Constructing Your Child's Healthy Sense of Self Esteem


Your child's self esteem is their mental foundation. A self-assured child is confident, secure, happy, well-adjusted and successful. They can solve problems that come their way, and it thrives under a loving parent's nurturing care.

What are some good ways to built self esteem in your child?

Most importantly, accept your child for who they are, and help them do the same. Teach your child that nobody is perfect, and that everyone makes mistakes. Show them how to learn and grow from their mistakes, and let them know that you also make mistakes.   Children with high self esteem are able to take lessons from mistakes and apply them down the road.  A child with low self esteem become frustrated and resort to self-depreciating behavior, such as calling themselves 'stupid' and vowing to 'never try that again.'
Help your child discover their abilities and talents, and encourage outlets for them to build on and improve them.  Praise a child not only for improvements in abilities and skills, but also for the traits they naturally possess.

Encourage your child to make positive choices.  Open an honest dialog with your child and discuss the possibilities with them.  Children who learn skills for making positive choices when they are younger are well-prepared for the tougher choices they have to make when they are older.

Ensure that you spend lots of quality time with your child, at least once a week. Whether you are shooting baskets or going out to grab a hamburger, take time to talk and keep in touch.  If you find it difficult to squeeze in quality time during a hectic week, take the time to talk about things during the drive to school or while they are helping you put the groceries away.

To raise well behaved kids visit  Better Behavior Wheel Parenting Tool

Clear Expectations Make Discipline Easier

Sometimes it can be very challenging to communicate anything with your child.  Setting clear expectations regarding what's acceptable behavior and what isn't imperative to successfully teaching your child right from wrong.  If the parameters are muddled or the child learns that in one situation the rules hold true yet in another situation the same rule does not, it makes for confusion and frustration on both sides.

Sit down with your child well in advance and line out the expectations and consequences of misbehaving or a misdeed.  Make it clear that in no uncertain terms is there any room for negotiation at the time of the infraction, and that should such a behavior occur you intend to be firm in your discipline.  Rules regarding your child's safety, health or well-being should have no room for negotiation when being set or enforced.  Other rules can be openly and honestly discussed with your child and an agreed upon action should be forged that both parents and child can agree upon.  If necessary, make a contract between parent and child.  Lay it all out in black and white, in language your child can clearly understand.  For younger children, you might want to develop a good behavior chart within the contract, and for each week that goes by without any infractions being noted, a favorite or special activity might be earned.  The connection between good deeds and special time with mom and/or dad might be just the currency they understand.

But all children need to understand that disciplining them is your way of teaching them what's acceptable behavior and what isn't.  It may seem as though children fight rules and regulations, but they truly know that such parameters are meant for their well-being, health, safety, and enable them to grow into a mature person capable of making wise decisions. 

To raise well behaved kids visit  Better Behavior Wheel Parenting Tool




Building You Child's Self Esteem

It's often been said that children learn what they live.  So if you're looking for a place to start helping your child build positive self esteem and self value, then you should show them your positive sense of self and strong self esteem.  Be positive when you speak about yourself and highlight your strengths. This will teach your child that it's okay to be proud of their talents, skills and abilities. 

Your child also benefits greatly from honest and positive praise.  Find something about them to praise each day.  You could even give your child a task you know they can complete and then praise them for a job well done after they're finished. Show your child that positive acts merit positive praise. 

When your child's feeling sad, angry or depressed, communicate openly, honestly and patiently with them. Listen to them without judging or criticizing.  They may not fully understand why they feel the way they do, so the opportunity to communicate with you about it may be what's needed to help them sort through a difficult situation.  Suggest positive behaviors and options as solutions, and make sure to leave that door of communication open so they know the next time they feel badly, they can come to you for help and know that you won't judge or punish them for how they're feeling.

Teach your child the importance of setting goals and developing a plan to meet that goal and complete that task.  Small projects are the best to start off with in the beginning.  Ensure that it's an appropriate task for your child, and not too complex.  Don't only give praise at the end of the project, but praise their accomplishments during the project as well.

