Children are what their parents make them. Right parenting is utmost necessary for bright future of students. When I see a problem behaviour in children, I am rest assured; I will find its roots in the parents. Parenting is not only about creating a successful child but to develop your child into a positive, peaceful and stable soul that could make a happy and healthy life.

Here are some quick Do’s and Don’ts on Parenting:

1)      Do not label your child. E.g. – you are an idiot, you will not be able to do it, and it’s not your cup of tea. It demolishes potential of the child. When told over and over again, the child starts to believe it so and growth of child stops.

2)      Healthy home environment is a must. Do not pressurize them all time.

3)      Competition of each child is with self. Never compare them with others.  A child always should try and beat his own last records.

4)      Believe in your child. Trust their convictions.

5)      Positive reinforcement is a must for their growth and healthy development.

6)      Set realistic goals that they can accomplish. Failures from unrealistic goals will only de-motivate them.

7)      One of the basic principles of child Psychology is to boost your child’s self esteem. Low self esteem affects performance and efficiency.

8)      If parents are themselves carried away by distractions, they are not in a position to lecture their children for the same. You will have to control yourself first. Sacrifice is the biggest key to successful parenting. You can only preach what you yourself practice.

9)      Give your child the autonomy to decide for themselves. They know what they want. What parents need is to trust them.

10)   It is very important for parents to aid children in developing a positive self image for themselves.

11)   Say positive, not negative terms to motivate them even if circumstances are not favorable. Example: preparation for exams is insufficient, you will never be able make it, you company is bad, I don’t like taste, etc.

12)   The best teacher in life is experience. Let children learn from their own experiences. Brain development depends on stimulation. Let them gather experiences. Allow them to play, handle stuff, manipulate objects, etc.

13)   Children develop attitudes/ habits by imitating elders. Be cautious of your behavior in front of them. They pick up behaviors’/words from you. Right values have to be imbibed by you.

14)   Respect for each other is what children should see between his parents. Children learn what they see in their parents. If they see parents humiliating each other, they will get this as a way of life.

15)   Sit with your child. Spend some quality time together. Interact with each other. Share each other’s experiences.

16)   When your child does something against your liking, be very clear when you scold them. Let them know that it is that problem behavior and not your child that you don’t like. Very young children start feeling that that they are not loved and wanted by their own parents and hence, they start to shrink within.

Above all. Love them. Locate their potential and find the light in them.

Most students are unusually anxious due to the anticipation of the examinations. It is around this time that children tend to seek some assurance, motivation and support from their friends; more so from the immediate family. They do this to feel secure and to gain some hope if they lack it. With the exams round the corner parents need to be even more careful when interacting with their kids. In view of the sensitivity that children display around the examination time, if adequate support is provided it can do wonders to the child’s performance hence, an article on parenting tips – How to show your child that you support them? So here are some tips that can make all the difference to your child’s performance.

• Parents can show that they are supportive by creating a study plan with the kids
• They can let them know that no matter what the outcome of the exam is, they will be there for them if needed.
• If your child has planned to pull an all nighter for studies, parents can bring in some biscuits or brew a cup of Hot Coffee or Chocolate (preferable) for the child. This communicates a supportive nature.
• Engaging in relaxing conversations over meals helps in building the confidence of the child and refreshes them simultaneously.
• Ensuring that the environment at home is conducive to study, too gives them a sense of support
• By easing the number of chores that need to be done, it too creates a supportive atmosphere
• When a topic seems to be difficult to comprehend; your child may falter, thus, encouraging them and helping them to understand the topic, if possible, is very supporting indeed.
• Parents should avoid scheduling outings or family gatherings; around and during the examination time.
• When conversing with children; speaking in a reassuring or encouraging way also indicates that you support them nonetheless.
• Engaging in positive talk as often as possible; helps build their confidence and assures them of your presence and guidance at all times.

These are but some alternatives that can help you to show your child that you support them and that they can always come to you if they ever need help. If you are looking for more information about tips to reduce stress, identifying your child’s learning style, signs that parents should look for to identify an overloaded child or simply tips to bridge the communication or generation gap etc. you can visit our website www.careerfutura.com.

Stress is a but a necessary evil, because dealing with stress helps us to grow and mature. Even though stress causes a lot of negativity to develop, if there is one thing you can control is how much it affects your life. If stress keeps building up in your life then you need to find ways to deal with it. Besides an overload of stress can harm your health. Irrespective of age differences, the one thing that affects us all whether student or adult is stress. Although the degrees differ based on the age, knowing how to keep a stress free mind becomes essential for both students as well as adults.

