Posts Tagged ‘parenting’

12 February

A Hormone Imbalance: The Reason For Many Health Problems

A hormone imbalance is most common among women because of the way their body is designed to work. In the first part of a woman’s monthly cycle the body produces estrogen, in the middle ovulation results and after ovulation the body produces progesterone in preparation to receive the egg in the event that a pregnancy occurs.

If the woman is not pregnant, she has her period, and the process of hormone fabrication begins all over again. This happens on a monthly basis. Some women do not ovulate which means estrogen is produced, but progesterone is not. The only time progesterone is produced is in preparation to receive the egg after ovulation. The lack of progesterone causes an imbalance to occur.

Something similar happens as a woman ages. Her body produces less progesterone and estrogen levels begin to rise. This type of problem may begin as soon as a girl starts her period, after a woman has her first child, after a tubal ligation or after a woman reaches a certain age. Once these hormones cause the problem, the resulting problems become a domino effect.

Too much estrogen in the body affects the brain, actually causing it to start swelling. The most common problems a woman experiences is swelling in the hands, breast tenderness, mood swings and headaches. Too much estrogen can affect the way the thyroid functions which in turn causes stress on the adrenal glands, resulting in adrenal fatigue. This can cause symptoms such as fatigue, inability to think clearly, weight gain, depression, sleep problems and a host of other problems.

The entire immune system is affected by a hormone imbalance, and in most cases, the fitness level diminishes considerably. Some women are barely able to function at all. The severe mood swings make it so that no one wants to be anywhere near them.

Very few women ever go to their doctor for a checkup when they experience problems such as these. The majority of them think it is just something women go through, or they think they are just exhausted from trying to care for their family responsibilities and work at the same time. As a result, very few of them ever find relief.

When estrogen is much higher than progesterone, the only way to balance the hormones is for the woman to take natural progesterone. If this is not done, the woman continues to experience the symptoms that lower her fitness level. When the progesterone level becomes equal to that of the estrogen, the woman will begin to get her strength back, and she will feel like a totally different person.

It is normal when a woman does not notice an immediate change after she starts using a natural progesterone cream. The change usually comes slowly over a three to four month period of time. She will know when the cream is doing its job, because her symptoms will begin to disappear, and she will begin to feel good again. She won’t have a problem thinking anymore, she will have a new outlook on life, people will enjoy being around her and she will want to do things again.

Whenever a woman starts having these symptoms she should go for a doctor visit. If for some reason she does not want to do that, she can begin using a natural progesterone cream. If she doesn’t begin to see a change in how she feels after a few months, she should definitely see her doctor, because the problem may be caused by something more serious.

Too much estrogen in the body affects the brain, causing it to swell. The most common problems a woman faces are breast tenderness, swings in mood and even weight gain. We’ve got the inside skinny on how to lose weight with fat burning foods

3 August

Dance Classes - What about Performance Opportunities?

It is good to look into how many performance opportunities a dance school can offer. These can range from in house shows, local events and dance competitions. All of these performance opportunities will stimulate the students to work harder at their dance routines and skills.

Dance is one of the performance arts and your child should understand the joy of doing live performances. There is nothing like the thrill of putting on a show even if they are just dancing in the chorus. Young children get a big thrill out of this and it adds to the fun of learning how to dance.

In house shows will usually consist of members sourced from the school, and children gain the experience of working with the different age groups that are represented. Different ages bring a vast array of skills and experience to the performance as younger students learn from the older ones, developing friendships and giving older children mentor opportunities.

Local shows can be fun as they open up the school’s doors to friends and supporters who aren’t directly involved with the dance school. Local shows often lead to reviews in the local paper, which is a big thrill for any age.

Dance competitions are a great way for students to learn from a variety of sources. Pupils will learn to handle loss as well as victory and teach them valuable life skills. Dance competitions are an ideal way for children to form new friendships and bonds, develop new social skills and learn new techniques.

There is another great thing about live performances, and that is the boost in confidence that appearing in a live show will give your child. To dance really well it is very important to have confidence and be sure of yourself. When you dance you do not want anything to hold you back.

Low self-esteem can hinder a child’s performance and makes their creative streak disappear. Confidence and creativity go together. If a child is a natural at dance they will go with the flow of the music and rhythm and be able to perfect their routine. If a student does not have confidence their ability will not progress.

Live performances will develop your child’s confidence, as well as their dancing ability. Even the students with small roles reach new heights in self confidence as they perform alongside their peers for the entertainment of their friends, family and even the public.

Another good thing about participating in live performances is that it will teach your child about discipline. Dance requires discipline and there is nothing like taking part in a live performance to bring this out. Working together with a team is also another thing your child will learn. It is a wonderful experience to be working together for a common goal. Again these are skills that will help them throughout their life.

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7 April

Dance Studios and Finding Professional Teachers

When looking at dance schools it is important to consider the standard of teachers. Many schools will hire high school graduates not professional teachers. This will result in a lower teaching standard for your child. It is worth the extra money to find a school that hires professional teachers.

The disadvantage of high school graduates are:

They are often very inexperienced as teachers. Many are high school graduates without the necessary skills that professional teachers possess

They are part time and often are just teaching for the money rather than dedicating themselves to the pupils. They are often not even thinking of becoming teachers but really have their minds on their classes and not necessarily on the pupils.

Many very young teachers lack maturity and have problems dealing with the complexities of multiple children in a group. It takes a lot of dedication to teach dance to children and it is difficult to find this dedication in someone who is only teaching part time.

Professional teachers on the other hand have several advantages:

There is a wealth of knowledge and experience amassed in a professional teacher’s career. They have heard many questions from many children studying dance in the past and have learnt the right approaches to problems encountered by young people attempting a new skill. With a professional teacher, your child will learn faster and enjoy their dance a whole lot more.

They work full time and have been suitably trained to do so. It is very important for young children to have stability when learning and not have teachers coming and going. Part time instructors often leave to go to other jobs and the children get confused when different teachers arrive and they have to get to know them all over again. If they learn from one or two teachers during their early schooling they will build up a solid rapport.

They are specially trained to teach young children and fully understand the needs of their young students. Understanding children is complex and should be a job for a professional teacher.

Professional tutors have endured rigorous training and have a high level of dedication to their craft and to the young pupils who trust them to teach them new skills. A love of dance has brought them this far and they do it because they love the craft and being able to pass on its charm. A professional teachers commitment is unrivalled by their part time counterparts.

It takes a specially qualified teacher to understand exactly what your children need to learn in dance lessons. Dancing comes very naturally to children of all ages but the discipline involved in the dance routines is something a professional needs to teach them. When teaching discipline to children, a good quality dance instructor knows how to combine discipline with fun. Professional teachers might cost a little more, but they know how to combine the elements of enjoyment and hard work to dance lessons.

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6 April

Why Good Teachers Are So Important

A good dance teacher can make or break a class. It is very important to check out the instructors of any dance school you want to enroll your child at. To do this, there’s no need to have to invade anyone’s privacy or engage the services of an investigator. It’s just a simple matter of visiting the school (most modern schools understand this need and encourage it) and viewing the classes for yourself. There are a few things you should look for when you do this.

The dance teacher should be able to have a good rapport with their students. Good rapport means that the children in the class feel comfortable with their teacher and know that they can trust the teacher to have their best interests at heart when they need to be firm.

Dance teachers should be professional and experienced at teaching young students. Teaching young pupils is quite a challenge and not as easy as it seems. This can create problems as many instructors expect too much of their young students and don’t know how to set appropriate tests and lessons for them. The ideal situation is a teacher who solely deals with a certain age group and has numerous years experience combined with official credentials in dance and teaching.

Teachers responsible for young pupils need to be creative and know how to blend fun with learning. A curriculum that does this is a necessary start and isn’t something that can be just drawn up in a few hours. Some school curriculums will lean toward the play side of teaching children while others rely too much on the learning side. A good teacher will understand how to adapt a school curriculum to suit their pupil’s needs.

A good teacher will be able to bring out the best in their students. Professional teachers know how to source out each student’s potential. Everyone is different and each student will have something special to contribute. A good dance instructor will help their pupils develop their talents and empower them to learn. There are many people who think they can teach and train other people, but it isn’t easy and requires more than just being able to talk lots. The best teachers have a background in dance and teaching.

So take the time to observe the c lasses in action and see for yourself how accomplished the teacher is amongst a class room of young people. It will be easy to see if the dance teacher is competent and knows how to conduct a good dance lesson. If you see happy children enjoying themselves as they learn you’re with a good instructor.

It is very important for your child to like their dance classes and a good teacher can go a long way to ensure this. So remember to check out the teachers before you enroll your child. You should also try to meet the teacher who will be instructing your child. In this way you will be able to assess the teacher yourself. There is nothing like meeting someone face to face to understand them better. Bear in mind that your child will be spending a certain amount of time with their teacher and will need to like them in order to like the dance classes.

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9 March

A Learning Atmosphere That Will Make Your Child Love Dance

It is essential to find the right learning environment for your child. Young children are very vulnerable to the environment around them, and this will directly affect the way they learn. Younger students need a welcoming environment like having a second home for the most favourable learning. They are used to being with family in a home environment so every so often it can be difficult for them to adjust to new surroundings. A warm friendly environment helps them learn faster and be more confident.

Visit several dance schools and try to observe the actual lessons. You can then assess if they have a good atmosphere that will foster learning in your child. Observe how the teacher is expressing herself to the students and what sort of rapport they have with her. With an expressive art like dance it is important for your child to have a good relationship with their teacher. Visiting and observing will allow you to find out if the learning environment is right for your child’s needs.

Knowing what your child wants from dance lessons will help you to make the right choice of school by making certain that the learning environment is enjoyable but also includes dance skills. A number of schools take the activity factor too far and you will find that there are very few dance skills taught. You will need to ensure the curriculum is a good one and how training is conducted, prior to enrolling your child.

Keep open communication with your child so that you can discuss what they have been doing in the dance class. Make sure your child is happy and enjoying the class. This will be a major indication that the learning atmosphere is good for them. Also be sure that they are indeed progressing with learning the dancing basics.

A school that allows parents to attend and observe the dance classes will enable you to carefully monitor your child’s progress. Or just simply allow you to be part of the experience. Sometimes this sort of support can work well for both the child and the teacher and a good school will understand why this is important to many parents.

The learning experience has come a long way since the days when a parent will drop off their child and have nothing more to do with the process. Children learn better when they feel safe and know that the people around them are supportive, that is why parents have become a big part of learning new skills and disciplines. It’s also a chance for everyone to feel proud of accomplishments.

A friendly environment that promotes learning is not a given. Schools and teachers work very hard to accomplish the right mix of learning aids and techniques and this will be evident if you inspect a few different dance schools. Make sure that you have a clear idea of your own expectations and that of your child’s so that you can make the right decision. If dance is to be an important part of your child’s future it warrants some careful consideration as it tends to be a source of many fond memories.

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27 February

A Warm Family Atmosphere Can Make A Dance Class

Family involvement is a wonderful, support mechanism for young dancers. Having their families involved boosts their confidence and is great for the morale of everyone. Dancing is a community art and many families get involved and help their siblings and children to do better. For this reason, choosing a school that encourages a family atmosphere is important.

There are a variety of reasons where family can be very useful to a dance student:

Practice: a family’s support can help a student so much, especially at times when the pupil is in need of a boost in morale or just a person to listen to them. Dance is a complex art and the many steps and skills that are required to be learnt can drain a young person’s enthusiasm at times. But it doesn’t have to be that way, with their family’s help it can become something of a family challenge. As well as sharing the problems, backup dance partners in the house can make practice loads of fun.

Support: The frustration of young dancers can be very real as they attempt new and complex moves. Stress management becomes an important factor in any dancer’s career management and who better to offer support to a young dancer than their own family. Working out tension can be as simple as listening when someone is thinking out loud.

Sharing success and sometimes failure is a big part of learning dance. Families play a big factor in a dancer’s life and tend to ride the rollercoaster with them. The rewards can be incredible and many parents and siblings experience vicariously through the dancer in the family. Events are shared by everyone and the enjoyment of seeing a dance production or competition come to life cannot be described. No matter what the age of the dancer is.

Pupils of dance schools often request that their family, especially parents and grandparents, come along to events and see how they are progressing. It’s also a great opportunity to see the student’s teacher in action and get to know their feelings on how the young pupil is doing. There are many aspects of dance to be enjoyed by all of the family.

A warm family atmosphere is where a child will feel better about learning. A classroom atmosphere can be intimidating to a young student and they need some reassurance. If the learning environment is too formal a small child can feel lost and alone. They will not feel good about the dance lessons and may even give up.

When students feel right at home at dance lessons they are able to learn faster and perform better. They find it easier to make friends and support one another, as well as building a strong relationship with their teacher. This sort of environment builds confidence and allows them to tackle the toughest of dance routines. A warm, friendly environment that is conducive to learning will allow them to relax and feel confident that they can do anything that is asked of them.

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25 February

Dance Schools Need to Take Your Child Seriously

It’s very important to locate a dance school that will endeavour to take your child as seriously as possible. A lot of schools don’t do this. They see their students as dollars only. As a consequence, the lessons may not always be appropriate for the age group or the pupils just might not learn as much as they would at other schools. Also, young people tend to get so bored and frustrated that they give up dance.

Emotions can be very complex with children and it’s very easy for them to start to dislike things. If there teachers take them seriously and not just treat them like a number, they will learn dance faster and love it for what it is; A form of art.

When lessons are not created around the needs of younger pupils they rapidly get out of their depth. This results in frustration and disappointment. This can also be a reason for your child to give up on the dance lessons. Once they give up this is a lost opportunity that may never come again.

Lesson structuring: Good schools will be aware of their students and will structure the lessons to fit young children’s needs. The lessons will be appropriate for young students so they do not get overwhelmed and frustrated. In fact it takes quite a bit of effort and determination from the school to structure lessons that are just right for children. This means that the school will very likely be equally attentive to any student that they enroll.

So how will this help your child?

Simple to learn: lesson structuring will simplify the learning process and allow the child to learn at a pace that is appropriate for their age.

The children will enjoy learning: With the right mix of fun and discipline, pupils find it easy to relax and learn. New skills can sometimes be intimidating and so children need an environment that is conducive to learning.

Easy to remember course structures allow children to achieve skills they desire. They will retain more and learn faster thanks to quality course structuring by professionals.

Faster learning: Easy learning, enjoyable lessons and simple to remember structure will come together faster and allow your young dancer to progress at a fast rate.

So when you look for appropriate dance schools for your child remember to keep your child’s needs in mind. In this way you will be able to ask the right questions and find out if the dance school that you want to enroll them in really takes young pupils seriously. Once you find one that fits your child’s needs you can be sure that you will be giving them a lifelong gift that they will never forget. When you start dance lessons at a young age it will result in a lasting appreciation of the arts. You will also instill in them a genuine love of the wonderful world of dance.

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12 February

Finding a Dance School with Professional Instructors

When considering a dance school, the teaching standard of the instructors plays a big part in the equation. