Important Points in the Development of Children

Whenever you hear about child development, you are working with an area of psychology. There are different development stages that your child needs to go through, and these are called milestones. This is a good way to actually keep up with the development of your child, and make sure that hey are on track. Missing child development milestones can actually show a development delay in your child. From that point, you would need to find out what was causing the delay, and see if what is causing it can be fixed. Usually, this is a job for a child psychologist.

As your child grows in size, there are certain milestones that should come up. These are known as normal development milestones. Today we are going to cover what these milestones are and what their names are. Not only that, you will get a better idea of what should happen during these milestones. Things that you need to look out for are things that may not happen in time with the other milestones of your baby.

The first milestone is, of course, going to be the gross motor stage. This is where there are large groups of muscles that are going to start acting so that the child can do certain things, like sit, stand, walk, and keep their balance. Some people rate changing positions under this area, but most people just rate that with the other movements. Things that should check your eye would be if your child learns to sit and stand during this stage, but never learns to keep its balance or does not learn to walk or run. These could be signs that some kind of child development milestone was not reached. The next child development milestones would be the language, and then the cognitive. The language is, of course, going to be dealing with speaking, and this also includes body language and gestures. Also, under this category, you are going to find that kids should learn to understand what others are saying. Soon after this would come the thinking skills, further understanding of ideas, and problem solving skills. Also, people have noted that memory also gets sparked during this stage.

When dealing with these child development milestones, usually the social starts last. This is where they learn to actually interact with others. This means actually having relationships with family members and friends, as well as teachers. They should be able to learn how to cooperate when ask to do so and be able to respond to what others are feeling. These are actually complexed milestones that a lot of people do not think about. When they hear about interacting with others, they blow this milestone off, thinking that a baby interacting with your touch and so on is going to show development in this area. However, this kind of milestone is not going to be reached until they are in school with other kids. Learning how to react to others' emotions is not something hat babies can do willingly. That is something to keep in mind.


Kelly Hunter owns and operates http://www.child-development-milestones.com and writes about Child Development Milestones
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Child Custody - Winning the Most Important Battle of Your Life

In order to win your child custody battle you must first put into perspective the whole win/lose mentality of child custody. Obviously, there is a lot of emotion surrounding child custody as it affects the most important thing in your life; your children. But you must also remember that to win anything, even child custody, you must first get your emotions in check.

The number one mistake people make in their child custody battle (and their divorce for that matter) is to react rather than respond to the situation.

Think about it.

When you react, you tend to act impulsively. You act against or are in opposition to something. You're playing defense.

When you respond, you're more measured. You determine a course of action and proceed. You have a plan. You're playing offense.

With emotions running so high in child custody battles, there is a strong tendency to react and follow your emotions.

When you do this, you allow your ex to take control and manipulate the situation to their benefit.

It's hard to build a strong case and win child custody when you're so busy responding to what your ex is doing or consumed with overwhelming emotions.

Guilt over leaving your spouse...

Fear over what your partner may do...

Shame over a failed marriage...

Sadness at having to face the breakup...

Anger at your ex's accusations...

Making any kind of decision when in these emotional states will not help you in the long run, and could seriously hurt your case.

The first step to winning child custody is to step back... take a breath... and realize that you need to have a clear head to make the best decision for you and your children.

Vent to your friends.

Vent to your therapist.

Get it out of your system.

Then work at looking logically at your situation. Move forward with a reasonable and clear plan. Winning child custody is about being prepared and being ahead of the game, not reacting emotionally to things that have already happened.

To get the 9 critical strategies for winning child custody when dealing with irrational, vindictive or abusive ex's, click here: http://www.winning-child-custody-strategies.com

Joan Baker is an expert in child custody after going through her own custody ordeal, researching the laws and now helping other women going through the process.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joan_Baker

Sticks and Stones

At an early age, I discovered the power of words. I can remember running home to my parents crying because the kids in our neighborhood would say hurtful things like, "You are so poor you can't pay attention!" It was true. We were poor, but that fact did not make the taunting any less painful. Unfortunately for me, however, I could pay attention and I paid close attention to the every hurtful word hurled at me. Those cruel words pierced into my soul just as sure as any knife would have.

My parents attempted to make it better by insisting that I retaliate by saying the old school yard comeback, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will not hurt me". As much as I repeated the retort, the power of the cruel words lingered on within me somehow. My parents were right about a lot of things, but they missed the mark big time on this sticks, stones and words. I now know for a fact that sticks and stones may break your bones and words will not only hurt you they can kill you!

