Create Special Bonding Time While Reading About Sports

As I was doing research for blog ideas, I came across this photo and editorial online Get Your Child Reading and Thinking About Sports at www.atlantaparent.com.  I just love this photo of a child, laughing and holding a book he is reading, while he is sitting next to his father, who is also laughing and reading.  It’s tender, happy, and shows the importance of reading, which is the key focus of As the Stars of the Sky Foundation. Spreading the love of reading in every way that is possible – that is our goal and mission.

One of the best ways to get your children to read is to select a subject that they are interested in.  If your children are interested in sports, or if you would like to introduce your children to various sports, consider having them read books about sports.  There are a plethora of children’s books on sports in general, on specific sports and about famous athletes – from picture books for young children to novels, biographies and autobiographies for older children.  The online editorial gives some suggestions of books to read and I provide some website links as well at the end of this blog.

Be sure to set aside time to read the book with your children.  If it is a long book, break it up into chapters.  Talk with them about each book they read.  What did they learn?  What was the most interesting part to them? What sport do they like and why?  By asking these and other questions, you will help them develop their memory, analytical and word processing brain functions.

Visit the following websites for more recommendations for books on sports:

• Kids Books for Sports Lovers

• Scholastic - Children's Books About Sports

Helping Your Children Understand Disabilities

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Picture from friendshipcircle.org

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 1 Peter 3:8 ESV

It is of utmost importance that we raise children who are compassionate, empathetic, and loving to others.  One of the ways to do that is teaching them at a young age about persons with disabilities and how to treat them. Many of us have persons with disabilities in our families and there may be children with disabilities at your children’s school.  As Christians, we are especially called to show our love and be tenderhearted. 1 Peter 3:8.

Children are naturally inquisitive and will ask questions.  Here are some suggestions to assist your children:

• It is acceptable to notice a person who has a disability.  Do not ignore the situation but offer an explanation that is not emotional.  Author Lindsay Hutton in her online article Six Tips to Talk to Your Children About Disabilities, suggests the following:

A short and matter-of-fact description will answer your child's questions while showing her that the person has nothing to be ashamed of.

For example, if you see a child with muscular dystrophy in a wheelchair, you can say to your child, ‘I see you looking at that little girl in the wheelchair, and you might be wondering why she needs it. Some people's muscles work a little differently, and her wheelchair helps her move around, just like your legs help you.’

• Words are important, so be respectful and not hurtful.  Ms. Hutton recommends the appropriate words to use: “Avoid using derogatory terms like ‘cripple’, ‘retarded’, or ‘midget’, and instead, use terms and phrases like ‘wheelchair user,’ ‘little person’, and ‘he has a learning disability’.’’

• Point out similarities between all children and adults.  Persons with disabilities are human beings who have feelings, love their families, and enjoy music as well as playing sports.  By emphasizing the similarities, you will help your children to understand that persons with disabilities are people too.

• Children love to ask questions.  If you do not know the answers and the child’s parent is present, consider asking the parent.  Many parents of children with disabilities welcome questions and spend time answering them.

• Ask your children to think about a scenario where they have a particular disability.  How would they like to be treated? For example, if there is a child in your children’s school who has a hearing disability and wears a hearing device, ask your children how they would feel if they could not hear well.  How would they want to be treated? 

There are many children’s books to familiarize your children with disabilities.  Visit the links below for some suggestions. 

For more helpful information, please visit the following:

• Explaining Disability to Children

• 6 Tips to Talk to Your Kids About Disabilities

• Disability Awareness for Kids

Keeping Your Children Active during the Summer COVID-19 Shutdowns

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It’s the middle of the summer and most places do not have summer camps or other activities available for children.  Many areas have closed parks, playgrounds and sports fields.  Despite all these restrictions, it is very important to keep your children active as shutdowns have already led to the exacerbation of childhood obesity rates.

Scientists were concerned from the beginning of the lockdowns that children would be negatively affected.   Their reasons included children not being able to participate in organized school activities or eat subsidized school lunches as well as being exposed to more snack food at home all day long.

Researchers recently found that compared to one year ago, “children ate an additional meal a day; slept an additional half hour per day; and spent more than 5 hours per day in front of a phone, computer or television screen” during the lockdown.  Those are shocking findings indeed!