So if you find stress eating into your life or you find yourself snapping at the ones you love the most, it means that you need to come up with better ways to deal with the stress in your life. In view of this here are 7 ways to keep a stress free mind.

1. Know the reasons for the stress

The first step to keep stress at bay is to identify the reasons as to why you are stressed. This is important because without knowing the reasons, tackling it becomes that much more difficult.

2. Identify the mechanisms used to overcome stress

Once you have identified the reasons the next step is to identify the methods used to tackle stress. Sometimes, the methods used can be ineffective thus leading to the situation becoming worse resulting in further stress.

3. Analyse your reactions to stress

At times the methods used or your reactions to stress are faulty resulting in the situation worsening. So you need to determine whether your behaviour was appropriate in the given situation. And find out if there was a better way to tackle the situation in a more healthy manner.

4. Rate your stress

It is important for you to rate your stress levels depending upon the situation. So you can rate your stress levels on a scale of 1 to 10. With 1 being the least stressful and 10 being the most. Based on the analyses of the reasons you can then decide whether it is a minor issue or a major one that is getting you stressed out.

5. Develop effective ways to combat stress

Upon identifying both the reasons and the mechanisms used to tackle stress, you then need to form ways or plans that will help you overcome stress in an appropriate manner. Some stress busting tips that can help are listed out.

• Develop a hobby

• If you play a musical instrument then pick it up and play along

• For some listening to music helps, so go and listen to your favorite music

• If you are more of a singer than sing along

• If you play a sport then you need to take the ball out and play in your veranda

• If you prefer dancing than just dance

• If you are a basket ball player then go out and throw some hoops

Several studies have highlighted the effectiveness of engaging in hobbies when one is stressed out, so if you don’t have one than develop one it will help you in the long run nonetheless.

6. Get adequate sleep

Sometimes inadequate sleep also increases stress. So ensure that you get adequate sleep. If you have trouble sleeping than here are few tips that you can try out:

• Read a book or two

• The all time favorite exercise that can help is counting backwards from 1000 to 1

• If you are the type that thinks too much than try to stop

• sometimes dreaming about scoring a goal or winning the game also helps

7. Get some exercise

Lack of exercise also causes stress. So another way to tackle stress is to engage in regular exercise, preferably in the morning. Exercising relaxes and refreshes the body and also assists in developing a positive attitude.

Following these simple tips can help your to keep stress at bay, thus improving your health as well.

As the heading indicates, the child and parent relationship, like all other relationships requires space. Space, here, refers to respecting each other’s perspective, communicating the feedback constructively, and acting, behaving and thinking towards nurturing the relationship. Maintaining this kind of space helps reduce the uncomfortable zones, builds on trust and helps in the overall development of the child.

Hence, irrespective of whether, it is a parent or a child, it is vital to accept the self unconditionally. Accepting the self conditionally – I must be approved by my son or daughter i.e; for e.g, all my decisions must be accepted blindly, otherwise I am an inadequate and a worthless individual – leads to many difficulties like being very strict with the children, making unrealistic and illogical demands from the children, etc. It makes the person anxious about his/her performance in any task (professionally at work or house old work), increase self-inefficacy and hence increases the tendency to fail in the given task at hand. The unconditional self-acceptance helps the person to accept the other person in the relationship, which plays an important key for sustaining the relationship during the rough times. It would be helpful, if parents understand that they are fallible individuals and that they cannot always succeed at important tasks, and even if they succeed more than others do they would not necessarily make themselves approve by their child, the way they desire. Parents’ unconditional self-acceptance has a spill over effect on their behaviour with their child, as a result of which the favourable behaviour of the child can be increased.

Only with the intention to accept the self unconditionally, one may be able to follow the following points as a parent to deal with the young one.

1.     The parental impact: Observe and understand your positive and negative influence on your son or the daughter.  Most children as well as adolescents show that they are least bother about whatever the parents are saying, however, according to research children are highly influenced by the parental way of communication.

2.     Being empathetic: Understanding the child’s thoughts and feeling, as if yours, without loosing the as if quality, is being empathetic towards children.  Many parents think that insulting and revealing child’s issues in the presence of guest or other family will improve the child’s behaviour. However, during such circumstances, the child feels uncomfortable, highly insulted, hurt, and hates the parent for the same, which in turn increases the possibility to continue the unfavourable behaviour as well initiate new disruptive behaviour.

