Soar to new heights.

Young children have so much awe about what they see in the world. Little ones can become transfixed looking at a tiny bug and watching it move. As children grow older, they lose some of their awe and wonder. When you are teaching, help them to feel that sense of awe and wonder in what they are learning. Present lessons with your own sense of awe and wonder. Have an environment that is engaging and promotes enthusiasm and joy in learning.

Soar to new heights together with your children and together, unwrap the mysteries of all the neat things there are to learn in life. Have fun. You are a difference maker.

Have a great day and a wonderful week-end.

Maryln

How to handle, “No, I don’t want to…”

Some children enjoy the power they feel when they answer “no” to a request. While I believe that children need to be taught to make choices, I also believe there is a balance. When children say “no” because they are defiant or disrespectful, they need to learn that this does not work in the world. For example, if you say “No, I don’t want to…” to your employer, you might get in trouble. They need to be calmly and firmly guided to not be defiant.

I have to start with a note of caution. If you have a child who never ever says “No,” and who has mustered up the courage to say it, then the two strategies that follow, do not apply to this child. The examples that follow are for children who enjoy being defiant and say “No” often.

1. One way to handle this is to always offer the child two positive choices. “You can do _______________ or _______________. Which do you prefer?” This is much better than offering the child the choice to engage in something or a consequence if the child does not do it.

2. Still another way to handle it is to say, “OK, I can see you don’t want to do it now. You can do ____________ for now, and then in 5 minutes, I will give you a signal to do the other. Would you like the signal in 5 minutes or 10 minutes?” This allows the child to be empowered, but also keeps you in charge.

Have a great day.

Maryln

P.S. - Feel free to post your comments.

Take pride.

Your work is one of the most important careers in this world. When someone says to you, “I’m a doctor,” you can respond, “I develop doctors.” It’s the truth. You are the one behind the scenes helping children feel better about themselves, helping them to learn new things every day, giving them confidence so that they can choose any career. Who knows? Maybe you have a future President in your midst! Our own new President has shown us that!!

You are a dream maker and a difference maker.

Have an awesome day.

Maryln

This little light of mine

Last week I wrote about the little candle that I lit in memory of my mom and how it should have gone out within 24 hours, but it stayed lit. As I am writing this, this tiny little tealight battery-operated candle is still lit! It is now 14 days--2 weeks!! Every day, friends and family call or e-mail and say, “Maryln, is it still lit?” And so far, I keep saying “Yes.” I am in awe. I told you last week that this little candle reminds me of my mom’s last dying message to me from the song, “Smile and the whole world smiles with you.”

I absolutely still feel that this is a reminder for me to keep smiling. As I gaze at it, I have had additional thoughts. When I looked at it a few days ago still lit and defying any reasonable explanation, the words of another song came to me. Before I lost my daughter Tobi, several months ago, I used to walk around my home sometimes singing. I had stopped. Now because of this little candle, I am singing again, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” It’s another reminder to enjoy the gift of life and each new day, to smile, to be happy, and sing again.

So today as you go about your work, just picture my little candle flickering and know that just like it gives off light, brightening darkness, so too, do you in your work and in your life. Let your smile, your joy, and your acts of kindness, help light up the worlds of those around you. Let your light shine!!! You are a difference maker.

Have a great day.

Maryln

Break the pattern.

There is a trial currently in Galveston in which a mother is being charged with murdering her little girl. The details in the story of the child’s death are horrifying. It is alleged that the mother and her husband spent an entire day taking “disciplinary action” to teach the 2-year old little girl known as “Baby Grace” to say “please” and “yes sir.” I felt so badly for this little girl, for her life, and for her last hours which sound so horrible, who still said to her mom despite the pain she was in, “I love you.” This story touched me so much. I think it touched me even more because I fought so hard to help my daughter who had numerous illnesses for so many years, stay alive, and here is a case in which the charges say the opposite of these other parents..

It made me think not only about Baby Grace, but her mother and her mother’s husband. I could not help but wonder what happened to them as they were growing up. What happens in the lives of those who hurt others? Did they have someone who hurt them? Studies often show that this is the case, yet there are many who come out of homes that are filled with abuse and neglect, and they go on to do the opposite. They strive to help others and break the patterns of what happened to them. My guess is that one thing that these individuals have in common is that there was someone there who helped them, someone who mentored them, a role model for another way to live.

It’s too late to help Baby Grace in her life, but it is not too late to help others. You can be that mentor to children. You can be a role model. You can offer children hope when they feel hopeless. You can help them feel better about themselves. You are a difference maker.

Have a great day and a wonderful week.

Maryln

P.S. You can see the story at http://www.khou.com/news/local/galveston/stories/khou090126_tnt_baby-grace-trial.57f8f8b.html and if you have any comments, make them here on my blog.