The World Health Organization recommends that children be physically active at least 60 minutes a day.  In confined spaces, there are many activities in which children can participate.  Consider online videos with activities. So much is available on YouTube that it just takes a bit of your time to search them out and select the ones your children will enjoy.  Your children can even assist you in choosing those videos.  Also, try old tried-but-true fun such as building indoor forts, playing hide and seek, dancing to music and jumping rope. 

Experts recommend keeping a journal of activities and even rewarding children afterwards.  The key is to reinforce positive behavior and build good habits.

For more information, please visit the following:

• Coronavirus Lockdown Found to Worsen Childhood Obesity

• Coronavirus Child Obesity Exercise          

• How to Keep Your Children Active and Healthy While in Isolation

Be Sure to Schedule Time for Free Play for Your Children

Just what is free play for children?  We adults often think that children regularly play, so what is the significance of free play?  Free play is unstructured play that children direct on their own.  It is play that helps develop a child’s creativity and well-being and is essential to a child’s growth.   

There is an excellent online article at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education’s website about free play Summertime, Playtime by Leah Shaffer.  Ms. Shaffer lists 3 types of play: social play, when children play with others; independent play, when children play by themselves, such as with stuffed animals and building blocks; and guided play, when children play according to what adults have set up.   

Playing has many benefits such as:

• Intellectual development – “Play builds executive function skills, content knowledge, and creative thinking. When children build with blocks or draw, they are counting, classifying, and creating and examining patterns. When children engage in dramatic play, they are practicing telling stories in a sensible order, using rich vocabulary, and writing.”

• Social development – Children learn how to interact with others and listen.

• Emotional development – Children learn about their emotions and how to regulate them.

• Physical development – Children play using their bodies, often through sports or other physical activity, and try new things, such as swimming underwater. 

How can you help your children have free play?  First, have plenty of the right kinds of “toys” available. Some recommendations are building blocks, Lego, crayons and paper, stuffed animals, and stickers.  Keep a few empty cardboard boxes around too.  Second, plan ahead and set aside the time.  For example, take your children to a park to just run around and play.  Invite some of their friends over to play.  And, make sure that there are no devices with screens involved! Third, don’t give in to your children’s cries of “I’m bored!”  Encourage them to create ways to play and have fun. 

To read the entire article and another helpful article, please visit:

• Harvard - Summertime Playtime

• Very Well Family - Unstructured Play

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Start a Family Movie Night as a Regular Family Activity

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What is a special family activity that can become a regular event?  Try a family movie night!  Since it is a night for movies for kids of all ages, be sure to find appropriate ones for all tastes.  Here are some helpful tips.

1. Research what movies would be good for all age groups.  There are many websites that list family friendly movies so review the selections.  I have links to some of those websites below.

2. Negotiate with your family members what movie will be seen on a specific day.  Since sibling rivalries are almost certain to happen, prepare a method of selecting a movie that will be fair to all.  Also, because children are watching, adults erroneously believe that only kiddy or cartoon type movies would be appropriate (and often boring).  However, there are many types of movies that would be acceptable to both adults and children.  Take the time to read up about them. 

3. Be sensitive about the themes of the movies and the impact on a child.  For example, I never enjoyed “scary” movies as a child (and still don’t).

4. Make it feel more authentic by having some theater-type snacks for movie night.  Popcorn, of course, is a ubiquitous treat, but there are many others such as nachos and hot dogs.  Perhaps add candy bars.  The selections are up to you.

5. Talk with your children about the movie after it ends.  What were their favorite characters and why? What did they think about the way the movie ended? There are many questions that you can ask to stir their imagination and help them express their thoughts.

For more information, please visit:

• Beliefnet - 6 Must-Watch Christian Family Films

• Keith Ferrin - Top 41 Christian Movies for Families

• Mommy Poppins - 50 Best Kids Movies for Family Movie Night

Be Sure to Include the Children in Family Virtual Meetings

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I think that one of the best things that has happened during the COVID19 pandemic is families using virtual meetings to stay in touch with each other.  My family started to do that with our extended family every two weeks and it has been a source of joy, bringing us closer together.  Planning a virtual meeting is very helpful to make sure you have topics to stir conversations and always remember to include the children.