According to the book of Proverbs the power of life and death are in the tongue. WOW.... That is truth. I often witness people that I coach or lead in my business as they talk themselves into or out of situations and circumstances. I believe that your success is in your mouth.

I always wanted to own and operate a restaurant. I would use " The 5 yard rule". I would tell anyone that came within 5 yards of me that my business name is Ken's Hot Dog Stand. A couple of years later I was presented an opportunity to purchase 2 McDonald's Franchises.

Words are the most powerful force in the universe. Your words are the power that you have to create. Your word is the gift that comes directly from God. Through the word you manifest your intent, regardless of what language you speak. What you dream, what you feel, and what you really are will all be manifested through the words you speak.

The word is a force. It is the power you have to communicate, to think, and to there-by to create the events on your life. Remember, to be Impeccable with your words. If you are interested to hear the entire story of how was able to speak my way to success and wealth or if you are ready to move to the next level and need coaching, visit me at www.KenBrownInternational.com

Ken Brown www.KenBrownInternational.com

About the Author

The Man

Everyone has a story to tell, but few would prove to be as profound and inspirational as that of Mr. Kenneth Brown. Born into impoverished conditions, his teen parents raised him and his siblings, to never exist poor in spirit or drive. Though starting his journey in less than ideal circumstances, his focus and hunger for excellence, has led to monumental personal and professional opportunities. As one of the youngest McDonald's owner

Troubled Teen Alternatives

As we've all seen on daytime talk shows, some parents are at the end of the rope with their teens and just don't know what is left to do in order to help them. Teens in bootcamp can be a controversial topic but I'll attempt to discuss it a little here. These are two types of alternative programs for troubled teens who would otherwise be in jail or another correctional facility. Unfortunately, this is a real life issue, not a talk show, that happens regularly throughout the country. Teens, for numerous reasons, end up on the wrong path and on the way to destroying their lives.

Behaviors that your troubled teen might exhibit include skipping school, violence, lack of respect, stealing, drinking, sneaking out, bringing friends home for long periods of time and sexual behavior in and out of the home. The FBI reports that teenage crime has been on the rise for the past year.

Boot camps are an alternative to jail for these adolescents. There are also many different kinds of camps ranging from state to private. While we think of boot camp as a physical challenge, it is also a mental challenge. These camps are usually short-term but the long-term camps has increased recently. They're modeled after the military in that they pose mental and physical challenges as well as teach respect and responsibility. The whole point behind boot camps is to give teens a "reality check".

Boot camps can include uniforms, marching in formation and "yes sir" "no sir" way of thinking. Baracks are also similar to those in the military with bunk beds, foot lockers and regular inspections. Parents need to consider if their teen can handle this environment before sending them to a boot camp and drill instructors.

These camps seem to be more of a short-term solution. Studies have found that recidivism rates for long-term camps are high and not good for long-term change. Also, as we all know, boot camps are controversial in that they have been questioned about their health and safety practices. While drill instructors have success with voluntary military cadets, many use this same technique on teens and it becomes a questionable situation.

These camps teach juveniles valuable life skills that they are lacking. They can be a good alternative for improving self esteem. Let's face it: kids aren't bad. They didn't choose this lifestyle with intent of being a troubled teen. They simply gave in to peer pressure or some other reason.

Another option for troubled teens is military school, like West Point. They're usually privately owned and operated. Studies have found, however, that these schools are less likely to be successful for troubled teens. These schools are NOT designed to improve those who are not motivated, who are defiant and academically challenged.

Military schools are also not designed to help teens in crisis. These schools seem to only apply to a small niche of our society. Plus, tuition is as much as $20,000 a year. These schools are nothing like secondary schools. Secondary schools place a heavy focus on education. Military schools focus on education, sense of community, respect, honesty, self-esteem and hard work. These schools also do not provide emotional problems.

So there you have it. My take on Juvenile Boot Camps vs. Military School. In short, boot camps serve a short term purpose for troubled teens while military school serves a good purpose for those teens who are motivated and willing to be a part of the school.

Please note: before you enter your child in any type of correctional program please consult a professional to help point you in the right direction. Every individual is different so every type of treatment will be different.

I've been writing all of my life and have a career as a ghostwriter. Writing is my passion and always has been. I've also won some awards for my writing including "Best Creative Content Writer" in 2001.