Most importantly, tell your child "I love you" each and every day - many times throughout the day, in fact.  When they've behaved badly, remind yourself that it's not them you don't like, only their behavior.  Tuck short, sweet notes in their lunchboxes or coat pockets, or even send them a card in the mail.  Soon, they'll learn to say "I love you" just as easily and honestly in return.

To raise well behaved kids visit  Better Behavior Wheel Parenting Tool


Actively Listening to your Child

Communicating with our children can be a difficult task at times.  We feel like they're not listening to us; they feel like we're not listening to them.  Good listening and communications skills are essential to successful parenting.  Your child's feelings, views and opinions have worth, and you should make sure you take the time to sit down and listen openly and discuss them honestly.

It seems to be a natural tendency to react rather than to respond.  We pass judgment based on our own feelings and experiences.  However, responding means being receptive to our child's feelings and emotions and allowing them to express themselves openly and honestly without fear of repercussion from us.  By reacting, we send our child the message that their feelings and opinions are invalid.  But by responding and asking questions about why the child feels that way, it opens a dialog that allows them to discuss their feelings further, and allows you a better understanding of where they're coming from.  Responding also gives you an opportunity to work out a solution or a plan of action with your child that perhaps they would not have come up with on their own.  Your child will also appreciate the fact that maybe you do indeed understand how they feel. 

It's crucial in these situations to give your child your full and undivided attention.  Put down your newspaper, stop doing dishes, or turn off the television so you can hear the full situation and make eye contact with your child.   Keep calm, be inquisitive, and afterwards offer potential solutions to the problem. 

Don't discourage your child from feeling upset, angry, or frustrated.  Our initial instinct may be to say or do something to steer our child away from it, but this can be a detrimental tactic.  Again, listen to your child, ask questions to find out why they are feeling that way, and then offer potential solutions to alleviate the bad feeling.

Just as we do, our children have feelings and experience difficult situations.  By actively listening and participating with our child as they talk about it, it demonstrates to them that we do care, we want to help and we have similar experiences of our own that they can draw from.  Remember, respond - don't react.

For more information on teen parenting visit Teen Repair

Cheapest Airfare- How to Have a Low Travel Expenses

Traveling is a good way to de-stress, to bond with your spouse, family or friends. But of course traveling is always accompanied by a lot of expenses. Some people keep working and saving to be able to travel and cover all the expenses they need. When you travel, most of the expenses are allocated on airfare. But if you know how to find the cheapest airfare you can reduce your travel costs and can have a low travel expenses. Here are some tips to find the cheapest airfare:

Avoid peak season. Traveling during peak season is usually expensive not only on airfare but also on hotels, car rentals etc. Traveling on off-peak season will allow you to have a low travel expenses. You can also enjoy the travel and the vacation because there are fewer crowds. There are a lot of vacancies in hotels at a lower price and usually airfares are lower on off-peak season. You can have a low travel expenses and save thousands of dollars.

Check airfare tickets online. Another way to have a low travel expenses is to browse the web for airfare great deals. You can find great airfare discounts if you shop around and check different travel agencies online. You can also visit individual airline websites and compare prices. Subscribe to airline email alerts to track last minute sales and special discounts offered by different airlines. Be patient to shop around and compare prices, do not just rely on tickets on sale; they are not always the lowest price that you can get. Check also if the cheapest tickets include taxes and fees to be sure you can save a lot, get the best deals and will have a low travel expenses.

Travel Packages. If you check and compare prices on the available travel packages, you may spot good packages that will allow you to have a low travel expenses. If you keep looking and plan in advance you may find packages with hotel accommodation, car rental and airfare at the lowest rates.

Travel time and destination flexibility. If you are flexible enough to fly at any time and date at any airport in your area then you can enjoy a lot of discounts and can have a low travel expenses. If you insist on fix dates and destination, you will have a hard time reducing your travel costs; you may even end up paying more.