I view these family virtual meetings as similar to when all the family members get together to share a meal.  During those mealtimes, children are all around us, enjoying the meal and often listening to the conversations too and joining in the laughter. 

Sometimes, it is challenging to get your children to talk about what is going on in their lives.  How do we get them to participate?  One of the ways I recommend is to plan ahead of time as to what topics will be discussed.  Tell your children about those topics and ask them to think about what they will say.  Be sure to ask them to share their thoughts during the virtual meeting.

Since children love to laugh, you can plan on a joke fest.  Have each person select and tell a joke about something during the pandemic. Laughter is the best medicine!

It is important that all children feel acknowledged and respected.  Siblings can be condemning to each other so establish ground rules ahead of time that put downs and criticisms will not be tolerated.   If you see another family member’s child at the virtual meeting but not talking, you can try asking that child a specific question. 

The topics to talk about during the virtual meetings are innumerable.  Let’s make sure to actively include children in our discussions.

Rescue Dogs can be Good Companions for Children

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I love dogs!  During my adult life, most of my dogs were rescued and adopted.  May 20 is recognized as National Dog Rescue Day, a day set aside to highlight the plight of dogs that are awaiting adoption.  And, as you can see, I put the photo of an adorable puppy on today’s blog to underscore the plight of so many rescued dogs.

Pets are wonderful additions to families and I have written before about their profound impact on children.   According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 3.3 million dogs enter shelters each year with approximately 670,000 of them having to be euthanized. Those are shocking statistics!

Children’s author Lisa Wiehebrink established Tails That Teach, Inc. to teach about the importance of rescuing dogs.  She has a series of books regarding how to love and take care of a dog.  She stresses that dogs can teach children compassion, empathy and kindness.  Her books are wonderful teaching tools for your children and would make great gifts.  The link to her website is provided below.

On a more personal note, my youngest son James just adopted a rescue dog from the island of Puerto Rico.  That island has suffered greatly from hurricanes and recent earthquakes.  A rescue center there partnered with one in the Washington, DC area and brought several dogs to be adopted.  James had been looking for a compatible dog for many months and immediately fell in love with Leyla!  He is a single young man and Leyla has provided him with affectionate companionship during the quarantine.

To learn more, please visit:

• Tails that Teach

• ASPCA - Pet Statistics

• National Rescue Dog Day 

Some Important Things for Parents to do to Raise Successful Children

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Dedicate your children to God and point them in the way that they should go, and the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life.
Proverbs 22:6 (TPT)

During these days of quarantine due to the Coronavirus pandemic, parents are staying home with their children.  With a growing body of information filled with all kinds of recommendations of things that parents should do with their children, how can parents decide on what are the most important?  Although this is a Christian blog, I will concentrate today on what the world of science promotes. 

Here are some of the best recommendations:

1. Read with and to your children.  Importantly, when reading a book, take your time and make it exciting.  Change your voice depending on the characters.  Talk with your children about the plot.  Look at the pictures.  As a children’s author, I know that pictures in a book are very important so don’t just read the book quickly with a monotonous voice and move on.

2. Have them do chores to build a work ethic. Once a task is assigned, monitor them and explain to them how to do it better.  Don’t nag and don’t accept complaints from them.  Make sure that they follow through.

3. Have dinner together regularly as a family.  Studies have shown that children who have dinner with their families have lower substance abuse, depression and pregnancy issues and do better in school.  Children want to be loved and one way to show them love is to spend time together as a family.

4. Limit the use of mobile devices and screen time, especially for younger children.  Too much screen time has been shown to negatively affect children.  Again, it’s important for you to monitor their activities and ensure that they are abiding by the rules.

5. Praise your children properly.  Don’t praise them for their innate abilities – example: “You aced that exam because you are so smart!”  Instead, praise them for their effort – example: “You aced the exam because you really studied hard and put a lot of effort into your work.”  With the former praise example, there is truly nothing they can do about improving as they will think that they are “naturally smart”.  In the latter example, they learn that their success depends on their positive efforts.

For more information, please visit:

• Science Says Parents Should Do These Five Things

• Most Successful Kids Have Parents Who Do This

Discussing with Your Children about Good Friday - the Death of Jesus – on April 10

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One of the important hats that I wear is being a children’s author of faith-based books.  My book It’s Not About You Mr. Easter Bunny – A Love Letter About the True Meaning of Easter tells not only the history of how “Easter” originated with bunnies and baby chicks, but of course also about the most important event in Christianity – the death and resurrection of Jesus.  To augment your discussions or if you have not yet purchased my book, today’s blog addresses talking with your children about the day designated as “Good Friday”- the death of Jesus on the cross.          

Writer Erin Mohrin said it well in her online article entitled Good Friday and Children: Making the Cross Real to Your Kids:

It is important to me that our children feel the contrast between Good Friday and (Resurrection) Sunday, because without the darkness, the light won’t shine as bright. God’s great love for us went on full display at the Cross. Experience that love with your children this year.

The death of Jesus on the cross is indeed a very sad occurrence but the focus should not be just on His physical death, but also the meaning of it.  The cross represents pain and joy – the pain that Jesus felt when He was crucified and the joy we experience because Jesus died for our sins.  It shows His overwhelming love for us and the extent to which He went to make sure that we would have everlasting life with Him in heaven.

There are many activities that children can do.  The links below provide conversation starters with your children as well as an art activity.  Please spend some time with your children to help them understand what Jesus did for us.

For more information, please visit:

• Making the Cross Real to Your Kids

• How to Explain Good Friday to Your Children

A Christian’s Perspective of Talking to Your Children About the Coronavirus

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

2 Tim. 1:7 AMP

Picture from www.thedadsnet.com

We are all experiencing the quarantines resulting from the Coronavirus or COVID-19.  There is so much news about it, much of which is inaccurate and just scary.  Your children are out of school and concerned about what is happening.  For Christian parents, it is very important to use information being provided by experts and lace it with pertinent Bible verses.  Here is some information to help explain in a comprehendible way about this virus to alleviate fears and anxieties.  I rely on several excellent online articles and hope you read them in their entirety for further information.

Experts say, first and foremost, do the research and allay your own anxieties.  By doing so, you will prepare yourself with all the facts, not fiction or false assumptions.  Speak calmly, armed with your research material.  Start the discussion with asking your children what they have heard.  So much erroneous information is on social media, so be prepared that your children have heard many frightening things that are totally wrong.

Gear your talk to the developmental age of your youngest child, as by doing so, even your older children will understand.  When the older child asks questions, you can also provide age appropriate answers.  Alternatively, you can break the children up into age groups.

Explain what should be done as a daily routine and enforce it.  Do demonstrations.  Properly washing hands, for example, is critical.  Demonstrate how they wash their hands.  Not touching friends’ hands is also very important – show them how to bump elbows instead. 

Focus on being hopeful and confident, not fearful. Share Bible verses, as the one in today’s blog and Psalm 91, to establish that God does not want us to have fear, but to put our trust and confidence in Him and His protection.  As Christians, we must be the vessels of faith, courage and truth during this time of turmoil. We are the light of the world! (John 8:12)

National Public Radio created a comic book type story for children to better understand the virus.  That comic book is now being used with children all over the world, translated into many different languages, and even a short video was created.  This is a very helpful tool for children to learn more.

To learn more, please go to:

• Kids Health

• ChildMind.org

• NPR Just for Kids - A Comic Exploring Coronavirus

Instilling Hope in Your Children

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We are living during some difficult times.  There is political upheaval and divisiveness with our presidential election just around the corner; rumors of a pandemic with the Coronavirus; and fears of an economic slump, just to name a few.  Children hear and read many things, especially via social media, much of which is inaccurate.  As Christian parents, building hope in our children is critical for their future.

Psalm 71:5 expresses that our hope and trust should be in God.  I especially like the version in the New Living Translation: “Oh Lord, you alone are my hope.  I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.” 

Teaching our children to put their hope in the Lord is the foundation for their successful future.  Talk with them about what is happening in the world.  As I have repeatedly written, help them to memorize scripture verses on hope, faith, and trust.  I have put together some websites below that have those Bible verses readily available.

There are many children’s books based on stories in the Bible and scripture verses that give hope.  I have included a couple of websites with some suggestions.

Please do not assume that your children are not hearing anything about what is going on in the world, because I can assure you that they are.  Being an assertive parent is vital to your children’s Christian understanding of our chaotic times.

Some children’s Christian books on hope can be found at the following websites:

• Free CCM

• PureFlix Summer Reading List

Bible verses on hope can be found at the following websites:

• Daily Verses on Hope

• Encouraging Verses About Hope

Helping Children with Seasonal Allergies

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Photo from Pediatric Associates of Franklin, TN

We are reaching the spring season and it is known for triggering allergies.  Some symptoms include itchy or watery eyes; a rash; and congestion that will not stop.  If your children suffer from seasonal allergies, here are some recommendations to help them feel better.  Of utmost importance, however, is to follow the advice of your pediatrician.

1.    Keep children indoors as much as possible, especially during windy days when pollen is blown all over.  I know this is difficult to do, as children love to be outdoors when the weather warms up, but your goal should be to alleviate their aches and pains.

2.    Keep windows closed and use air conditioning.

3.    When children return from being outside (for example, returning from school), have them change their clothes right away and wash their hands and faces.  This will help eliminate any pollen that may have been brought inside.

4.    Have your children take long warm baths to help clear up their nasal passages and drain mucus.

5.    If your doctor prescribes medication, be sure to alert him if it is not working as it should. Also, be sure to administer the medication as prescribed.

No parent enjoys seeing their children suffer and following these recommendations should help them as the spring season arrives.

This blog was based on the articles found by clicking here and by clicking here.

Opening a Savings Account for Your Child

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Saving money is encouraged in the Bible. There are many scripture verses that establish that God wants us to be wise with our money and prepared for what may happen in the future.  Assisting your children to save money by opening savings accounts is a good start.

First, start with the scripture foundation for the principle of saving money.  Proverbs 6:6-11 talks about the hard-working ant. The Bible says “consider her ways and be wise”.  She diligently works all summer to gather food for the winter and has plenty when she needs it.  She is not a “sluggard” or a “lazybone” (NLT version), waiting for something else to do the hard work and provide food for her when she needs it.  Another important verse is Proverbs 21:5 – “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” (NLT) Planning for the future is critical so that you will have money enough to provide for your needs and any emergency that may pop up.   Proverbs 21:20 talks about a rich man having precious things - wealth and luxury - while “fools spend whatever they get.” (NLT)

Second, do your homework before opening a savings account.  Research the process and what factors you should consider. There is an excellent online article (website below) entitled 7 Things to Consider Before Opening a Kids Savings Account.  It is important to understand all that is involved, including legal requirements that must be met, as well as bank fees that may be charged.

The best teacher from whom a child can learn to save money is you – the parent.  Raise a wise person, not a sluggard or lazybone!

To learn more, please CLICK HERE.

The Importance of Laughter for Children

  A merry heart does good, like medicine.
Proverbs 17:22 NKJV

Children love to laugh and they laugh readily and energetically.  It has been said that the average 4-year-old laughs 300 times a day!  What I didn’t know was how beneficial a sense of humor and laughter are to children.  As I was researching this topic, I learned about these benefits and hope that you will be motivated to laugh more and encourage your children to develop a good sense of humor.

At the website www.theirworld.org, early childhood development writer Elaine Hunter explains that laughter is a vital part of a child’s development.  For babies and children, laughter becomes a part of how they engage people – their social interaction.  As children grow older, humor allows them to learn to put thoughts together and process language.  As they memorize jokes, their memorization skills improve.

According to clinical psychologist Emma Cintron, “humor and laughter also defines children’s friendship groups. They will bond with children they can laugh with because they all find the same things funny. There are lots of different people in the world and we all laugh at different things.”  Ms. Cintron encourages parents to use humor when talking with children, especially about difficult subjects.  “We can tackle difficult subjects with the use of humor. It’s a healthy parenting aid. When things make us laugh, we are less stressed and deal with things in a more positive way. Humor allows children to see things from a different perspective and to look at the world in a different way.”

Consider incorporating humor more and more in your daily interactions with your children.  They will learn from you and enjoy laughter throughout their days.

To learn more, please click HERE or HERE.

Raising Children Who Are Givers

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Photo from firstbaptistdelavan.com

Hebrews 13:16 is about doing good and sharing.  In fact, the Bible refers to these as sacrifices.   Just what is a sacrifice?  Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word “sacrifice” as an act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to help someone.  What ways can you teach your children to be make sacrifices in order to do good and to share?  Below are some suggestions.

Consider all the myriad toys that your children have.  Donating them to a worthy cause that supports children is “doing good” and “sharing” contemplated in our verse.   What toys have your children outgrown or are not being played with anymore?  Can they be cleaned and donated to other children?  Assist your children in compiling a list of these items and then discuss where they could be donated.  Is there a children’s hospital or clinic in your area?  What about a shelter? Have your children accompany you to make the donation so they can see where their toys will be placed.  It will give them a sense of accomplishment and well-being to be part of the effort to do good and share.

Also consider your children’s outgrown and unused clothing and shoes.  As springtime approaches, what better than to go through closets and drawers, including yours, to select clothing and other items that can be donated.  Please make sure that the items that are being donated are clean and in good condition. 

Donating time and efforts are valuable lessons too.  Is there a park in your community that needs sprucing up?  Consider forming a group of caring parents and children and after getting approval from the appropriate authorities, spend time making the improvements.  These efforts will definitely be sacrifices as children will want to do other “fun” things with their spare time.  But, these are all life lessons.

This list is just some of the things to consider.  The goal is to have children  learn that obeying the Word of God is important and brings honor and glory to Him. 

For additional reading, CLICK HERE.

Preventing Your Children from Being Poisoned

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 300 children each day are treated in an emergency room and 2 die as a result of poisoning.  We all think of poisoning coming from the chemicals that we use to clean our homes but that is not all that can poison children.  Curious children can get their hands on medications that are easily accessible and then experiment with eating or drinking what they find.

The CDC has four main recommendations to prevent poisoning:

1. Keep medications and cleaning supplies in their original packaging and locked away where children cannot see them or access them.

2. Put the nationwide poison control center phone number 1-800-222-1222, on or near every telephone in your home and program it into your cell phone. 

3. When giving children medications, be sure to carefully read the labels and only give the amount prescribed.

4. Dispose of any medications and cleaning supplies you do not need or that have expired dates.  The CDC recommends that medicine be disposed by mixing it with coffee grounds or cat litter and making sure this mixture is thrown away.

Be especially careful not to refer to medications as candy.  Because pills come in different attractive colors, curious children are more susceptible to wanting to play with them and even eat them.

As parents, we must be diligent to protect our children.  Do all you can to safeguard items that are potentially hazardous to them and be prepared in the event poisoning does occur.

To learn more, either visit CDC Poisoning or CDC Prevent Tips.

Teaching Your Children Christian Mindfulness

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There has been a lot of attention on and encouragement for adults to develop mindfulness, especially through yoga and meditation.  There is also a growing movement to teach children about mindfulness.  As Christians, we are called to “rest in the Lord,” meaning that we should spend quiet time with the Lord and trust Him.  This week I wanted to take a look at Christian mindfulness and how you can help your children develop it.

Just what is mindfulness? A simple definition is to be attentive to the present.  Our thoughts race around in our minds throughout the day.  How much are we aware of what is happening now – in the present time?  At the website, christiansimplicity.com, the writer gives a wonderful description of Christian mindfulness: “Because God is part of our everyday lives, paying attention to God and focusing on God’s kingdom is a fundamental practice of Christian mindfulness.”  The writer refers to it as “mindfulness Jesus-style.”  I like that!

Living in the present means that we are to have our hope in God and not dwell on our worries.  We should be at peace with ourselves and our surroundings.

Meditation is a good way to develop mindfulness.   Christiansimplicity.com further recommends using scripture during meditation:

Christian meditation can be as simple as sitting still for ten minutes, breathing easily, and repeating a line of Scripture. Good phrases for this kind of meditation are “Maranatha” and “Be still and know that I am God.” This kind of meditation renews both our minds and our spirits. It provides a centeredness that helps us listen for God. It also trains us over time to release all the distracting thoughts that occur to us during the average day and refocus on what matters.

