Know the 411 The children we mentor deal with much change and loss. Many may have experienced some form of abandonment. It’s important to have closure at the end of the year whether or not you are planning to continue mentoring your child next year. He or she may move and you want to have […]
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Now that the summer is upon us, Chris & I thought it would be good to use the time for spiritual renewal. The radical book Crazy Love by Francis Chan seemed like a good place to start. Hopefully some have read it already and this will allow for some sharing. I will try to draw out
You can help your child increase their attention span and grow academically by connecting them with nature. Many children in urban environments do not get the oppportunity to explore nature. Take a walk at school and pay close attention to the trees around the playground. Bring in picture books that include photos of oceans and
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I believe I missed blogging last week as I was way too busy! Good stuff though. Last week we began taping the new mentor training video for KHUSA Mentors. It’s going to be more interactive than the current training model. I can’t wait to see how excited new mentors will be. Last week also had
Here’s a very simple idea for you to try during your mentoring session…go outside and play catch with your child. This will give you a chance to make eye contact with each other, to communicate together, to practice skills, to be outside, and to have fun. Grab a nerf football, a soft baseball, a tennis
We’re between book studies so this week we are going to reflect on the importance of anticipating transitions in our lives. This past Tuesday a man I do prison ministry visitation with passed away. I knew he was terminally ill for several months but put off making a visit once I returned home from Florida.
Saying Goodbye Takes Time Read More »
Autonomy leads to greater communication with children. Faber & Mazlish have 6 guidelines that encourage autonomy in children. They are: 1. Let Children Make Choices – Child selected choices reduces their need to express resentment. 2. Show Respect for a Child’s Struggle – Adults can be most helpful to a child when they give useful
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Mazlish is right when she says real listening is hard work. You have to concentrate with children so you don’t just give them pat answers to questions they may have. So here are five tips to being a better listener and helper; 1. DESCRIBE — to the child what YOU hear them being concerned about.
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Mazlish suggests we avoid the following adult tendencies if we are to become good listeners of children; Don’t ask too many questions. – Kids open up when not bombarded with “20 questions.” Don’t rush to answer questions. – Answering a child’s question with a question encourages them to find their own solutions. Don’t take away
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Do you mentor a child who loves a good challenge? If so, click on this link to get information about a PING PONG BALL contest that is currently happening through KIDS HOPE. http://www.kidshopeusa.org/ping_pong_video_contest.aspx It’s more than just getting a ball to land in a cup….it’s all about having FUN with your child! Enjoy!