Planning in advance each time you travel will give you the advantage to have a low travel expenses. You don't have to spend a fortune to travel and enjoy.

Do you want to know the secrets on how you can save a truckload of money on traveling especially on airfare tickets? Discover how to get thousands of discounts on your ticket, earn free vouchers and free travel rewards. Learn how airlines determine discounts. If you know their discount behavior, you'll know how to get cheaper tickets! Enjoy a low travel expenses visit Escape Plan


Airfare Best Deals - How to Find the Cheapest Airfare

Traveling and vacation is one way to unwind and spend quality time with your family and spouse. Even singles makes traveling a major part of their lives giving them opportunities to unwind and meet new friends. While traveling can do a lot of good things to people, prices are going up and it is always an advantage to find the cheapest airfare or enjoy the available airfare best deals.

Airfare best deals are always around; you just have to be patient enough to find them. Here are some tips on how to find the airfare best deals you are looking for:

Use the internet and check on the most popular online travel agencies. Check on Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity, but do not just limit yourself to these three, browse further on different travel agencies and other websites offering airfare best deals. Compare prices for you to find and avail the airfare best deals you are looking for.

You can also check individual airlines to compare the prices and know if they have airfare best deals. Airlines companies are giving out hundreds of discounts and it's really a big loss on your part not to spot these airfare great deals if you do not research well enough. There are specialty discounts that airlines are offering for family, students and senior citizens. It would be a big savings for you and your family if you get access to these airfare best deals and discounts. You may also consider browsing on individual airline websites late at night to find airfare best deals. Some airlines update their database at night and you may find reserved tickets not yet paid and offered at a lower price.

Be flexible with your booking dates. Usually you can save a lot if you book three to four weeks in advance. For instance, on holidays you get to pay more if you book closer to the holiday. Airfares also follow the rule of supply and demand, as the bookings rise the airfare also goes up. It is important that you are flexible and open to change of flight dates and do not insist on your desired date, or else you will pay more.

There are a lot of ways to cut down on expenses and save money while you travel. You can always find the airfare best deals you are looking for to help you save more.

Did you know that you can really travel cheap? Do you want to learn the deepest darkest secrets of cheap airfare? Discover how to get thousands of discounts from your tickets and know how you can earn free vouchers for airfare tickets. To find low cost international airfare visit Escape Plan


How to Find Low Cost International Airfare

Traveling is a lot of fun and whether you are a new traveler or a seasoned traveler, finding low cost international airfare will always be helpful on your budget. Prices are going up due to higher fuel costs and you have to plan ahead before traveling and get the best deals for your airfare.

Here are some tips to help you find low cost international airfare.

Buy tickets from consolidators or ticket brokers. They sell tickets at discounted price bought directly from airlines. If you get lucky you can even find 50-70% discount. You can book tickets online or look at the travel section of newspapers for cheap airfares from consolidators. But you also have to consider that ticket consolidators don't have control over the ticket with regards to changing dates and mileage accumulation and tickets are not refundable. If price is your priority then you can get the best deals from ticket consolidators but you have to be extra careful and research about the company to validate if they are legitimate.

Compare airfare prices. Shop around online and compare prices to find low cost international airfare. Popular online travel agencies like Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia don't always have the lowest price but you still have to check them out to compare prices to get the best deals and find low cost international airfare. Look also at individual airline sites and look for lowest airfare rates. Always check airfare rates if you are serious on getting low international airfare and save money because airfare rates fluctuate constantly.

Be flexible with you travel dates. Do not go with the crowd on holidays. Tickets are more expensive a day before and after holidays. If you could travel on the holiday itself or days before and after you can save a lot. You can also find low cost international airfare for flexible travel dates and save a lot if you don't insist on specific dates and open for change of dates.

Take advantage of specialty discounts. There are specialty discounts that you can find for your family, for students and for senior citizens online. You can find discounts, promotions, special fares allowing you to have a low cost international airfare and save a lot. This may include last minute reservations with hotel and car packages.