3.     The way and mode of communication: The effective and harmless way of communication leads to a strong child and parent relationship.  The clearer, rational, and empathetic way of communication within the parents and children, the better is their ability to solve problem and make rational decision together. Moreover, a good communication mode also helps both the parties to understand the each other better and deal with each other in the daily life.  As a part of effective communication,  the following ways would be helpful-

• Being creative with commands
• Avoiding mix messages
• Accepting faults
• Rational reasoning

4.     Modeling: Modeling is another effective way of communication. Children modeling the parents and other elders around them is a part of developmental milestones.  Hence parent must behave in the line with the desired favourable behaviour.

5.     The definition of love:  Parents must observe on the definition of love that they are portraying for their children through their ways of communication, rational behind gifting people, compassion and kindness, prosocial behaviours, communications among the adults, etc.   Parents must also check their tendency to feel the guilt for not spending the quantity time with their children.  Because of such a guilt, many parents land up providing gifts to the children to an extent that the definition of love from a feeling of belongingness turns into materialistic give and take, which could lead to various serious relationship problems latter in life.

6.     Being approachable: Being approachable in all situations, avoids children from engaging in lying and stealing behaviours. Presenting the rational for every behaviour, thought and judgement in the age appropriate manner helps child to comply with the rules that are set at home, school or other social settings.

Like other relationships, even child and parent relationship, are dependent on empathy, ways of communicating and being approachable. It is important for the children as well, to maintain the strength of their relationship with parents.

Therefore, the following elaborations would help children to strengthen their relationship with their family.

• Understanding parents love:  Understanding parents’ worries, concerns and anxieties would help the children or teenagers to cope with the parental pressures and communicate their wants effectively.  The child’s acceptance of his/her self helps the child to express his / her love and care for the parents, this helps the child to understand the parental anxieties and concerns. The behaviour of such children reflects through their feelings accurately which enhances parents’ trust.
• Communication skills: Communicating with the parents with respect, love and kindness enhances parent’s expression of love and communication skills.
• Making friendships:  Helping and updating the parents about the current trends, the latest technologies, accompanying with them in social functions, shopping and household chores, helps the parents to feel better about themselves and gives them the feeling of belongingness.

Child and parent relationship plays an important role in the child’s life as well as serves as a training ground for the future relationships.

We have heard it countless number of times, “students not performing well on examinations.” Be it Maths, Science, History  or for that matter even Languages. Many students generally have a tough time performing well in subjects that are difficult and boring or are least interested in the subject altogether. These are but common reasons for bad results. But as parents we need to know what are the main reasons for our child’s poor performance.

While a hand full of students are blessed with exceptional intelligence, the average student isn’t. But they too have the ability and are capable of understanding and remembering matter with a little effort. So here are 6 reasons why students perform poorly in examinations?

1. Environmental Factors

Who knew that the environment whether family, school or college, social and experiences can drastically affect a child’s performance?

• Family Environment

If you didn’t know it already then now is a great time to get to know the various reason for performance differing. The environment in which the student is born plays a vital role in their performance. If the child is living in a healthy family environment with  supporting and nurturing parents, students are more likely to obtain good grades. Most children try to do well to please their parents nonetheless.

•  School or College Environment

If the school or college environment is a healthy one, that focuses and encourages the all round development of the pupil. Or if it strives to help students by preparing them at a young age to tackle the unknown has a bearing on the child’s performance. As it teaches them life skills that can assist them and it too plays a vital role in a child’s life and growth. The kind of people their classmates and teachers are, affects the performance. The way they are treated by their teachers or professors also affects their performance.  Because if a child likes their teacher or is fond of their teacher, it motivates the child to do well in an attempt to please their teacher.

• Individual Experiences

Whether these experiences come from interacting with either classmates, teammates or teachers it in variable affects the child as a whole. Because experiences whether good or bad can affect the child’s performances as mentioned earlier.

2. Learning Methods

Most students usually follow faulty learning methods such as rote learning. Subjects like Arithmetics, Science and Language require the student to understand the concepts taught. They need to have a good basic foundation with a clarity in the concepts; which they usually lack. This in turn  results in students not liking the subject and sometimes detesting it which isn’t good either.      

3. Differing Interests

When it comes to subjects that most students are least interested in or find difficult for example Mathematics, Science or Languages, their disinterest definitely shows in poor grades. The difficulty level that these subjects bring can affect the child’s interest even if the subject is easy merely requiring lots of practice on a regular basis.

4. Faulty Study Habits

Most students have a tendency to prepare for a test or an exam at the last minute, resulting in them engaging in all nighters or  studying till the earlier hours of the morning. Mostly students refrain from revising the matter taught in class the same day. Several psychological studies have highlighted the importance of reviewing the matter that was taught the very same day. We all know that repetition helps students to memorise the matter better especially when it is fresh in their mind.

