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Tips for Raising Your Child’s Self-Esteem
WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. It is important to remember we all make mistakes. Demanding perfection from your children causes them to be anxious and depressed. They feel like they will never be good enough. Start a new rule in your home: it is more important to try to be good enough than to try to be perfect—and then feel bad about not being perfect. No one is perfect!
PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU SAY. Pay attention to what you say to yourself around your children. Every negative thing you say about yourself, your children will repeat about themselves. It is unsettling when you hear it, and negative “tapes” are very difficult to erase. Always talk to yourself nicely when your children are around. (Talk nicely to yourself when they aren’t around, too.)
RESPECT. Treat your children and your spouse with respect. That doesn’t mean you give in to them, it means you don’t interrupt when they are talking and you listen attentively. Address them lovingly. No matter how old your child is, they need to be talked to respectfully.
HUG YOUR CHILD. Hug your child and tell them how much you love them. Teens need as many if not more hugs than small children do. Affection tells your child you love them and that they are worthy of love.
GIVE YOUR CHILD RESPONSIBILITY. Parents must give chores and follow through with consequences if they aren’t done. This teaches your child he is part of the family and his work is necessary to help the family. Parents who don’t give their children chores raise kids who think they really don’t matter to the family. This leads to disengagement of the family.
SHOW INTEREST IN YOUR CHILD’S INTEREST. Any interest your child expresses is an opportunity to raise their self-esteem. Talk to them about their interest. Listen to them. Buy them books, take them to appropriate museums, or join a group with other people who share that interest. When you show interest in your child’s interest, you make your child feel valued and important.
Tips provided by Mary Jo Rapini, a psychotherapist and co-author of the book Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever. This easy-to-read, lively, down-to-earth book is teen-friendly and is ideal to help both mothers and daughters have engaging conversations about tough topics (www.maryjorapini.com).
Coupon Guide
Americans are hungry for bargains these days, and one woman has developed the ultimate strategy for enjoying a feast of savings. Stephanie Nelson has shown countless women and men how to save thousands of dollars by becoming savvy coupon clippers — without sacrificing nutrition or quality.
In The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, Nelson demonstrates all of the tricks of the trade, beyond coupons and tailor-made for a variety of shopper lifestyles. Whether you’re a “busy” shopper who is ready to put more effort into cutting bills, or a seasoned “varsity” shopper who is looking for new ways to get the deepest discounts possible, this book offers techniques that will make it easy to save money at any level and on any timetable.
Extending her Strategic Shopping protocols to mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs, natural-food stores, drugstores, and other retailers, Nelson proves that value and variety can go hand in hand. With meal-planning tips, recipes, and cost-comparison guides, as well as inspiring real-life stories, this guide will get you clipping.
For coupon ideas, and to order the book, visit couponmom.com.
5th Grade Ski Free Passport
The 5th Grade Free Passport Program offers free skiing and/or snowboarding to every 5th grader in the state of Idaho. The program involves thousands of Idaho families, schools, and the snow sports industry. The 5th grade ski free passport opens doors to healthy fun, helping kids and their families enjoy our state’s fantastic winter season.
Download an application at http://skiidaho.us and find the information under the “kids” link. Fill it out and send in with a photo and a $15 processing fee. You should receive your free passport in about two weeks. With your passport you will receive three free tickets, at each of 15 participating ski areas. Check individual area websites for other specials offered with the program, and certain restrictions.
Ten Grands Concert Contest
Young musicians in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington are invited to vie for a scholarship and a chance to perform on stage at Benaroya Hall in Seattle during the third annual Ten Grands concert on May 21, 2010.
The competition, presented by KING FM radio in collaboration with Ten Grands Seattle and The Snowman Foundation, is open to musicians between the ages of 6 and 18. Non-professional acoustic instrumentalists, vocalists, or ensembles of up to six people are eligible to submit the entry (consisting of an audition recording and entry form) until January 31, 2010. Acceptable submissions are YouTube clips lasting no more than five minutes.
Twenty semi-finalists will be showcased for public voting online from February 8 until March 1, at king.org, with half of them advancing as finalists. These finalists will perform together at the
May 21 Ten Grands event, with the grand prize winner featured in a solo performance and presented with a $1000
scholarship from KING FM.
Official contest rules and entry forms are online at king.org.
Kids Go!
The alternative rock band They Might Be Giants presents their second sing-along book for children of all ages, Kids Go! Beloved by generations of fans, They Might Be Giants are known for their cerebral, humorous songs, and they continue to expand their musical horizons and their audience.
Illustrated and animated by Pascal Campion, the storybook and DVD are musical, colorful, and whimsical delights to be shared by both parents and kids. Kids Go! gets children off the couch and dancing, in the spirit of fun and adventure. This storybook and the accompanying DVD inspire silliness and fun.
Kids in the Kitchen
Spend some time in the kitchen with your kids, creating tasty meals, snacks, and special occasion treats. Paula Deen’s Cookbook for the Lunch-Box Set has the simplest, most delicious recipes for enticing your young chef into the kitchen.
The book opens with cooking tips, a glossary, and a section on how to measure ingredients, setting up a successful trip to the kitchen. Deen peppers the book with hints on manners, and cooking tips, inspiring a bake sale or perhaps a memorable family picnic.
Chapters include events that might take place throughout the school year — a
sleepover, what’s new for lunch, pool and Christmas parties, family cooking night, and more. All recipes are well illustrated and easy to follow, encouraging fun in the kitchen.
Wahooz Birthday Star!
Celebrate your birthday with a FREE day of play at Wahooz Family Fun Zone in Meridian! Throughout 2010, anyone, any age, can get a complimentary Unlimited Fun Pass ($26.99 value) on their birthday. Pass includes unlimited use: of laser tag, miniature golf, go-karts, kiddie cove, and 10 arcade tokens.
Here’s what you do:
1. Register for your Free Birthday Pass at wahoozfunzone.com
2. Present photo ID or birth certificate at Wahooz
3. Receive a FREE Unlimited Fun Pass to use on your birthday!
See complete details at wahooz funzone.com. Wahooz Family Fun Zone is located at I-84 and the Meridian exit, next to Roaring Springs Waterpark.
Throughout 2010, Treasure Valley Family Magazine will feature a Wahooz Birthday Star in each issue. Wahooz will be looking for stories and photos to share of someone who celebrated an extra special birthday at Wahooz Family Fun Zone. Maybe your child will be the next Wahooz Birthday Star!
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