Every time I come home after a hard day at work, I know that she can hear me even before I touch the door handle. As soon as I open the front door she runs to hug me, saying “Daddy, daddy, daddy”! I kneel, put my arms around her and kiss her. It’s a moment I’m waiting for every day. One of the best things ever in my life. I’m sure many fathers would agree. My Mina is almost two, she can say only a few words (dad, mom, grandma, grandpa, “ba” for ball, “ma” for small babies and dolls, and similar things), but her eyes, her small hands around my neck and her smile mean to me more than anything in this world. All of a sudden I’m not tired and worried anymore. My little angel makes all the problems go away. So, when we get together in the afternoon, “Dad and daughter” time starts

Unfortunately, I have only a few hours in the morning and in the evening to spend with Mina. The time flies so quickly, I can tell you that. Still, I try to use these precious moments in the best possible way so that we can play, learn, read, have fun and laugh together.

When I was a kid, children spent most of their time outside, playing with ball, dolls or just running around. However, the situation has drastically changed nowadays, since modern technology has become inevitable part of our lives and lives of our children. Today’s kids are fast learners and their technological know-how very quickly outstrips our own. They are becoming computer-literate before they have even started primary school. Not to mention “techno-babies” who can handle an iPad before they’ve mastered how to tie their shoes. This is the case with my daughter as well, though I can’t stop wondering how a 20-month old child could have learned to use my Windows phone so quickly. She knows how to switch it on, find the folder with the videos, and press the PLAY button. So, we often take a seat in our cozy brown armchair and enjoy watching the clips from the New Year performance when we were waiting for Santa to show up and bring her presents. We also watch videos of us playing in the park, swinging, kicking the ball, etc. In time I got used to the fact that we have to watch the same video for six or seven times in a row.

Toddlers love repetition because that’s the way they learn best. Listening or watching something many times helps them remember information and it improves their memory. Toddlers also repeat activities for the sheer joy of mastering something. Once they have learned to put a puzzle together, for example, they may want to do it over and over just to enjoy their new skill. Repetition is their way of reminding themselves of what they can do and enjoying that excitement of completion all over again. Finally, they love repetition because it brings familiar and comforting things.

One of our top father-daughter activities is reading books together. We have already built a library of beautifully illustrated titles for children, and we are constantly adding new ones to it, though we are running out of shelves to place all these books. Currently we read various picture books with short stories about animals, boys and girls and their families, such as “Open the Little Windows”, a book series by Emanuela Busollati, or “I Love You Little One”, by Marco Campanella.

“Once upon a time, there was a little ostrich who loved playing ball games in the garden. However, one day, he broke his grandmother’s window, because he kicked the ball too hard. His grandma reproached him, saying that he should be more careful next time when playing outside”. This is the story we enjoy reading at least four times every day. In fact, we read and act out the story simultaneously. We do the same things as the main characters, sympathize with them if they are sad, or share their happiness. We repeat their hand-waving, telling “No, no, you should not be doing that”, or “Bravo, that’s my girl, you did a great job”. Sometimes, it’s pretty hard for me to concentrate and read with the same enthusiasm the same story for so many times in a row. However, seeing happy face of my little one, eagerly waiting to see what will come next, as if she is not familiar with the plot, gives me the energy. More importantly, I believe every parent should try to instill love of reading in their children, as they can only benefit from it later in life. I was shocked when I heard that, according to a recent survey, less than two percent of people in Serbia read books.

The benefits of reading start with the first book a baby sees and hears, it continues into childhood and throughout the child’s life. There are many reasons why reading is so important. In the first place, reading improves concentration and teaches children about the world around them. It enriches a child’s vocabulary and leads to more highly-developed language skills. In addition, reading helps them develop their imagination. Parents have the power to boost children’s learning potential by simply making books an integral part of their lives. Finally, reading will bring you and your child closer together.

We love to dance, chase each other around the flat and play peek-a-boo as well. My daughter is also very fond of music. She often takes a small plastic microphone and performs her “latest hits”. In addition, she adores songs for children and nursery rhymes on Baby TV. We often search for them on Youtube, where we can listen to our favourite ones more than once. The top 2 are “Kalinka Dancing Animals”, and “Greek Dancing Rabbit and Squirrel”, which make her dance just like the animals from the songs. Most of the songs we listen are in English, which is not our mother tongue. Therefore, getting exposed to other languages is beneficial, just as reading. Mina also likes spinning in circles and playing “Ring around the Rosy”. I wonder how so much spinning doesn’t make her dizzy. I can’t stand such activity for too long and usually after two circles I have to sit down. However, I’ve heard that parents should encourage their children to spin, as spinning enhances memory, restores self-regulation and improves focus.