5. Ineffective Memorising Methods

Several psychological studies have been conducted. And several memory improvement techniques have been derived based on these studies. Ideally the best way to remember any type of material is by using Mnemonics or developing associations. These techniques are best to remember subjects like Science, History, Geology, Geography etc. The average student is either unaware of these techniques or think that they are time consuming and ineffective nonetheless. They don’t realise that for these techniques to show results one needs to use them right from the beginning of the term when they have the time to utilise them.

6. Health Matters

It is important for students to ensure that they get enough rest, eat a balanced diet and most importantly exercise. It is important that you sleep in time, eat properly and exercise, if you wish to perform well in the examinations because both the body and the mind need to rest to function to its maximum potential. This is another reason that affects the performance. Lack of either of these three aspects affect students nevertheless.

Therefore, as parents it is important for us to help children realise their mistakes and assist them in their preparation in any way we can. Especially if we can help them to improve their grades and get them  interested in a subject that they dislike, by highlighting the fact that it is actually easy once you are clear about the concepts and have the basics in place. We need to make them realise that the only way to overcome their fear of the subject and to memorise the formulas or chemical compositions is through practice. That is why Jaspher Kantuna says, “Practice as if you are the worst, perform as if you are the best.”

For information about memory improving techniques, tips to improve English, Vocabulary and Maths   and study tips visit www.careerfutura.com.

Every parent out there prefers it, if their child develops a positive attitude.  All of us would like it if our kids had or developed a positive outlook towards life. Because lets face it life isn’t perfect and we all will get better rest knowing that our children are equipped with a positive attitude to help them cope with the ups and downs of life.

Besides how we perceive and think about life experiences has an impact on how we feel and our health. If your child’s brain goes naturally to the negative, you’ll need to open up new neuronal pathways for more positive thinking. And it takes – writing, talking, movement, drawing and more to build a positive attitude.

So if you are wondering how to develop a positive attitude in your child? Or if you are a parent struggling with developing a positive attitude in your kid, then following these simple tips will serve the purpose well.

Be a role model

We all are aware of the fact that our children are excellent observers. They learn mainly through observation. Might I ask, “Observing who exactly?” Us parents of course! Therefore it is absolutely necessary for us to monitor our behaviour, because actions speak louder than words. Besides our kids can’t be fooled by our mask’s. They sense and understand things; sometimes even better than us. And can even show us that they don’t too. Hence if you want your child to have a positive attitude than it starts with us. Try not to lie to your kids, they will sense it immediately. But if you have to, then explain to them Why? So that they understand and prevent misunderstandings from cropping up.        

By Thought, Word and Deed

If you want to reinforce and develop a positive attitude in your child then you need to ensure that you speak, think and address your child in a positive way at all times, if possible or as and when it is applicable. So here is a list of positive words that you can use on a regular basis to instill a positive attitude in your child:

•  THINK in a positive way

When things are most likely to go wrong either way; instead of complaining, think objectively and come up with solutions. If an alternative is not available at presents then use humor – such as learn to laugh at your self, smile, believe in your self and know that you will eventually figure out a way somehow.

• TELL your child 
• Yes, Good Fine, Very good, Very fine, Excellent, Marvelous, At-a-boy, Right, That’s right, Correct, Wonderful, I like the way you do that, I’m pleased with (proud of ) you, That’s good, Wow, Very nice,  Good work, Great going, Good for you, That’s the way, Much better, O.K., You’re doing better, That’s perfect, Good idea, What a cleaver idea, That’s it,  Good job, Great job controlling yourself, I like the way you ______, I noticed that you ____, Keep it up, I had fun ______ with you, You are improving at ______ more and more, You showed a lot of responsibility when you ______, Way to go I appreciate the way you ______, You are great at that, Good remembering, That’s beautiful I like your______, I like the way you ______ with out having to be asked (reminded), I’m sure glad you are my son/daughter, Now you’ve got it, I love you!
• SHOW them how you feel

Smile,  Nod, give a pat on the shoulder.

• SIGNAL or GESTURE to signify approval

High five, Touch cheek, Tickle, Laugh (with, not at), give a Pat on the back, give a Hug instead.

Teach your child to understand emotions

Although most children can sense both positive as well as negative emotions, sometimes they lack the understanding of the emotion altogether. They are usually caught off guard and are unaware of the reasons behind it. At times they may even misunderstand the emotion and take it to be that the teacher doesn’t like me or my friends don’t like me. At such times the following tips will help you to guide their understanding of their emotions and even help you to realise yours!

