Wednesday 11 September 2013

DON’T BLAME THE TEACHER.


When a child fails to succeed in school, it’s easy to place the blame on either the teacher’s fault for not properly instructing, or the child’s fault for not paying attention. These usually incorrect conclusions often lead parents to enroll their child in a tutoring programme, “the problem is that majority of programmes, such as reading tutoring, focus on the same content that students would receive in school”. “The theory being that the teacher wasn’t presenting the information properly or the student must have heard the teacher the first time. The truth is that it’s not knowledge of the leading, but underlying deficient skills that causes problems.

Kids need the family to achieve their potential. Many parents are bothered by their kid’s poor performance at school; however this article highlights what they can do to make them geniuses. Intelligence and inherited gift can both be nurtured and enhanced by the right environment. While intelligence clearly has genetic component, scientific research is becoming to show that certain approaches boost learning and mental development in your minds.

The proven strategies for building the child’s brainpower scientist have outlived to include:
  • Playing music: There is concrete evidence that playing music can significantly enhance the brain and sharpen hearing for all kinds of sounds, including speech. Organising music lessons appear to benefit children’s intelligent Quotient (IQ) and academic performance and the more years the students takes lessons, the greater the effect. Therefore music lessons in childhood are clear predictor of better grades in high school and higher IQ in adulthood. So help your children release their inner ability, sign them up for the school band or private lessons.
  • Foster Fitness: Making a child involved in exercise can help improve memory. Exercise boost brainpower by building new cells in a brain region linked with memory loss. Participation in organized sports fosters confidence, teamwork and leadership, so encourage your child to get involved in an organized physical activity or school sports.
  • Breast Feed: Mother’s milk is elemental in brain food. Breast-feeding has multiple benefits for growing infants. It prevents dangerous infections and provides essentials nourishment. Breast feeding can make babies both healthier and smarter, infants who breast-fed for nine months grew up to be significantly more intelligent than those who breast-fed for one month or less. Breast-feeding your infant can deliver long-term dividends.
  • Games: Games that promotes teamwork or creativity develop children’s strategic thinking and planning skills. Playing mind games such as chess, crossword, cryptograms, riddles- they all train the brain to perform mental gymnastics while promoting strategic thinking, problem-solving and complex decision making. Educational toys companies are now creating motor-skill and memory enhancing games for small children even toddlers, buy your child a game.
  • Avoid Junk Food: Cutting out sugar, trans fat and other junk foods from your child’s diet and replacing them with high alternative can do wonders for early childhood mental and motor development- especially in the first two years of life. For example, kids need iron for healthy brain tissue development, as nerve impulses move slowly when children are iron-deficient. Studies showed that poorly nourished children have trouble fighting infections, which causes them miss school and fall behind their peers.
  • Nature Curiosity: Parents who show curiosity and encourage their children to explore new ideas teach them a valuable lesson: seeking knowledge is important. Support your kid’s hobbies and interest by asking them questions, teaching them new skills and taking them on educational outings to develop intellectual curiosity.
  • Books; This tried and true method sometimes gets overlooked in the rush to adopt the latest IQ-boosting technology, but reading is low-technology way to improve learning and cognitive developing in children of all ages. Read to your children from an early age and keep the house stocked with books
  • Never Miss Breakfast: Eating breakfast improves memory, concentration and learning. Children who don’t eat breakfast tend to tire easier, be more irritable and react less quickly than those who begin the day with a solid meal. With today’s hectic schedules, a full breakfast isn’t always possible. But eve an energy bar and a glass milk can go a long way towards helping your children.
When your children struggles with reading, there may be a better alternative to tutoring. Don’t always blame the teacher.

DEALING WITH A DEPRESSED TEENAGER.

 

 

Depression in Teens

Unrealistic academic, social or family expectations can create a strong sense of rejection and can lead to deep disappointment. When things go wrong at school or at home, teens often over react. Many young people feel that life is not fair or that things “never go their way”. They feel “stressed out” and confused. To make matters worse, teens are bombarded by conflicting messages from parents, friends, and society. Today’s teens see more of what life has to offer – both good and bad- on television, at school, in magazines and on the internet.

Teens need adult guidance more than ever to understand all the emotional and physical changes to function on day-to-day basis; it may indicate a serious emotional or mental disorder that needs attention- adolescent depression. Parents or caregivers must take action. 

Dealing with adolescent pressures

When teens feel down, there are ways they can cope with these feelings to avoid serious depression, All of these suggestions help develop a sense of acceptance and belonging that is so important to adolescent.
  • Try to make new friends. Healthy relationships with peers are central to teens’self-esteem and provide important social outlets.
  • Participate in sports, job, school activities or hobbies. Staying busy helps teens focus on positive activities rather than negative feelings or behavior.
  • Ask a trusted adult for help. When problems are too much to handle alone, teens should not be afraid to ask for help.
But sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, teens become depressed. Many factors can contribute to depression. Studies show that some depressed people have too much or little of certain brain chemicals. Also, a family history of depression may increase the risk for developing depression. Other factors can contribute to depression are difficult life events (such as death or divorce), side effect from some medications and negative thought patterns. 

Reconising Adolescent Depression

Depression can be difficult to diagnose in teens because adult may expect teens to act moody. Also, adolescent do not always understand or express their feelings very well. They may not be aware of the symptoms of depression and may not seek help.
These symptoms may indicate depression, particularly when they  last for more than two weeks:
  • Poor performance in school 
  • Withdrawal from friends and activities 
  • Sadness and hopelessness 
  • Lack of enthusiasm, energy or motivation 
  • Anger and rage 
  • Over reaction to criticism 
  • Feeling of being unable to satisfy ideals 
  • Poor self-esteem or guilt 
  • Indecision, lack of concentration or forgetfulness 
  • Restlessness and agitation 
  • Changes in eating or sleeping pattern 
  • Substance abuse 
  • Problem with authority     
  •  Suicidal thoughts or actions
Teens may experiment with drugs or alcohol or become sexually promiscuous to avoid feelings of depression. Teens also may express their depression through hostile, aggressive, risk-taking behavior. But such behaviours only lead to new problems, deeper levels of depression and destroyed relationship with friends, family, law enforcement or school officials. 

Treating adolescent depression:

It is extremely important that depressed teens receive prompt treatment. Depression is serious and if left untreated, can worsen to the point of becoming life threatening. If depressed teens refuse treatment, it may be necessary for the family members or others concerned adults to seeks advice.
Therapy can help tens understand why they are depressed and learn how to cope with stressful situations. Depending on the situation, treatment may consist of individual, group or family counseling. Medications that can be prescribed by a psychiatrist may be necessary to help teens feel better.
Some of the most common effective ways to treat depression in adolescent are:
  1. Psychotherapy provides teens an opportunity to explore events and feelings that are painful or troubling to them. It also teaches them coping skills. 
  2. Cognitive-behavioural therapy helps teens change negative patterns of thinking and behaving.
  3. Interpersonal therapy focuses on how to develop healthier relationship at home and at school.
Medication relieve some symptoms of depression and is often prescribed along with therapy. When depressed adolescent recognize the need to help, they have taken a major step toward recovery. Few adolescent seek help on their own. They may need encouragement from their friends and support from concerned adults to seek help and follow treatment recommendations.

Helping Depressed Teens

Offer help and listen. Encourage depressed teens to talk about their feelings. Listen, don’t lecture
Trust your instincts. If it seems that the situation may be serious, seek prompt help. Break a confidence if necessary, in order to save a life.
Ask questions, and don’t be afraid of frank discussions. Silence is deadly!
Seek professional help. It is essential to seek expert advice from mental health professional who has experience helping depressed teens. Also alert key adult in the teen’s life-family, friends and teachers.

15 WAYS TO CALM A CHILD

  1. Dim the light if possible

  2. Lower your voice

  3. Teach the child to breath deeply 10 at a times he is calm. Do it together when needed

  4. Be sure the child isn’t overheated-remove a sweater or bring near air conditioner or fan

  5. Change where the child is located. For example. In a shopping mall, he may need to go to a quiet area where there is little to look at.

  6. Offer the child a bear hug, cuddle or rhythmically and firmly rub his back or press downwards on this shoulder.

  7. Give the child water or something to suck on like a hard candy. Crunchy food like goldfish crackers can also soothe as can oral comfort item like a ‘chewy’

  8. Bring the child to a less busy part of the room for a few minutes- not as punishment, but to enable the child to self-regulate.

  9. Let the child listen to calming music using headphones.

  10. Take the child to a “cozy corner” to relax. This space may have a bean-bag chair, soft lighting and a book or soft toy to enjoy until he regroups.

  11. Have the child sit in a rocking chair or bouncing on a ball chair.

  12. Help the child do wall push-ups or chair push-ups.

  13. Provide a hand fidget like a koosh ball, provided the child does not throw it.

  14. Take child outdoors for a few minutes to jump around and get the wiggles out-or have him climb up and down stairs.

  15. Repeat a soothing phrases over and over such as “it will be  okay” or “everything is alright”