At some point of our “daddy-daughter time”, we travel into the world of toys. She is the captain of that boat, while I’m more than glad to fulfill all the tasks of a sailor. We dress her numerous Barbie dolls in shiny dresses and there are plenty of high-heel shoes, boots and other accessories to go with. However, this is just the beginning. We move on to play with Maya the Bee, her friends (it took us months to collect them all), and her Bee-hive with mini slides and mini swing. We try to make all the characters stand still next to each other (and Paul is always the clumsiest one who crushes all the figures around him, making us laugh). When it’s cold outside, we are forced to play with our two favourite balls (smaller version of the Adidas Brazuca and the orange one) inside the house, careful not to break or destroy anything. We try not to restrict our child to gender oriented toys, so she is free to play with dolls as well as with balls and the construction set, toys traditionally intended for boys.

Then comes another type of play: taking a plastic dog toy on a leash for a walk, along with a ladybug wooden push toy. Mina always chooses to play with the dog, and daddy gets the ladybug (which brings a pain in my back, as it’s hard for a grown-up man to pull such a small toy. Speaking of toys, I’m not happy with the fact that our daughter already has piles of them.  No matter how much my wife and I tried to prevent this from happening, it’s simply impossible to fight against grandparents, friends and relatives who buy her something new every time they come to visit us. Thus, we have decided to divide the toys into two large boxes and put them into different places in the flat .We replace them from time to time to make sure that the child won’t get bored playing with the same toys over and over again. We also teach her to be grateful for what she has and to enjoy playing with every single thing. Making your home into a big toy store can have negative effects. Children may become spoiled, always craving for something bigger and better which is surely not what we want for our kids.

These are just some of entertaining and educational activities we enjoy every day. How do you spend time with your little ones during the cold winter months? What do you teach your children? Share with us your stories and ideas.

The post How Is It like to Be a Dad of a Two-Year-Old Daughter? appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

As children get older, they become part of a larger social world. How they come across to others and make first impression is important, not only for showing good manners, but also for social success. Children don’t need to be the most popular ones in their class, but they do need good social skills. Their ability to successfully interact socially will impact their success in school, their career path, and their lifelong relationships. The following five skills can help your child make a good first impression:

1. A Sincere Smile

A smile says you’re happy to meet someone, and everyone loves to feel like people are happy to meet them. Practice introducing yourself to your child with and without smiling to show the point. Explain them that genuine smile and gentle handshake when meeting someone for the first time are always desirable.

2. Good Body Language

Body language, as a form of nonverbal communication, can reveal whether someone is happy or sad, excited or angry.The ability to understand and use body language is a powerful tool that can help children connect with others, express what they really mean, and build better relationships. The way you can practice this skill with your children: let them watch a film or documentary on TV. Mute the sound and ask them what they think each person is feeling according to their specific body and facial expressions.

3. Eye Contact

It’s important to teach children from a young age to look people in the eye when they’re talking to them, or they could develop a habit of seeming aloof or disinterested in communicating with other people. Good eye contact conveys respect and understanding, and lets people know we are interested in what they have to say. Therefore, ask your child to hold eye contact with you for at least 15 seconds and count as you look at each other. This exercise boosts confidence in making eye contact for future introductions. Explain them that if someone doesn’t make eye contact while talking, it reveals to the other person that something or someone else is more important than the person standing right in front of him/her.

4. Listening

Many of us think that communication is talking, but good communication requires good listening skills as well. In fact, since we have two ears and only one mouth, listening just might be the more important skill. However, nowadays it seems that listening is a forgotten social skill. We hear mostly what we want to hear, not what the other person is trying to communicate to us. It’s easy to recognize that someone is actively listening: eye contact, open body language, an engaged facial expression, nodding one’s head or asking questions. To practice this skill with your children, tell them a story, something new and different with a few fun details that children might remember. To make sure they were actively listening, ask them questions related to your story or if they can retell it.

5. Respect

Teaching children good manners is teaching them, among other things, to treat others with respect. Explain them that no adult should be called by his or her first name unless they let them do so. Furthermore, discuss with your children the way they greet and address their neighbors, friends, parents, teachers, shop assistants, post office clerks. This will help them later in life for communication with superiors and colleagues in the workplace.

How do you teach your children social skills? Share with us your ideas.

The post 5 Skills to Help Your Child Lead Successful Social Life appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Children begin their drawing process from the moment they are big enough to hold a crayon or pencil and put it to paper.  For little ones drawing represents a natural activity, usually with much enjoyment. They draw in order to express emotions, because they don’t know how to express different feelings through words. They express their fears, joys, dreams,  hopes and nightmares through drawings, and also give you leads about their relationships to the world and to other things.

Drawing is an outlet for communication, and children’s artwork represents a view of their personalities. Children’s drawings are unique and can give us precise information about the young artists.

Every parent hopes to find some meaning in his child’s drawings. Sometimes drawings are just drawings, with nothing more than a fun playtime showing itself on the page. But sometimes, interpreting children’s drawings means that you discover a deeper layer to what they are thinking and feeling.

So, don’t read too much into a drawing, but instead allow the child to tell you what the drawing means to them. Asking questions, such as what the people in the drawing are doing, can reveal things from your child that you might never see yourself.