You can take a play ground ball and bounce it and bounce it back and forth between the two of you. Talk in a slow and easy manner about  your child’s concerns. Ask open-ended questions. If your child cannot put the experiences into words, offer your ideas and ask, “Am I getting this right?”

“It seems like something is on your mind.”

“Shall we talk about it?”

“How are the kids treating one another at school?”

“What do the kids do that is kind to one another?”

“What do you see when people being mean.”

“How would you like things to be different?”

As your child starts to explore his thoughts and feelings ask him if he’s open to “drawing it out.” Sit down at your kitchen table and begin with a simple exercise.

“Take an 8 X 11 inch piece of paper and draw a line in the middle. On the left side you can make a note of the negative thought and on the right side note down your transformed positive thought.”

Or

“This time follow the same process but ask your child to note down their negative thought about their experience and on the right side help your child to transform the negative thought into positive ones and make a note of it.”

Another option is to “Take an 8 X 11 inch piece of paper and draw 2 lines dividing it into 3 equal parts. On the left side you can make a note of all the negative emotions, on the right side note down all the positive emotions and in the middle ask your child to either draw or write down the emotions they are feeling. Once they have done this you can then help them to identify whether it is a positive or a negative feeling or if they have been able to distinguish between the two.”

By following these simple tips your child will begin to think and develop a positive attitude nonetheless.

If you think your kids’ clothes are too weird and their music is too loud, and, although they’re speaking English, you can’t understand a word — you might be on the wrong side of a generation gap. In order to cross the distance you need to get in touch with yourself when you were their age. It helps to remember how much you wanted to be understood by your parents when you were coming of age. To know the reasons as to why s / he is behaving the way they are, it can best be understood by remembering how you behaved at their age.

Besides you don’t have to like — or even understand — your kids’ tastes. What’s important is that you make an honest effort to try and understand them by recollecting how you behaved, felt and reacted when you were their age. So if you are wondering how to bridge the generation gap between Parents and Children? Then here are some things that can help you to hold up and create a conversation with your child which yields results that you seek.

Effective Communication

According to the American Psychological Association communicating with children on a regular basis can take your a long way in bridging the gap between Parents and Children. Listening and talking are essential elements for a healthy Parent – child relationship. Here are some things you can do:

Be up to date with the current trends

If you want to bridge the communication gap  with your child you need to speak their language. So you need to be up to date with the current trends of your child’s generation right from slang, music, movies, and clothes to social networking. You also need to be up to date with today’s technology in order to monitor your child’s on line presence. This will help your child to make wise choices on the Internet and beyond.

Avoid Comparisons

As a parent you need to accept the fact that things have changed in comparison to how things used to be back when you were there age. Try not to ask your child to conform to old models of thinking rather explain to them how to distinguish between what is right and wrong. These things will never undergo change even if everything else changes.

Be Accepting

Parents should be flexible in their ideas and more accepting about change. They should be able to adapt to the changing times. They need to remember that parenting is not an exact science, meaning that what works for one child may not work for another.

Know the consequences of your actions

From a little poem you will be able to figure out how your actions can affect your child in the long run:

“If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive.

If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement he learns to be confident.

If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love.

If a child lives with recognition, he learns it is good to have a goal.

If a child lives with honesty he learns what truth is.

If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself and those about him.

If a child lives with friendliness, he learns the world is a nice place in which to live to love and be loved.” - Anonymous

So if you follow these simple tips you will see a tremendous change in his / her attitude towards you, therefore your child will be more open to what you have to say with acceptance and understanding nonetheless.

For most parents communicating with their children is a hassle. You know something is bothering your child and you want to help. You know that you just might be able to help; if only you knew what is upsetting them? Sounds familiar? Well it is how most of the new age parents feel and you are no exception.

Nevertheless, how would you feel if you knew exactly what you could do at your end to find out? Wouldn’t that reduce the number of out bursts you have with your child and improve your relationship with them along the way as well. Therefore here are some guidelines to bridge the communication gap between parents and children.