There are a lot of ways to find low cost international airfare you just have to be patient and plan ahead to find the best deals. Use your time to find the best airfare that will meet your needs and save a lot of money.

Did you know that you can really travel cheap? Do you want to learn the deepest darkest secrets of cheap airfare? Discover how to get thousands of discounts from your tickets and know how you can earn free vouchers for airfare tickets. To find low cost international airfare visit Escape Plan

How to Find a Child Custody Lawyer in Your Area


Child custody case is a painful process to go through not only for you but for your child as well, but this is the reality of life. All you can do is get the best out of the situation and try to get a favorable child custody arrangement with your ex-spouse. Of course the first step is find a child custody lawyer in your area. Here are some tips to help you find your lawyer:

Search online. You can search online to find a child custody lawyer. These are lawyers who are expert in family law located in your area. Online search will help you get names and contact numbers of qualified lawyers for your needs. You can also check their names and public records online to know if these lawyers have good reputation and records.

Networking with friends and relatives. You do not have to be alone on this greatest battle of your life which is trying to win custody for your child. Ask your friends and relatives if they can help you find a child custody lawyer in your area. It is much better if they can recommend someone they know that can represent you on your child custody case.

Ask your local bar association. If possible, ask about the local bar association in your area or in your state to find a child custody lawyer. Get the list of lawyers who are expert in family law and in handling child custody cases and contact them.

Get in touch with groups and associations dealing with the same problem you are going through in your area. These people can give you advice based on their experiences and you can learn from them. Chances are, these people will also offer help to find a child custody lawyer for you in your area.

Child custody case is a very stressful and painful process but this is the greatest battle of your life. You cannot afford to take things lightly and just let things happened. Do you want to get the best chance of winning a child custody case? Discover how to get favorable child custody arrangement and protect the best interest of your child visit Child Custody: Psychologists Strategies

How to Get a Favorable Child Custody Arrangement

Marriage may fail. You may find yourself not being able to get along well with your spouse. Thus, you might end up living separately, but this does not mean that you will also concede to being apart to your kids. In this case, knowing how to get a favorable child custody arrangement is very crucial.

Custody pertains to the legal and custodial rights of the parent to the child. It also entails certain duties and responsibilities that must be met by the parent. There are different alternatives and setups as to child custody arrangement. Parents may work out for a joint legal custody. One parent may also insist for sole custody. The choice of arrangement depends primarily on the state that you belong to. There might be a policy adhered to by your locality that will determine the arrangement. The choice can also depend on the situations of the spouses, as well as the needs of the child.

It is very crucial that you get to know the important considerations factored in so you can know how to get a favorable child custody arrangement. This may not be an easy thing to do but it is something that you can do. Know where you stand and firmly hold on things that will give you the winning edge.

How to Get a Favorable Child Custody Arrangement

Here are some pointers to keep in mind. These will help you learn the ways on how to get a favorable child custody arrangement.

1. Best Interests of the Child. Almost all of the child custody arrangements will focus on the best interests of the child. There will be no definite formula to determine the best interests of the child. However, keep in mind that this will always depend on the circumstances of the parents and the needs of the child. Thus, you may want to consider the aspects that you possess. These must show that you can provide the most favorable setup for the child.

2. Be Careful in Telling Your Motivation. You should also be wary of the things that you will tell to the judge or mediator. Watch your words, to get a better chance for a favorable child custody arrangement. Most people think that they can win a case by making the other spouse look bad. However, it is important to simply focus on the situation and stress on your good points. Sometimes, bashing your wife or husband might be interpreted as your mere move to retaliate.

3. Get a Good Representation. Some people go through the custody action without any representation. However, it can be very crucial to get an attorney who can properly represent you to get a favorable child custody arrangement. Many people worry over this, fearing that they may have to hire some expensive lawyer to get their desired results.

All you really need to know is how to access the services of an attorney who has sufficient experience in the field to get a favorable child custody arrangement. He or she must know at least some evaluators or guardians who can help in the procedure.