Drawing Stages

There are three stages of children’s drawings: Scribbling, Pre-Schematic, and Schematic stages.

1. Scribbling    (2-4 years)

At this stage, there is no realism in the pictures, and they are mostly just marks on a page. It might seem like there is nothing there, but sometimes children create something called “fortuitous realism.” This means that when the scribbles are done, you might be able to see certain shapes,  resembling a car or a house.

2. Pre-Schematic  (4-7 years)

At this stage, children attempt to create things they see with their eyes. They might draw the simplest things, such as faces, stick figures, cars, trucks, trees, and houses. There are usually no realistic details to these drawings. At the end of the stage, they begin adding in certain things that set their ideas apart, such as flowers in front of a house or clothes on the stick figures.

3. Schematic  (7+ years)

In this stage there is some evidence of schema. For example, a drawing of the ocean might include sea gulls, starfish, a beach ball, people wearing bathing suits, etc. Words and symbols might be added to give further messages of explaining the drawing. Drawings of humans will have more details, possibly including freckles. There is more depth and realism, and the use of new viewpoints is possible.

Gender And Colour Preferences

Unsurprisingly, there are some differences between how and what girls and boys draw. Girls usually draw rounded shapes, including flowers, hearts, while angles, boxes, and straighter lines are characteristics of boys, along with cars, buses, etc. In general terms,  there is a tendency in children to prefer to draw their own gender.

In addition, some researchers have reported that girls tend to use more colours per drawing than boys do, with a preference for warmer colours (i.e. pink) and that boys demonstrate a preference towards cooler colours (i.e. blue).

The choice of colour apparently can be significant:

• Black and purple suggest dominance, and can be favoured by a child who is relatively demanding.  Blue is popular with children who have a caring nature and enjoy company.
• Red is the colour of excitement, may be used especially by children to don’t want to miss out on anything, and is one of the most popular colours for children to use.
• Pink shows a need for love and appreciation and is favoured by girls
• Green is the colour of those who like to be different, like space, and are artistic and intelligent.
• Yellow also demonstrates intelligence and a sunny nature.

Position of the Drawing on the Page

When it comes to positioning on the page, apparently the left side of the page is traditionally associated with the past and with nurturing.  It is also associated with mothers.

The right side relates to an interest in the future, and a need to communicate.  This side is associated with fathers.

A child who places a drawing of a good size prominently on the page is considered to be well-balanced and secure, while in contrast, small figures drawn at or near the lower edge of the paper, or in a corner, express feelings of inadequacy or insecurity.

What Emotions Do Their Drawings Reveal?

Many emotions can be revealed from your child’s drawings, but don’t get too carried away with the things they might mean until your child has had time to explain them to you. However, there are some points that researchers have found that might display what a child is really feeling.

• Detailed, careful drawings may reveal a child who feels the need to try very hard.
• Bold strokes, especially if close together, can be a sign of stress, strong feelings, determination or anger, while softer marks suggest a gentler nature.
• The quality of line can also be significant ““ a figure drawn with light, wavering, broken lines, reveals a hesitant, insecure child who appears to think as he goes along.  By contrast the bold, continual, freely drawn line is expressive of self-confidence, and a feeling of security.

When drawing figures, the size, and the relative size of the figures drawn is considered to be significant, with more important or dominant figures being drawn larger.

The absence of arms is sometimes interpreted as indicating timidity, a sign of non-aggressive children, whereas exaggerating the size of the hands is seen as symbolic of aggressive tendencies if the figure is a self-portrait.  Likewise, tiny feet are seen as a sign of insecurity ““ literally an unstable foundation.

• Impulsive child: Big figures, no necks, and asymmetry of limbs.

• Anxious child: Clouds, rain, flying birds, no eyes on the figures

• Shy child: Short figures, no nose or mouth, tiny figures and arms close to the body

• Angry child: Big hands and teeth, long arms, crossed eyes

• Insecure child: Monstrous figures, tiny heads, no hands, and slanted figures

How to Encourage Your Children’s Drawings

Learning to interpret and decode children’s drawings can be very useful for you as a parent. However, try to encourage this creative activity as well.

Art experiences help children develop independence within limits, and gives them the opportunity to represent their ideas on paper or in other formats.  Most importantly, creative expression lets children tap into the magic of their own imaginations, which is what being a child is all about.

Here are some of the things you can do to encourage your child to draw more:

• Make art a regular part of playtime.  Offer them various drawing utensils such as crayons, thick pencils, and washable markers.  Cut paper bags up to draw on.  Sometimes it helps young children out if you tape the paper down on the table so it doesn’t move as they draw.
• No need for instructions.  Let your child experiment and explore and express his creativity in his own way.  This independent child needs to feel confident, competent, and clever.
• Notice the process, not just the product.  Participate in their drawing process, instead of just complimenting your child’s success.  Help him draw some more complicated things, or choose together appropriate colours for a house of tree.
• Use art to help your child express strong feelings.  If your child is feeling angry, help him/her express such emotions by drawing very angry picture.
• Display your child’s art and writing.  This is how your child knows his/her work is valued and important.