• Let the child know that you are interested and involved and that you will help when needed.
• Turn off the television or put the newspaper down when your child wants to converse.
• Avoid taking a telephone call when the child has something important to tell you.
• If and only the presence of other people are specifically required to be around for the conversation continue it but if not, holding  the conversation in private would be preferable. Besides the best communication between you and the child will take place when others aren’t around.
• Embarrassing the child or putting him on the spot in front of others will lead only to resentment and hostility, not good communication will occur.
• Try and speak to your child at the level in which s / he will surely understand what you are saying.
• If you are very angry about a behavior or an incident, don’t attempt to communicate with your child until you regain your cool, because you cannot be objective until then. It is better to stop, settle down, and talk to the child later.
• If you are very tired, you will have to make an extra effort to be an active listener. Genuine active listening is hard work and is very difficult when your mind and body are already tired.
• Listen carefully and politely. Don’t interrupt the child when he is trying to tell his story. Be as courteous to your child as you would be to your best friend.
• Don’t try and figure out what your child is trying to tell you before they complete what they have to say. For instance when your child starts to narrate to you about what happened, you as a parent says, “I don’t care what they are doing, but you had better not be involved in anything like that.”
• Don’t ask why, but do ask what happened.
• If you have knowledge of the situation, confront the child with the information that you know or have been told.
• Keep adult talking (“You’ll talk when I’m finished.” “I know what’s best for you.” “Just do what I say and that will solve the problem”), preaching and moralizing to a minimum because they are not helpful in getting communication open and keeping it open.
• Don’t use put-down words or statements: dumb, stupid, lazy: “Stupid, that makes no sense at all” or “What do you know, you’re just a child.”
• Assist the child in planning some specific steps to the solution.
• Show that you accept the child himself, regardless of what he has or has not done.
• Reinforce the child for keeping communication open. Do this by accepting him and praising his efforts to communicate (Child Development).
• Reinforce a positive attitude for your child by giving them positive encouragement. Use words that portray a positive attitude such as well done, good job etc.

By following these simple tips your relationship with your child is bound to improve thus enabling you to have a conversation with them and strengthen the relationship you share with your child nonetheless.

As parents we do everything that we can to ensure that our children grow up as healthy adults. But most often than not we have a tendency to overlook the development of our children’s brains. We focus on their studies and their overall health with the exception of the development of the brain. This aspect is just as important as their general health. If we devote sometime to the development of the brain wouldn’t that make things easier for our kids and for us in turn? Not only would their grades show a remarkable improvement it would also enhance their overall performance, be it school or simply participating in extracurricular activities. Based on this information we can conclude that the equation “Good Health + a Well Developed Brain = a Happy Child and Equally Happy Parents” - definitely holds true even if one thinks otherwise.

Hence the question, how can brain games boost the functioning of the brain? The answer is fairly simple, play games with your children and expose kids to brain games. Playing brain games will teach children to solve problems, develop fine motor skills, fine tune hand-eye coordination, a sense of timing, the principles of cause and effect, math and language skills. The bonus is that they will be having so much fun that the learning aspect will go unnoticed and will be effortless. The adults too can join in the fun while at the same time unobtrusively monitoring to see if there are areas that need special attention (Your Brain Training).

There are several games that are designed for different age groups of kids and ones that also stimulate various areas of the brain. Which we will be discussing shortly. The stimulation that brain games give is what improves the functioning thus enhancing ones performance. They give your brain the work out it needs to function effectively. Some examples of brain games are Chess, Tic – Tac – Toe, Dominoes, Sudoku, Board Games, Scrabble, Card Games, Checkers, Puzzles, Mazes, Crosswords, Minesweeper, Brain Power, Brain Teasers… One should never underestimate the value of reading a good book. Hence, let them have fun while learning and you, as a parent, would have done your job well nonetheless.

We all know that children learn best through play. It is common knowledge that a child struggling with a certain subject in school will have no trouble when that lesson is turned into a game. The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt and change well into old age as well. This ability is known as “neuroplasticity”. With the right stimulation, your brain can form new neural pathways, alter existing connections, adapt and react in ever-changing ways (Help Guide). No wonder, they say that humans use only a couple of thousands of neurons within their brain in their entire lifetime. Therefore, playing brain games helps children and adults alike to make use of up to billions or even trillions of such neurons.

There are various kinds of brain games that are designed to develop and activate various areas of the brain. The brain as we all know is divided into to two Hemispheres the Left and Right Hemispheres. They are further divided in to four Lobes namely Frontal Lobe which is responsible for creative thought, problem solving, intellect, judgment, behavior, attention, abstract thinking, physical reactions, muscle movements, coordinated movements, smell and personality. The Parietal Lobe is responsible for comprehension involving Visual functions, language, reading, internal stimuli, tactile sensation and sensory comprehension. The Temporal Lobe controls visual and auditory memories. It includes areas that help manage some speech and hearing capabilities, behavioral elements, and language. The Occipital Lobe controls the vision aspects of the brain (MD health). Apart from these there are several other parts of the brain that are partially involved in these aspects as well, but we will limit ourself to these for now. When playing brain games these particular aspects of the brain are stimulated.