Children need assistance in dealing with their emotions and worries.  Select appropriate scripture verses that they can easily memorize.  Encourage them to take some time each day to sit quietly and repeat scripture or to just experience the present moment.

To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Helping Your Children with Dyslexia

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Just what is dyslexia and what should we as parents know about it so that we can help our children? According to the Mayo Clinic, dyslexia is a reading disorder that affects the way that the brain processes language.  It is mostly associated with children having difficulties learning to read and has nothing to do with the child’s intelligence.  It is estimated that one in five children has dyslexia.

Before a child starts school, common symptoms include:

• Late talking

• Learning new words slowly

• Problems forming words correctly, such as reversing sounds in words or confusing words that sound alike

• Problems remembering or naming letters, numbers and colors

• Difficulty learning nursery rhymes or playing rhyming games

Once the child is in school, it becomes easier to diagnose dyslexia as symptoms include:

• Reading well below the expected level for age

• Difficulty finding the right word or forming answers to questions

• Problems remembering the sequence of things

• Difficulty seeing (and occasionally hearing) similarities and differences in letters and words

• Difficulty spelling

• Spending an unusually long time completing tasks that involve reading or writing

• Avoiding activities that involve reading

It is important to speak with your child’s doctor if your child is having any of these symptoms.  Be diligent as the social impact of dyslexia can have a negative effect on your child and how he perceives himself.  With assistance in forming strategies to compensate for various weaknesses, your child can excel socially and academically.  Unfortunately, however, a person never outgrows dyslexia.

For more information, visit:

• Mayo Clinic - Dyslexia

• Understanding Dyslexia

The Effect of Technology on Your Children’s Eyes

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image from Slate.com

More and more, parents are giving their children access to cell phones, iPads, laptops and other technology. Many children spend hours on these devices.  Think about it - do your children’s use of these devices actually affect their eyesight?

The answer is a resounding “yes,” according to Dr. Gary Heiting in his online article Children and Technology: Protecting Your Child’s Eyes.  He discusses some the vision-related problems that your child can develop:

• Computer vision syndrome – Also known as digital eye strain, it is caused by visual stress resulting from too much screen time.  Symptoms include headache, dry eyes, fatigue, tired eyes and fluctuating vision.

• Nearsightedness – Eye doctors have seen an increase of nearsightedness and attribute it to the increasing use of computer screens.

• Increased exposure to blue light – This light is emitted from LED screens on laptops and digital devices.  Eye doctors are concerned that too much exposure will cause eye diseases later in life.

• Unhealthy posture – When using technology, children often sit slouched in a position known as “turtling” – rounded shoulders and back with the head tilted back and chin jutted forward.  This is an unhealthy position.

It is important to monitor your children’s use of these devices.  Have them take breaks to give their eyes and posture a break.  Encourage media-free time, including play time and family time.  Their eyes are developing so they need to have large amounts of time away from these electronic devices.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

Helping Your Children with Fear of the Dentist

Last week, I wrote about helping your children with handling their fears.  One fear that must have a blog post of its own is going to the dentist.  Your children’s teeth should be regularly checked, but what can you do to make the visit easier on them?  Here are a few ideas from dentists themselves:

1. Find a child-friendly dentist.  Look for a waiting room that has an area for children to play.  Enquire as to how they deal with children who are afraid.

2. Communicate with your children.  Let them know that they will be visiting the dentist, so they are prepared.  Do not surprise them. 

3. Explain to them the importance of having their teeth checked regularly by a professional. 

4. Speak with your dentist about your children’s phobia ahead of time.  A dentist experiences this fear frequently and should have many good suggestions for you.

5. Take a favorite toy to the visit, if the dentist approves.

6. Speak with your children during the visit in a calm voice to reassure them that you are there for them.

7. Give positive feedback to encourage them to continue with good behavior.

It’s difficult for parents to observe their children suffering with fears.  Being patient and understanding are key.

For more information, please CLICK HERE.