Lessons for Your Daughters

Every Parent wants their children to have a happy, healthy, and safe life. ( At least i hope they do! ) How can we impart true wisdom and enable our beloved young ones to avoid the mistakes we learned from? How can we teach them to love everyone - as much as possible and trust no one? How can we shelter our youth from those who would prey on their lack of experience and youthful innocence?

Simple Counsels for a Young Girl

Yes, very simple. Listen my child, and may they sink deep into your heart, as the dew sinks in the calyx of the flower.


These are my counsels:—

Distrust the love that comes too suddenly.

Distrust the pleasure that fascinates so keenly.

Distrust the words that trouble or charm.

Distrust the book that makes you dream.

Distrust the thought you cannot confide to your mother.

Treasure these counsels, and sometimes as you read them, ask yourself, "Why?" Guardian Angel of the child we are addressing, teach her the reason of these sentences that seem to her so exaggerated!

Lessons for Healthy Children

What lessons might we share with our youth to best prepare them as they grow up?

But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth" 1 John 3: 17-18

And more thoughts - an excerpt from an old French work on Love and Devotion:

Duty Towards My Neighbor
GOOD EXAMPLE.
By modest demeanor and simple dress.

By a smiling face and pleasing manner.

Always striving to give pleasure.

Faithfully fulfilling every duty.
GOOD WORDS.
Zealous without affectation, encouraging, consoling, peaceful, joyful, loving. These are possible every day.
GOOD DEEDS.
Service rendered by alms, by industry, by influence.

Ills remedied, by excusing, justifying, protecting, defending, concealing faults and mistakes; if possible, by repairing them.

Joys provided, for the mind, by a joyous manner; for the heart, by loving thanks; for the soul, by a word of Heaven.
My Duty Towards Myself
COURAGE.
In trials and adversity, disturbance, sickness, failure, humiliations.

Worries that trouble without reason.

Ill temper controlled, in order not to pain others.

After failures, to begin again.

In temptations, to withstand them.
ORDER AND METHOD.
In my occupation, each at its appointed hour.

In my recreation.

In all material things, for my benefit.

Shunning scruples and constraint as much as caprice and folly.
NOURISHMENT.
Pious thoughts, read, meditated upon, and sometimes written.

Books that elevate and excite love for all that is good and lovely.

Conversations that refresh, rejoice, and cheer; walks that expand the mind, as well as strengthen the body.

Look upon yourself as the servant of all, but without ostentation, or their having any knowledge of it."

May your children always enjoy helping others!

To your children's health!

Teaching our Children to Save Money!

I hope I can teach my children to be better savers and investors. Lessons learned at an early age seem to stick with us longer. I can still remember my Dad admonishing me to start saving my money while I was in grade-school!

Here are a few ideas to teach your child to start saving money early:

Start with a short-term, easy goal like saving for a favorite toy. Teach them the relationship between work and money by tying an allowance to small household chores. During each payment, separate spending money and savings in front of your child, and place the savings into a clear jar. Seeing their money accumulate will enable them to see the results of their savings efforts.

Once a savings goal is reached, make a big event of the purchase. Be sure to let your child carry the money and hand it over to the cashier. As your child grows older, you can create longer target dates for purchases. ( Like the dreaded first car every teenager inevitably wants! ) Encourage them to save and, if you can afford to - you might offer to match each dollar they save up to a certain amount.

Maybe if we encourage our young ones to start saving money at an early age they will develop a life long habit of saving and investing a portion of everything they earn! Here are some more money saving tips for children.

Play Time

"When I was your age I walked 10 miles to school through the snow..."

"Lets go outside and go to the park" I suggested. "No." He didn't even bother to look up from his video game.

Although he gets much pleasure out of that silly little hand-held game, I sometimes regret buying that contraption. Some days we barely venture outside at all. Mostly when the weather outside is freezing! A little time outdoors in the snow is good for you, isn't it?

Sometimes he surprises me and wants to go outside - or go to the gym and play basketball. ( Thank You, God! ) And still, I just wish I could get him to play outside more. He needs time to run around in the fresh air and explore and play with other kids!

Historically, active play has been the means by which children become healthy and fit. Due to environmental constraints - like a lack of safe, convenient places to play - and our busy schedules, many children just don’t have the chance to enjoy playing outside.

Some interesting research has lead to the following observations:

Girls with a more natural view (trees, grass, shrubs) performed better on standardized performance measures of concentration compared to girls who looked at a more barren setting (buildings, dirt, or paved surfaces).

Children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) had milder ADD symptoms after engaging in play outside versus playing inside. The “greener” the play setting (parks, farms, places with tall trees, grass, or natural water sources), the milder the symptoms.

What can we do? Somewhere I read that to a child Love is spelled T I M E. The time we actually spend with our children is one way they feel our love. And enjoying time together outdoors benefits us all.

Here's hoping we can raise happy and healthy children!

Saving Your Family Money on Health Care

The whole Family benefits from healthy habits. Make fitness a family affair! Most health and education experts would agree that healthy habits are best learned at an early age. Encourage your children or favorite young ones to join in the fun of sports and better fitness. Teach your children at an early age the life long value of sports!

Give them a healthy head start. Children should be encouraged to get involved in sports and physical activity early in their precious young years. Show them. Get out there and play with them. Childhood goes by way too fast as it is. Enjoy their early years with them in healthy pursuits.

Good Health and Fitness will reduce the likelihood of developing a number of health-related conditions. In addition, sports help build important social skills such as determination, cooperation and problem solving.

Leading a healthy lifestyle helps boost self-esteem. Exercise and sports participation offers all kids positive feelings about body image, improved self-esteem, experiences of competency and success and increased self-confidence.

A Healthy body makes it easier for children to enjoy a better balanced mind and body. Exercise and sports participation can enhance the physical and mental health of adolescent girls and boys.

Sports relieves stress and the blues. Physical activity can help reduce symptoms of stress and depression among all children. Lets give our children the greatest blessings possible - lots of love, and fun! Fun in the form of play and sports.

Sports are educational assets. Many high school athletes report higher grades and standardized test scores and lower dropout rates, and are more likely to go on to college than their non-athletic peers.

Athletes tend to live longer and healthier lives. Regular physical activity in adolescence can reduce a child's risk of obesity, which can lower adult onset of heart disease, osteoporosis and certain cancers. Research proves physical activity does improve quality of life.

Lets give our kids the best quality of life we can. And it doesn't have to cost a small fortune. Running, jumping rope, riding bikes and countless other fun activities are inexpensive and good for the whole family!

Get healthy and start saving your money! Make the most of your precious family time. Spring will soon be here. What a perfect time to have more fun with your children or little loved ones. So turn off that TV, get outside and do something healthy and fun! Teach your children healthy habits!

Timeless Lessons for our Children

A couple thousand years ago a very wise person wrote what we now call the Book of Ecclesiastes. This author had an unusual - almost negative - point of view. Everything is meaningless - except for our quest to live like and eventually join our creator! Interspersed with all of this negative talk are some ageless tidbits of wisdom.

Here is an excerpt that struck me this morning:

"The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things." Ecclesiastes 10: 12-19

The notion that hard work and saving your money will make your life better are hardly new to those of us so fortunate to be alive in this century!

Now, fast forward to a mere 2 Hundred years ago - in a writing about Benjamin Franklin and his Poor Richard's Almanac:

"Judge, then, how much I must have been gratified by an incident I am going to relate to you. I stopped my horse lately where a great number of people were collected at a vendue of merchant's goods. The hour of sale not being come, they were conversing on the badness of the times; and one of the company called to a plain, clean old man with white locks, "Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the times? Won't these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How shall we ever be able to pay them? What would you advise us to do?" Father Abraham stood up and replied: "If you would have my advice, I will give it you in short; for A word to the wise is enough, and Many words won't fill a bushel, as Poor Richard says." They all joined, desiring him to speak his mind, and gathering round him, he proceeded as follows:

Friends, says he, and neighbors, the taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might the more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride and four times as much by our folly; and from these taxes the commissioners cannot ease or deliver us, by allowing an abatement. However, let us hearken to good advice, and something may be done for us; God helps them that help themselves, as Poor Richard says in his Almanac of 1733.

It would be thought a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their TIME, to be employed in its service, but idleness taxes many of us much more, if we reckon all that is spent in absolute sloth, or doing of nothing, with that which is spent in idle employments or amusements that amount to nothing. Sloth, by bringing on disease, absolutely shortens life. Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears; while the used key is always bright, as Poor Richard says. But dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of, as Poor Richard says."

Here's hoping we can somehow share with our most cherished little loved ones the habits of working hard and saving money. Habits learned at an early age are much more likely to help our children throughout their lives. Hopefully long, healthy and flourishing lives!

Maybe if they see us working hard and going to the bank to deposit a little money each week. Maybe - if we teach them to start saving money at an early age then their precious little lives will be just a little bit easier!

Family Fun

Living a healthy lifestyle is one of the best lessons we can share with our young ones. Show them - give them their best opportunity to enjoy life more and preserve your vitality. Lead by example - A few simple habits often produce magnificent results in better health. Get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, eat a healthy, balanced diet.

Accept and adapt to your limitations. We may not be able to hit serves or run down shots like Maria Sharapova or Rafael Nadal while playing tennis. We can still have fun and enjoy the game together. Parenting doesn’t mean we have to give up the sports and fun activities we enjoy. Share the fun with your children. We can make exercise and sports seem like a natural part of everyday living. ( And the better health that naturally comes along with all the fun! )

Studies show that optimists live longer, more satisfying lives. So if you’re not exactly the optimistic type, you and your young ones can benefit by learning to adopt a more positive, upbeat outlook. Vow to make your first thought of the day a positive one. Many people get a certain peace of mind through early morning prayer or meditation. Join the countless millions who enjoy a little early morning exercise. Try to read something positive like some inspirational quotes or affirmations to start your day off right.

Try new sports. Join a class at the local library or college. It will help keep your mind sharp. Focus on making some family time for healthy pursuits every day. If you miss a day or two - no worries. Don’t look back - regret is just a waste of time. If life isn’t working out like you hoped for or planned, forgive yourself, learn from your mistakes and then move forward! Edison used what he learned from his many unsuccessful attempts – he kept trying!

You can lead your family to a much better and healthier life if you get a little exercise most days of the week. Combine healthy eating habits with your daily exercise and enjoy a healthier and happier lifestyle! Whether you are out to improve your self esteem or trying to get in better shape - you can! Make it a family habit. Teach your children to play more, exercise and stay in shape. You'll see your quality of life improve tremendously!

Give your children one of the best gifts you can - share with them a lifelong habit of healthy living!