4. Control Your Emotions. Most judges and mediators will evaluate the capacities of the parents through their impressions. Thus, it is very important to keep your cool during the evaluation to get a better chance for a favorable child custody arrangement. Make sure you stay calm even if things are not going the way you want them. Always stick to your priority of doing the best for your child.

5. Maintain Good Relations with Your Child. Finally, it is best that you stay in contact with your kids. Be the good parent to them so that they can survive this phase. You will naturally work towards knowing how to get a favorable child custody arrangement if you feel deep in your heart the care for your child.

There are many ways to explore on how to get a favorable child custody arrangement. Just always prioritize how your kids are doing. Your being a good parent will be your number one key.

If you are presently involved in a child custody dispute (or might be involved in one in the future) this is the information of great importance that you should have. Discover a unique program developed by respected child custody experts that will give you the best chance of winning a favorable child custody arrangement visit Child Custody: Psychologists Strategies


Disputes in Child Custody- How to Get Positive Results

If you are a parent, settling disputes in child custody is the most financially and emotionally draining legal issue that you do not wish to go through. But due to life’s circumstances like divorce, it is necessary to talk about child’s guardianship. The sad thing is that when parents failed to settle the custody on amicable agreement; legal action should be done to settle the disputes.

There are laws surrounding child custody that concerns the best interest of the child, who can provide the support and upbringing needed by the child. Of course as a parent you want to provide for your child and there are things you can do to get a favorable child custody arrangement. 

If your spouse declined to agree on a reasonable custody arrangement, you need to take a concrete decision to get a qualified child custody attorney to represent you in court and help you settle disputes in child custody. Have your claims and proposal be known right from the start. Even if the marriage didn’t work, you are still a parent.

Disputes in child custody are not only difficult for parents but especially to their children who need to accept the separation of parents and now need to put up with custody issues. Remember, whatever happens, your best interest as a parent is the welfare of your child. Re-assure your child that what is happening is not his/her fault and you want the best for him/her. 

Getting positive results in settling disputes in child custody is not an easy feat but there are help available for you. Dr. Barry Bricklin and Dr. Gail Elliot, two of the country’s most famous and respected child custody experts, have developed a unique program that gives you the best chance of wining a favorable custody arrangement. Find out how visit Child Custody: Psychologists Strategies.

How to Increase Your Chance of Getting Custody of Your Child

There are unavoidable circumstances in a marriage and sometimes it leads to separation and divorce. If you have children, the divorce will be followed by child custody issues and of course as a parent you want to get a favorable arrangement. There are things you can do to increase your chance of getting custody of your child.

There are different scenarios and arrangements; there are cases that both parents are granted joint custody of the child and in some cases a parent may insist on sole custody of the child. Here are some tips to increase your chance of getting custody of your child.

Get a very good lawyer. It is best to settle child custody through negotiation but in case you have to file a case in court, it is important to get the best lawyer to properly represent you. Get someone who has the experience in representing child custody case. Listen to your lawyer because he or she knows how to deal with your situation. Tell all that facts for your lawyer to help you in getting custody of your child. Work out with your lawyer on how to feel comfortable and get familiar with the procedures and questioning regarding your case.

Be civil with your spouse. It is important for your child to see that you still respect the other parent despite of the divorce and the child custody case. It will not increase your chance of getting custody of your child if you speak badly about the other parent in front of your child. If you want to prove you are a better parent, words are not enough, you need to document everything as a proof. Document everything about your relationship with your child and the parenting issues of the other parent.

Be a good parent to your child. A failed marriage doesn't mean you have to fail as a parent. When getting custody of your child, keep in mind the best interests of your child and try to be the best parent your child could have. It is important to keep a good relationship with your child and the welfare your kid should be your priority.

Failed marriage is painful but it doesn't mean you have to be separated with your child too. As a good parent, you want the best for your child and there are things you can do to increase your chance of getting custody of your child.

Do you want to discover a unique program developed by respected child custody experts that will give you the best chance of winning a favorable child custody arrangement? Visit Child Custody: Psychologists Strategies