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Do you like to draw with your kids? Would you share some of your kids’ drawings with us? That would be wonderful!

The post Learn to decode children’s drawings appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Ancient Egyptians used it. The Bible even mentioned it.

What is it?

Honey.

Since the dawn of time, honey  has always been  a well thought of, glorified superfood – “a gift from Heaven”. Ancients  used synonyms nectar and the food of the gods to describe honey and its healing properties. This was not without the reason.

They  had found many uses for honey – ones that continue to this day. They used it to flavor drinks. They used it as a popular medicine, and the principal component of curative ointments and healing plasters that aided in lung problems. Even the very oldest mythologies praised the invigorating, and health-giving qualities of honey.

Honey is also mentioned in ancient texts such as the Indian Vedas, the Jewish Torah, Bible, Koran. It is also known that the ancient Egyptians used honey in their diet, but also as an ingredient in the embalming fluid.

For a long time between, honey was the only sweetener that has been widely available to people before the mass production of sugar.

Today honey  is still very popular and is considered one of the nature’s best and most powerful natural products. It has properties that make it an indispensable part of a healthy diet but also a very important ally in fighting those winter colds.

Can you imagine  winter without honey?  We can’t!

According to the National Nutrient Database from the United States Department of Agriculture, the nutrition found in honey is beneficial in the following ways:

Health Benefits

Honey, specifically raw, is considered a superfood. Below are just a few of its numerous benefits:

• Boosts immunity: Raw honey has antibacterial and antiviral properties that can help boost your immune system and fight sickness. Honey also contains flavonoids, which are antioxidants that can help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

• Heals wounds: Applying honey topically is known to be as effective as ingesting it. Certain types of honey are used to treat wounds, skin ulcers and sores.

• Increases athletic performance: While many athletes rely on sports drinks and gels to refuel themselves, honey (which has 17 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon) is an even better all-natural energy fuel.

• Helps mitigate cold and flu symptoms: Cough and throat irritation that comes along with a cold or flu can be lessened with the help of honey. In a study of 110 children, a single dose of buckwheat honey was just as effective as a single dose of the medicine dextromethorphan in relieving nocturnal cough and allowing proper sleep. Another study involving 105 children found that buckwheat honey also beat dextromethorphan in suppressing night time coughs. These studies have proven that honey is a great holistic and natural way to treat symptoms, without having to buy pricey medications.

• Regulates blood sugar: The sugar in honey is not the same as in white sugar or artificial sweeteners. This type of sugar actually helps the body regulate blood sugar levels. Still be cautious with honey if you have diabetes.

Honey Precautions for Children

Pediatricians strongly caution against giving raw honey to children under age one. Honey could contain the spores of the botulism bacteria and immune systems of infants aren’t developed enough to defend them against an infection.

Eating Honey

Pure and raw honey is the best for you and your family and contains vitamins, minerals and enzymes you won’t find in refined honey. Here are some tips on how to consume honey in the yummiest ways:

• Use when baking – For every cup of sugar a recipe calls for, replace it with 3/4 cup of honey (for best results, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, reduce another liquid in your recipe by 1/4 cup and reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees).

• Start your day sweetly – Drinking a glass of warm water with honey and lemon in the morning and could help you see benefits such as improved digestion, decreased constipation and a boost of energy. Also add to your hot tea instead of sugar.

• Include at dinnertime – Top your salad at dinner with a mix of honey, lemon and olive oil for an especially-healthy, natural salad dressing.

There are many great recipes with honey. Visit  www.honey.com for more ideas.

How do you cook? Do you use sugar or honey instead? Can you share some of the recipes you use with us?

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If Yes, what were the health benefits you had because of your use of honey. Please share your comments in the section below.

The post Honey: Nature’s Sweet Superfood appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Read these valuable tips to get ideas on how you can teach your child math:

1. Writing down a language you are teaching is extremely helpful for both parent(s) and child. It is far easier to be consistent in teaching when the information is written in a form that can be repeated precisely, easily and often. For example, daily schedules listing time and events, records of time and distance in physical activities, recipes, household budget facts, and detailed weather reports provide your child with a fine mathematical environment when written in large print and posted throughout the house. 2. Sharing your wealth of practical mathematical knowledge can be accomplished efficiently by planning to teach one area at a time. Let’s take distance as an example. You might begin by measuring prominent household objects, hallways, doorways, windows and rooms and then speaking of them, precisely and often. Replace “Let’s crawl for a little while“ with “Let’s crawl one hundred feet””that’s two times around the living room.” The topic of distance ranges, of course, from a millimeter (the head of a pin) to thousands of miles and everything in between. That’s a lot of mathematics to learn and enjoy together, don’t you think? You never need to run out of ideas in using the language of mathematics as there are so many readily available sources at your disposal: 3. The daily newspaper is a good example. Open it up to virtually any page and focus on numbers in advertisements, the weather reports, sports page statistics, stocks and bonds or the price of gold and silver. Depending on your child’s interest, each could become a short or long term project of study in math. 4. Even the telephone directory is a helpful source as the first section lists domestic and international time zones quite clearly. Using the simple guidelines of Eastern Standard Time, Central Time, Rocky Mountain Time, etc., your child can easily learn to compute that when it is noon (lunch time) in Philadelphia, it’s nine o’clock in the morning (breakfast time) in Los Angeles. 5. You can also use a world map and teach your child to compute world times. By using a world map marked with time zones, you can teach that at eight o’clock at night (bedtime) in Philadelphia, it’s ten o’clock the next morning in Tokyo, and the children are in school. 6. Dictionaries and encyclopedias provide a wealth of interesting math facts to be taught and compared. For example, the cheetah runs 60 miles per hour; the elephant can run 30 miles per hour, half that speed. Rembrandt was born in the year 1606 and lived 63 years; Picasso was born 212 years later. The heart beats around 70 times per minute, 100,000 times per day. The Statue of Liberty is 150 feet high; the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France is 984 feet tall. This type of information can form an interesting story or problem each day. For example, if we wanted to climb Mt. Everest in five days, how many miles must we climb each day to reach the top? 7. The language of mathematics is virtually as wide and endless as the universe. The earth is 25,000 miles around”¦The distance from the earth to the moon is 220,000 miles”¦One orbit around the sun for the planet Pluto takes 248 years”¦Light travels at a speed of 186,000 miles per second”¦ Mathematics is a fascinating journey that every parent can take with their child, with confidence and joy. And equipped with the language of math, the destinations are unlimited. [divider]   How do you teach your child math? Do you have any ideas that you would share with the rest of the parents? If yes, please share them in the comment section below. We’d love to read about them.

Author: The Institutes for the Achievement of Intellectual Excellence [divider] More on the Institutes for the Achievement of Intellectual Excellence The Institutes are a group of nonprofit institutes founded by Glenn Doman in 1955. The Institutes are internationally known for their pioneering work in child brain development. The objective of The Institutes is to help all children achieve intellectual, physical, and social excellence. When The Institutes began more than a half-century ago, it was thought that very young children were not able to learn much. Many thought at that time that intelligence was genetically determined and essentially unchangeable. Glenn Doman and his early team questioned this notion. They proposed that the brain had enormous potential and that this potential was not being fully realized. They wanted to give children a chance to be whatever they wanted to be and to be the very best they could achieve. Over the many years that The Institutes have had the privilege of teaching parents, they have discovered that children really can learn absolutely anything that can be taught in a loving and happy way.

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Can I really expect my child to learn good table manners? What can I teach him? What’s the best way to tackle these lessons? What should I do when my kid misbehaves at the table? What are some good rules? How can I get my child to behave in restaurants?

Have you ever asked yourself such questions? If you have, maybe you should know that you must be creative in order to help your children to master the art of good table manners. Otherwise, they may not accept new table rules so easily. Prepare them their favourite meal, use some interesting plates, perhaps with pictures of cartoon heroes to serve the food, in order to encourage them to start eating.

The following manners are fundamental to all meals. Share them with your kids and discuss why they are important. Practice them together as a family:

• Make them come to the table with clean hands and face. No one wants to look at a dirt-covered face while eating
• Serve small portions on small plates and small cups. Let the child regulate his or her own intake. Serving large portions and insisting on a clean plate can lead to overeating and the loss of self-regulation. Let them know they can get more if they are still hungry. Make sure you sit next to kids all the time while they are eating. Remove their plate when you see they don’t feel hungry anymore.
• During the meals, teach them not to talk with their mouth full

• Teach them to say “please” and “thank you”

• When your children can eat independently, teach them how to use spoon and fork. At the beginning, use the plastic ones.
• Teach them how to use a napkin. First, show your kid how to place it in his lap when he sits. Next, show him how to wipe his mouth and replace it on his lap.
• As they grow older, they should learn to start eating only when everyone at the table has been served. Furthermore, they should not make bad comments about the food like “Yuck!” Someone has spent time and effort to make the meal and negative comments can only hurt feelings. In addition, they should ask to be excused when finished with eating.

• You can teach your schoolers more good table manners. Show them how to sit up straight. Teach them to take small amounts of food and chew with their mouth closed. They should not to make rude noises like slurping while eating a soup. They should use a napkin to wipe food off their face or fingers. They should learn how to use a fork and knife properly. By now, kids have developed the fine motor skills necessary to cut their own food. Show them how to gently slice back and forth, rather than stabbing at the chicken. When they say they have finished, allow them to take their plate to the sink.

• Praise and even reward their good behaviour at the table. In the same time, don’t let them finish their dinner if they won’t cooperate and follow your rules at the table. Take their plates away and end the meal, without being emotional and angry and pushy. Thus they will understand the concept of punishment.

They should always sit in the same chair at the dinner table. This will help them gain confidence and a sense of belonging.