Article Source: Dakota_Blue

How to Put Your Kids (Or Grandkids) On the Fast Track to Success

This is for those of you who are having a tough time with your kids.

Working with adults (as well as children and teens) for the past 12 years I have noticed that there are just a few primary struggles that most adults face. I also see how better training as a child and teen could have given them the skills and attitudes that would have prevented the problems that they now face.

The primary areas adults struggle with are

1. Money, primarily debt.
2. Lack of disciple, or the inability to do what they want to do, be it weight, money, work etc.
3. Relationships.

As I see it, much of the way we live our lives is groomed as we grow up. And
while we can certainly change, it is harder to do the older we get. This can cut both ways: If we
are taught correctly we have a high chance of succeeding as adults and if we are taught poorly,
there is a high chance that we will continue those poor habits into adulthood and face many
difficulties.

The good news? We can put our kids on the fast track to success by diligently applying some basic success skills. To get you started, I’ve brainstormed some ways you can head off your children’s problems years before they face them. Here we go!



To have successful relationships:

Show them unconditional love.
No matter what, we are to welcome and love our children. This does not mean that we won’t get mad at them from time to time or that we won’t discipline them when they cross the line. It means that we will always accept them and treat them with the respect they deserve as human beings, no matter what they have done. It means we do not hold grudges against them. We can disagree or even verbally tangle, but then we bury the hatchet and accept one another.

Teach them manners.
There are acceptable ways of behaving. Unfortunately, many people today do not know them! Teach your children how to behave so that others are treated well and do not have to put up with our misbehavior. Why? Because they won’t put up with it anyway. Many people will simply write you off and never tell you why.

Help them learn to forgive.
Most of the relationship problems I work with boil down to this: The people simply will not forgive one another and continue to hold past wrongs against the other person. Here is the fact, and you have to teach this to your kids: People will wrong you. It is what we do with that and how we react that will determine the health of the relationship in the future.

Help them to be able to focus on and serve others.
Many parents make their kid feel like they are the center of the universe. One problem with this: They aren’t! The world doesn’t revolve around your kids and they can’t get their way all of the time. What happens later on in life when little Johnny (who was the center of the universe growing up) marries little Suzie (The center of another universe growing up)? You got it, problems! Now they have to share a universe! Instead we should teach our children to help others. We should teach them to consider other people’s interests as more important than our own.



To have successful finances:

Make them EARN money.
Sure you can give your kids money – we do. But we should also teach them to earn money. We should give them opportunity to earn money. I don’t think a kid should get an allowance for doing chores. Chores are the responsibility of being part of the family. But you can give them extra jobs so they can understand fully the hard work they put in and appreciate the value of the money they receive. This will cause them to handle it better.

Have them give money away.
Greed works its wonders on some of the nicest people. That is what I have found. And the best way to break greed is to give money away. Our children give away 10% of every dollar they get. This builds generosity into their hearts. We have been doing it so long that it is just a part of them. How can you be greedy about something you are giving away? And when you give it away you can see the good that it does to the people and organizations you help. (One side story: When my son was younger and got one dollar a week in allowance he would give a dime away. He suggested it would be a good thing if he started getting two dollars – because then he would be able to give two dimes away. I don’t know if he was being generous or shrewd!)

Teach them about investing.
Yesterday I sat in the car explaining the law of supply and demand with my ten year old. Now he knows what something is “worth.” Now he knows why Beanie Babies are so expensive but a very efficient way of separating poor investors from their money. My kids hear about the old guns and butter theory (Guns represent items that appreciate and butter represents the things that melt away. Invest in appreciating assets and you can have all the butter you want later on. Invest in butter and you won’t ever have the guns.) These are basic principles that will allow your kids to be financially secure and not strapped later on. They will be the lender and not the borrower.

Teach them to delay self-gratification.
I touched on this in the last point. If we teach our kids to delay gratification, they can put themselves into a financial position wherein they can actually afford the item they want rather than put themselves into debt or a precarious position to get it. Besides, half the time when they wait, they don’t want it in three weeks!

Teach them to never have any debt!
No debt. Never. Period. Nada. Never, ever, ever. Pay cash or wait. Okay, did I get that through? Now let me be a little more temperate. Debt has created more problems I have dealt with than just about any other issue. Marriage problems, emotional problems, work problems, spiritual problems, and physical problems. We should engrain it into our kid’s heads that the only acceptable debt is a home mortgage and they should be conservative with that and even pay cash if they can! I hear you, “But I can’t get the car I want!” Too bad! See the guns and butter theory above! Your kids will visit your grave every week with flowers after you are gone if you love them and teach them to avoid debt.



