless, impatient, and angry at the listener. You may even wonder if they are putting enough ef...