Eating out with children

Before going to a restaurant, choose something nice to wear for your kids. Talk about table manners and tell them how they should behave in a restaurant. For instance, no shouting and running around in the restaurant, as this is considered rude. Avoid restaurants when your children are very tired, poorly or really hungry as tantrums are more likely. At the restaurant, first order food for the kids and do it quickly to prevent they get hyperactive or bored. In addition, you will need to shorten the time spent there. If your children still get nervous, take them outside for a short walk.

Read about some more advice in the following link.

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Author: Novosti.rs

The post Teach Your Children Good Table Manners appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

The festive season is over and the decorations have been put away for another year. Over numerous living rooms around the world lie new toys scattered to the four winds; some hotly anticipated, some not so much. Now, many parents face the dilemma: how to get their children to thank the kind and generous gift givers. With school terms starting again and children on the verge of busy and tiring days, now is the best time to get the thank yous ticked off the list. Easier said than done when the job descends into a battleground full of tears and tantrums. What a way to end the festive season!

Here are a few handy tips to help you make the process as painless as possible

1)  Think about what kind of a thank you, you are going to send: Whilst thank you letters may be seen to be old fashioned when you can dash off a quick email on behalf of your child, don’t dismiss them too quickly. There is nothing nicer than receiving a card in the mail even if it is just the wobbly letters forming ‘Thank You, Love from …’

2)  Talk to your child about why we send thank you letters: If children understand the importance of taking the trouble to thank people who gave up their time and money to buy them a present, there are much more likely to appreciate their role in the process. Involve them in choosing the way to thank friends and relatives, for example getting them to choose the cards that they send. This will also encourage them to show pride in their thank you letters and really put effort into the presentation of their handwriting too.

3)  Think about the age and development of your child:  it is absolutely of no use expecting an eloquent, lengthy letter if your child can barely write their own name. Just because other children in their class are able to write a whole page as a thank you letter, don’t assume that your child can do that too. If they struggle with writing, both with the physicality of the task as well as articulating their thoughts on paper, forcing them through several drafts of one letter when there are a dozen to write will more than likely put them off writing completely.

4)  Think about the size of the task: There is a big difference between expecting one long and articulate letter and having to write a dozen of them. Think about how many they have to write and how long the whole task should take them. If they have a lot of letters to write, then think about shortening the letter length or buy thank you cards with some of the work done already to scaffold your child’s response.

5)  Split up the task into manageable chunks: Little hands take years to develop the muscle strength as well as the concentration required for continuous writing. Don’t expect all the letters to be completed at once and maybe spend a session planning the format of letters together. Think about the concentration span of your child and think about setting them goals e.g. a half hour timer or completing two letters.

6)  Plan in some reward time: This isn’t bribery, but providing an incentive to complete the task well. It could be the promise of a kick around in the garden, or cooking in the kitchen. After time sat at a table concentrating there is a real benefit in some physical activity and some fresh air, or a change of scene and activity.

7)  Creative alternatives: Whilst I love a thank you letter, and in today’s fast paced world of communication I believe it represents genuine thought and effort, I may be justly criticised for being old fashioned. There are a number of other ways for children to show their appreciation, and if you decide that letters just aren’t right for you and your child, here are some other ideas:

• Record a video together and email it.
• Write an acrostic poem.
• Draw or paint a picture.
• Take a picture of your child playing with their gift.
• Take a picture of your child holding up a thank you note.

How else do you get your children to say thank you? We would love to hear your suggestions too

The post Children and Thank You Letters appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

One was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Another one was accused of headbutting a referee and racism. And then there’s the eccentric rebounder, who checked into an alcohol-rehabilitation center after he sang “Happy Birthday” to the North Korean leader and suffered an angry meltdown during a CNN interview.

Coaches are movies. Players are snapshots – Frank Deford.

They are all famous sports characters that, indeed, do more than just win. The great player and coach John Wooden once said:

The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.

So what does it really mean that sport builds character? No one in the world provokes this question more than legendary athletes, with less of an understanding of what lurks beneath the surface. Centuries worth of scientific thought, social psychology and behavioral neuroscience have attempted to answer this fundamental question. Yet, the diversity of views and opinions is so grand that it has made the answer remarkably elusive. Today we make an effort to understand the relation between sports participation and children’s character development, looking at this complex issue from the perspective that all sports provide opportunities to pursue excellence of character under the right conditions – through mutual encouragement, challenge, and support. Athletic history brims with embodied examples of why the secret of athletic genius is doggedness rather than “god”-given talent, from the case of a world champion boxer Muhammad Ali to the former world number one female tennis player Martina Navratilova to the greatest male track and field athlete Carl Lewis. We now know that their level of athletic excellence takes enormous courage, dedication, fairness, honesty, leadership, respect, and that the impetus to reboot from autopilot is crucial to reaching such level. But, while not every champion of character may necessarily become an Olympian, they can be the best they can be. And it takes a brilliant scholar of the psychology of character to empirically prove these champions. In her excellent NPR’s TED Radio Hour with Guy Raz  “Is Having Grit The Key To Success?”, Angela Lee Duckworth challenges us to reconsider the character trait that appears to be the most essential for children to attain their goals: hard work and perseverance.

Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority,  Vince Lombardi scoffed.

However, one of Duckworth’s most important points for the character development through sport has to do with her advice to parents and educators about cultivating children’s character – she points to Carol  Dweck‘s (2007) seminal insights about “growth” vs. “fixed” mindsets as the key. While a “fixed mindset” assumes that our character is static and can’t be changed, a “growth mindset,” on the other hand, thrives on challenge and sees failure as a heartening springboard for growth. The consequences of believing that character can be developed rather than being immutably engrained traits makes the character development through sport extremely relevant, since through sports children learn that failure is not a permanent condition. While victory may increase their self-esteem, defeat, despite eventual negative effect on children’s confidence, may teach them how to overcome deficiencies and grow. Additionally, Dweck’s idea emphasizes the role of coaches, parents, other role models as well as of the media. As John Wooden captured this:

Character has always been important. But with changes in society today, it needs more reinforcement than ever before.

It is well established that cognitive, social and emotional skills are shaped early in life (Currie & Almond, 2011). Moreover, physically active children develop better social-emotional skills tied to academic success and well-being. Felfe, Lechner and Steinmayr (2011) found that children participating in sports have fewer emotional and peer problems and that they feel more comfortable in school. Moreover, participating in sport might increase child’s perspective-taking ability, which involves understanding a situation from multiple points of view (Coakley, 1984; Martens, 1976). For example, understanding the sport setting from one’s own as well as the opponent’s perspective, allows a youth athlete to take advantage of strategic openings. In addition, in order to understand one’s role on a team, it is important for a child to understand and coordinate with the roles of the teammates. And while sports determine child’s ability against teammates and opponents, comparison against peers is also linked to higher self-esteem (Horn and Weiss, 1991). As I grew older, I came to believe that my character had been affected simply because I grew up playing volleyball. I’m quite sure I would’ve been a somewhat different person – and a different sort of writer, as well – had I spent more time playing video games as a child. And the older I get, the more I realize I am a snapshot of a movie. Certainly, I would not have been the me I am, had I not been influenced by coaches from Slovenia, Serbia, and the United States. Nor would have, without their coaches, Michael Phelps been a 22-time Olympic medalist in swimming, Luis Suarez the first non-European to win the PFA Player of the Year Award, or Dennis Rodman  a five-time NBA champion. However, victory doesn’t happen without character, which, under the television lights, remains our own responsibility.

Or as  Anaïs Nin  illustrates the intricate interplay between the formative role of parenting and the plasticity of our personality:

We cannot always place responsibility outside of ourselves, on parents, nations, the world, society, race, religion.

Neither victory nor violent incident happens on its own. There’s Phelps that has been banned from the USA Swimming team. And there’s Phelps that established the Foundation, and who inspires children to live healthy and active lives. There’s Suarez that headbutted an official. And there’s Suarez that walked onto the pitch before a game, holding his young daughter’s hand and cradling his sleeping son. There’s Rodman that sang “Happy Birthday” to Kim Jong-un. And there’s Rodman that choke during an emotional speech at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, giving a look at what’s underneath all the tattoos and outrageous outfits.. In order to promote the principles of good character through sport and to avoid its negative effects, there is a set of measures and initiatives that should be adopted by the supervising coaches, parents, as well as other role models and media. More specifically, these should address: (1) integration of empathy into the goals of a physical education, (2) dialogue, (3) team-building exercises, (4) positive reinforcement, (5) self-improvement rather than self-comparison, (6) inclusion rather than an exclusive dynamic, (7) frequent encouragement and corrective coaches feedback, and (8) youth empowerment. Complement these recommendations with  Craig Clifford’s Coaching for Character: Reclaiming the Principles of Sportsmanship.

The post Building Character Through Sport appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

While you shouldn’t depend solely on food to keep your brain healthy, snacking some of the following will help you build a mammoth mind and a massive memory. Discover real food for thought.

It’s been a month since I started doing a student exchange program, far away from my native country. Every day at home I used to enjoy delicious meals my mom prepared for me. Lots of fresh veggies and fruits were on the menu. I wasn’t thinking much about my diet as I knew everything in my plate was healthy and nutritious, boosting my energy level and providing all the necessary vitamins for my bodily functions.

However, a few days ago I was at a student canteen, where I was hoping to find something similar for lunch. The options were numerous – there was Chinese and Mexican food, burgers, various sauces and cookies”¦ Everything seemed tasty, but probably not so nutritious. What are the foods school children and students should incorporate into their diet each day in order to make healthy eating choices, be able to concentrate better at classes and perform well at school or college?

Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day

It is required that we kick-start our day with a good and healthy breakfast. Having breakfast is like fuelling the car with the right petrol to start it off. Without a proper fuel, our bodies and minds go to sleep mode, thereby affecting our concentration levels which might have a drastic effect on our work outcomes. You need to have a breakfast that provides you with sufficient amount of energy to go through the morning hours. While adults need to eat breakfast each day to perform their best, the kids need it even more. Their growing bodies and developing brains need regular refuelling. Studies have shown that kids who skip breakfast are tardy and absent from school more often than children who eat breakfast on a regular basis. Preparing a good breakfast can be as quick and easy as splashing some milk over cereal, or making an oatmeal or a healthy smoothie.Here are a few simple ways how you can achieve king sized nutritional breakfast.

Oatmeal is a rich source of fibre, protein and omega-3 fatty acids, it reduces the “bad” cholesterol that can increase risk of heart attacks and strokes. In addition, oats have low glycaemic index (GI), and thus release glucose gradually into the bloodstream. The blood glucose response is slower and flatter. As low GI foods they prolong digestion due to their slow break down and may help with satiety (feeling full).

If you are serving old-fashioned slow-cook oatmeal, sprinkled in pecans, hazelnuts, almonds or fruits such as prunes, raisins, peaches, strawberries, mango and pears, sweeten it with a little brown sugar or honey, or add some peanut butter.

If you are fond of peanut butter, here are some ideas for your healthy breakfast:

• Whole grain bread, peanut butter, low-fat milk and fresh fruit
• Tortilla with bananas and peanut butter

Go with whole grains whenever you have a choice “” you’ll get more filling fibre, plus a bounty of necessary nutrients. Wholegrain breads and cereals are rich in Vitamin B6, an important brain vitamin that stimulates the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, keeping the mind fresh and improving our memory and attention span. Whole grains are digested more slowly and do not raise blood glucose levels as white bread or sweet rolls.

Healthy Snacks

During a school break, the children are likely to reach for junk food such as chips, biscuits and sweets. Help them avoid these by offering healthy and nutritious alternatives such as nuts, rich in the vitamin groups B and E.Here are some ideas for healthy snacks that will restore their energy and refresh their mind:

• Walnuts are the healthiest of all the nuts and contain the highest level of antioxidants compared to other nuts. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids whose deficiency often correlates with learning difficulties in children. They are also good source of iron, magnesium, vitamins B and E group and selenium. Walnuts can be healthy snacks, or used to prepare salads, sauces, meals and cakes.

• Almonds are low in calories, containing the highest levels of calcium. They are rich in vitamin E and riboflavin, powerful antioxidants that will help you improve your memory, concentration and focus.

• Cashews are particularly rich in iron and zinc – iron helps deliver oxygen to all of our cells, which prevents anaemia, while zinc is critical to our immune system and eyesight. Magnesium is another important ingredient of cashews and it is believed that magnesium can enhance memory and prevent age-related memory loss.

• Pecans contain the brain-boosting nutrient choline. Choline belongs to the B family of vitamins. It is in demand for the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in our brain. Choline is a great nutrient that ensures optimal brain functioning. Choline not only helps an individual in proper brain functioning, but also boosts one’s memory power. The ideal sources of choline are animal foods like egg yolks and liver, which contain the most concentrated amounts of this nutrient.

Creative nut recipes:

• Mix Greek yogurt with a little honey and add walnuts, almonds or some of your favourite nuts.
• A handful of nuts also make a great addition to a salad.

Try the following:

In large salad bowl, toss together lettuce leaves, dandelion and wild garlic. Add chopped grilled chicken, fresh strawberries, blueberries and sprinkle with pecans. For topping choose fruit sauce such as raspberry vinegar.

Super Foods for Lunch and Dinner

Every pupil and student should eat a lot of fresh vegetables, whole grain cereals, meat or other protein rich foods for lunch and dinner. What they eat at lunch is critical to how well they maintain their energy through the afternoon. Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids should be on the menu as these acids are important for optimal brain development and nervous system. Foods rich in iron are also extremely important due to the fact that, as recent studies have shown, even a small deficiency of iron can negatively affect the ability to concentrate and learn.

So, the next time when you cook lunch for your children try some of the following:

In large bowl, mix one tablespoon of olive oil, one tablespoon of honey, mustard, apple cider vinegar and a little salt. Add the carrots that have previously been peeled and cut into sticks and sprinkle with raisins. You can also use celery, sweet peppers or some of your favourite vegetables and add seeds in raisins.

Avocado is among the foods containing ‘good fats’, essential for the normal brain functioning as they promote efficient blood flow to your brain. Avocado is ideal for fruit salads. Or you can use lycopene-rich tomato, spinach, red cabbage and broccoli. All these vegetables boost brain function, enhance memory, and improve concentration.

Eat balanced meals during the day and stop overeating at the dinner table as it will only burden your digestive system when you are no longer active and ready to go to bed. Explore various options and always try to make healthy food choices. Search for meals that will supply you and your family with necessary energy and keep your mind fresh and ready to face and easily overcome life’s daily challenges.

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