To help them be successful in discipline:

Have them do certain tasks/chores on a regularly scheduled basis.
Discipline is, well, a discipline. Teach your kids to make their beds every morning. Or do wash every Monday. Or mow the lawn every Saturday morning. Building schedules builds disciplined people who do not procrastinate, who are methodical and who are diligent. These are the people who succeed.

Let them experience discipline and consequences.
Consequences are the greatest teachers! Many people who I see fail are people who have never suffered consequences. I know a gentleman who couldn’t hold a job. His employers were going to fire him. He was always late and couldn’t be relied upon – even by his friends. You never knew if he was telling the truth. One day I was talking to him and he said that he had never been punished or disciplined! The light went on! I finally understood. You know the old saying, “Spare the rod and spoil the child?” I say, spare the rod and you’ll raise a criminal! You may not want to let little Johnny experience the pain of consequences, but his boss will let him feel it 20 years from now! Prepare him for success now by making him realize that if he doesn’t do what is right, he will spend a lot of time in his room or he will miss out special things. He will grow up to be the most relied upon person in his office and he’ll be the boss one day.

Don’t protect them from losing.
I coached little league football one year. It just so happens we were the youngest team in the league and we were terrible. One game we were getting beat 55-0 with about five minutes to play and I was getting screamed at by an irate parent. I turned to them and said, “You know. I learned some of my best lessons in 55-0 losses. I took a few of them in my athletic career, and I handed a few out too!” Sometimes we win in life, sometimes we lose. We need to learn what it feels like to lose and then get right back out there. It will prepare your kids much better to lose until they win legitimately than to win all the time. I remember one basketball game when I was on my way to about thirty points and a parent from the other team was screaming about it. My brother, who is 13 years older than me told the guy to sit down because I had earned all those point because of how many basketball thrashings I had taken at his hands through the years. Losing made me better!

Teach them to eat right and exercise.
Many people struggle with their weight and it is usually because we learned bad habits as kids. We weren’t that overweight when we were younger but as our metabolism slows it catches up with us. Teach your kids basic nutritional information. Teach them how Candy bars plus milk shakes plus no exercise equals trouble! When we go to the health club our kids can swim and play all they want in the pool – as soon as they finish their laps!

Teach them to make tough decisions and learn to say “no.”
The most powerful word in the world! We should teach our children to understand what is the most important – their priorities – and say “no” to everything else. So many people get themselves into trouble and overextended because they do not have the discipline to say “no.” The reality is that you will act on an agenda – either yours or someone else’s. Saying “no” enables you to stay on track. Teach them to make tough decisions because it is what is right or because it will be better in the long run, rather than on how it will make them feel.

Encourage them to risk failure and try new things.
I have met so many people who were always taught to play it safe. And guess what? They are playing it safe, leading, as the quote says, “Lives of quiet desperation.” Teach your kids to try new things and give them the opportunity to do so. Help them see the bigger picture when they fail, like what they can learn from the situation so they can win the next time. It is the people who risk failure and try new things who change the world and lead the lives they want to!

Pitch the TV.
Okay, my soapbox: Get rid of the television. If you have to have the one-eyed monster in the house just get a monitor so you can watch videos from time to time. I haven’t had a TV for 12 years – and I LOVE IT! My kids are healthy, sociable, well-adjusted, smart kids. They have creative imaginations because they have to picture everything themselves rather than rely on someone else’s interpretation. They read many grade levels above where they are. They have time to do all sorts of things that they want to because they have an extra 20 hours a week (1040 hours a year) that other kids their age don’t! Someday I am going to write a book on benefits and reasons to get rid of the TV because the fact is you will be much better off without it than you are with it! And so will your kids!


Chris Widener is a popular speaker and author who has shared the podium with US Presidents, helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams. Join subscribers in over 100 countries for a weekly leadership & success eZine by clicking here. Enjoy motivational audio programs from Chris Widener & other top speakers including Zig Ziglar & Brian Tracy by visiting www.MadeForSuccess.net.

Before You Scold That Child

Okay, I gues your kids been naughty. But before you proceed with the hard knock punishment do consider the following...