Based on these areas of the brain you have various types of brain games which stimulate these specific areas to name a few; Vocabulary Building games help improve vocabulary. Intellectual games enhance problem solving skills, while developing their creativity. On the other hand Language improving games assist in developing a good command over the language for instance English. On a similar note Hand – eye co – ordination games develop their motor and co – ordination skills. Similarly, memory games improve their memory, while Maths games help in clearing concepts of mathematical operations. To improve your child’s general knowledge you have several General Knowledge games that can help your child these are amongst the many Brain Games available. Brain games are nothing but another way to improve the functioning of the brain.

Memory games are loosely termed as concentration games. Games that help develop one’s “concentration and focusing skills” are ideal games to play. Games like match the pairs, card games are examples of memory games.

Intellectual games like Puzzles for instance Crossword puzzles or trivia quiz games are mind puzzles. Similarly board games like Chess, Checkers, Minesweeper etc are now available on-line as well are some other examples of the same.

Playing Pictionary can also enhance your child’s creativity skills and is available in board form too. Even games that are based on the creative arts like playing with Play Doe for younger kids, bead making, art and craft activity or simply origami (paper arts) can develop the creative aspect of the brain.

Some Vocabulary improvement games are Brain power, Scrabble, Hangman, Bingo etc. Scrabble is available on-line and there are several on-line websites or dictionary websites that have Bingo or Hangman games, some even have quizzes that you can play and lots more.

To improve maths skills and to overcome maths anxiety you can avail the benefit of several on-line maths websites that are devoted solely to master mathematical operations. They are designed for kids of different age groups. Even maths puzzles like Sudoku can improve your child’s maths ability.

There are several General Knowledge games or game shows that your can have access to as there are channels that broad cast such competitions. Nevertheless, there are several on-line websites that cater to the development of the child’s G.K.

If the access to on-line games is limited then parents can actually create their own brain games with the help of kids using playing cards, charts, flash cards or even any other items from the house. For instance one can select few toys and ask children to watch them for a moment. Then the child should be allowed some time to write the name of all those toys on a paper. Regular practice may help your child to score better and thus enhance his or her memory. Most newspapers have crosswords, Sudoku, Identify the difference between the two pictures that are equally effective.

Even board games like, Scrabble, Pictionary, Chess, Checkers, Brain Power, Match the Pairs will work equally well. Hence you need to ensure that you have these games at home. To enhance their creativity you can give them some beads to play with or even art and craft material can help enhance their creativity. To improve their maths skills allow them to assist you in the kitchen and ask them to help you measure out quantities of the ingredients that are required for preparing the dishes. If you like Tailoring take assistance from your child to help you figure out how many equal sized bags can be made from a fixed amount of cloth.

If you wish to improve their G.K. You can encourage them to watch educational channels like Discovery kids, Animal Planet, National Geographic channel and the History Channel can also improve your child’s G.K. Even books or magazines such as Encyclopedias, National Geographic magazines can be very helpful in enhancing your child’s G.K.

Thus games are fun and educational too. But always remember not to bombard your child with too many brain games, just to improve the functioning of the brain. Therefore, allow them to play just one or two games at a time. Ensure that they take proper rest or a break between two games as they may get exhausted easily. When your child takes a break ensure that they indulge in an outdoor activity or even rest for some time. This will give them enough time to rest and refresh them thus preparing them to face new challenges. For more fun tips on improving Maths, Vocabulary, English and Memory you can visit www.careerfutura.com.

With exams round the corner, another academic year coming to an end, balancing tutions, friends, extracurricular activities and exams becomes a task for children these days. Not to mention the amount of pressure to perform well and to spend time with friends while we still can before we all go our separate ways or get buried with books all over again are how most students feel at the end of every year. All of this tends to be overwhelming for students sometimes and makes them feel like a balancing beam trying to please everybody and themselves. In situations like these the stress levels our usually at their peak levels and students are at their wit’s end trying to juggle all of this. It’s times like these that  spending time with friends relaxes and also calm’s one down.

There are simple steps that students can avail off to prevent their balance beam from tilting or getting heavier such as preparing a to do list, preparing a calender, preparing a Time Table, learning to prioritise, formulating a plan, learning time management skills, refraining from procrastination, be organised,  interact with friends, inform each other if plans change, try and stick to the plan these simple steps can eliminate the chaos that students experience at this time of the year.

Step 1. Prepare a To Do List:  students can prepare a list of all the things that they need to do for instance a project that is due next month, a test due tomorrow, asignments that are due at different times during the week or a ppt presentation that is due on Monday or if you have a party to attend too the following day while an assignment that is due the next day. Once they have listed out all the tasks with their deadlines they then need to sort out the tasks that are important.

Step 2. Prepare a Calander: once they have all the tasks along with the deadlines, then preparing a calander comes into play. In the calander you can make a note of the tasks that are due along side the date. This will give you a clear view of the tasks that have to be completed and by when.

Step 3. Prepare a Time Table: when you have a lot of tests or exams in the coming week it is probably a wise decision to prepare a time table for the purpose of allotting time for each subject. That way you cover more portion within a small amount of time.. 

Step 4. Learn to Prioritise: knowing how to prioritise the tasks is a good skill that everyone should learn Besides it is said, “Experience is the best teacher”, meaning that what you learn via experience is a lesson learnt well and are sure to remember it too. In chaotic situations such as this you learn the skill of priotising well as you are pushed into a corner and need to learn how to manage all the task’s at hand. It is common sense that the tasks that are due later in the current week or tomorrow need to be completed first ans as soon as possible. For instance if you have an assignment that is due tomorrow and a party to attend to today, it’s obvious you will have to cancel attending the party.

Step 5. Formulate a Plan: you need to plan for the worst-case scenario. For example if you have a test due tomorrow but you have to attend a get together that you cannot get out off it is understood that you have to have finished preparing for the test or if you fall sick the previous day it would have helped if you were held way through your preparation.

Step 6. Time Management: I’m sure you’ve come across these words quite often so I assume that you know what they mean by now. Nevertheless, to jog your memory, you need to make use of the time that you have wisely if you wish to get all the tasks done in time. For instance if you had to go for a foot ball practice for the match tomorrow and you had an assignment to submit tomorrow itself then if you have managed your time well and completed it way before its deadline then you wouldn’t have to sit down with it immediately when you got home from practice thus you would have got the rest that you would need to perform well in the game tomorrow.

 Step 7. Refrain from Procrastination: along similar lines of time management is procrastination. It means that if a task is given it is preferable to begin with the task rather than putting it off for another time and then realising that you should have done the task at the time instead of postponing it for another time. For example if you have a project submission tomorrow and a family get together to attend today, if you had worked on it at the time it was given to you and managed to finish it by now you could attend the get together. If not then you would have to finish it in a hurry, if you weren’t able to get out of it.

Step 8. Be Organised: following these steps will help you to be organised if you haven’t already learnt to be organised. The best and only way to make both ends meet is by getting organised. If your room is not organised get it organised by reserving some time from your busy schedule for this task. Remember that if your room is not organised finding things when you wand them will be difficult therefore it will hinder your task completion as well.

Step 9. Interact with Friends: to be able to make time for your friends is easy if it’s only you  as you can move thing around to accommodate them but what use is it if lyour friend is unavailable at the prescribed time hence you need to find out from your fiends what their schedule is like because if you are so busy it’s only obvious that they too will be busy. So make sure you find out when exactly all of them are free so that all of you can meet up at the same time and spend quality time with them while you all still can. This will also help you to plan your schedule to accommodate everyone and also ensure that you finish your tasks in time.

Step 10. Inform Each Other: apart from communicating your plans it is equally important that you inform each other if there are changes in either of your plans by calling if possible or smsing is also fine. If some other plan comes up that you cannot get out of when a plan has already been made, make sure you inform all the individuals concerned and come to a solution that everyone concerned agrees with. Remember that your friend also has plans, has a life and is not just sitting around and waiting for you so that you can do as you please and not inform them. If you insist on going through with this type of behaviour you are bound to loose that friend for lack of consideration on your path. Don’t be surprised if your best friend chooses another friend over you simply because you don’t value their time and effort.

Step 11. Try and Stick to the Plan: if possible always try and stick to the plan at all times, as this will make your friend’s appreciate you, your time and your effort. Apart from this your friend will be more than happy to hang around you more often and this will strengthen your bond of friendship with them. Trust me when I say that these are the type of friends you would want to hang around with in the long run and you are most likely to count on in times of trouble, so choose your friends wisely. People aren’t fond of individuals who keep making excuses whenever a plan has been made and implemented, they would rather hang around people who value them, their time and their effort.

Following these simple steps will ensure that you make time for  your friends, family and yourself thus reducing the stress levels and maintaining a balance without utter chaos. Therefore your entire year will go smoothly and you will be able to have fun and cherish the moments that are of importance to you. For more information you can visit our website www.careerfutura.com.