10 Ways to Raise a Good Kid

1)  Model Compassion
Compassion means identifying and sympathizing with others' emotions and needs. Help your child see what it means to be compassionate. Volunteer to help those in need. Open doors for others. If you see your child doing or saying something hurtful, ask him, "How do you think that made him feel? How would you feel if the situation were reversed?"

2)  Take a Walk in Another Person's Shoes
Empathy means to feel what others are experiencing. Understanding others' joy and suffering helps us care for them. Help your child understand what others are going through. As you read books and watch movies together, ask him what he thinks various characters are feeling and thinking.

3)  Show Tolerance and Respect Differences
Tolerance allows us to understand and accept different cultures, beliefs and points of view. Be open to differences and teach your child to celebrate diversity. If your child comments on someone dressing, explain that people often wear clothes that reflect their culture or home country.

4)  Be a Person of Your Word
Honesty means telling the truth to others and ourselves. Owning up to our mistakes and admitting the truth can help others. Demonstrate honesty for your child by practicing it yourself. Discuss what honesty is and what honesty is not. Teach him that honesty should be practiced with kindness. Tell your child to avoid saying something mean even if he thinks it's the truth.

5)  Promote Fairness & Equality
Fairness means equal treatment and opportunity. Standing up for others' rights and playing by the rules shows respect and responsibility. Talk to your child about how he thinks fairness is demonstrated in a family, with friends and in a community. Ask him, "Have you ever seen someone be treated unfairly? What did you do?"

6)  Be Kind to Yourself and Others
Self-respect is earned by showing compassion, honesty, fairness and humility towards others and oneself. Boost your child's confidence by praising his good qualities. Ask him, "What does it mean to respect yourself? How do you show respect for yourself?"

7)  Build Character by Being Responsible
Responsibility means taking ownership of one's behavior and actions. Help your child understand how he has control over his actions. Discuss examples of how his actions influence what happens next. Explain that growing up means taking responsibility by helping around the house and taking care of siblings.

8)  Encourage Self-Discipline
Self-discipline is practicing the control to create and follow through with a plan. This means developing the patience to deal with emotions in a healthy way and delay gratification (for instance, finishing up homework before playing outside). Help your child set and reach realistic goals: Break larger tasks into smaller parts, then encourage him to pick a task and set a deadline.

9)  Encourage Good Judgement
Good judgment requires careful decision making. Remind your child to think about the consequences of his actions, reason through feelings and facts, and consider impulses before acting on them. Discuss difference scenarios with your child and brainstorm what the best course of action would be in each situation. ("If your friend asked to copy your homework, what would you do?")

10)  Do the Civic Duty
A responsible citizen cares for his community and actively works to help the greater good. Model good citizenship to your child by spending time in his classroom, volunteering with the elderly, donating items for those in need and voting in local elections.


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Is Your Child Spending Too Much Time On The Screen. A Parental Guidance.

Ensuing to the rapid technological advancement, children spend most of their time on gadgets and other technological inventions. Instead of playing games involving physical activities, they usually stay at the corner and take pleasure with their latest gaming consoles. For this, they are depriving themselves with the ability to associate with other people.

More often than not, parents are unaware of the detrimental effects these gadgets can do to their growing children. Thus, as early as 2 years old, parents are already exposing their kids to computers, television sets and other highly technological gadgets. Because most parents consider these gadgets to be informative and educational, they never impose any restrictions to their toddlers. Reason enough to make this sedentary form of recreation become a habit.

Since too much screen exposure is hazardous to children's health, parents must set limitations to their kids' viewing schedule. It is necessary for parents to gain control over their kids' activity especially it involves technology. The best way for parents to divert their kids' attention from computers, television sets and other gaming consoles, is to engage an outdoor activity.

For busy parents, indulging themselves in outdoor activity with their children is quite impossible. However, it is necessary for them to spare a little of their time for their kids. Quality time is essential for parents to bestow proper guidance, and spare them from the hazards of this advanced technology.

Quality time means, sparing some time with the kids just to have a loving conversation and play with them. It does not necessarily mean spending too much of your time for outdoor activity. Just helping them with their lessons and assignments in school will already suffice. Another way to divert their attention is to guide and support them with their hobby. Only bored kids often indulge themselves in computers and television sets.

If parents know how to keep their kids busy, then viewing period or playing with their gaming consoles and computers will decrease. Instead of using these computers to let children learn; parents must inculcate in their children's mind the importance of books. Although computers are more convenient to use than books, it is still necessary for parents to let their kids value the habit of reading.

While computer and television have a lot of benefits, reading and arts will also enhance children's learning as well as creativity. For this, they will no longer spend longer hours in front of the screen.


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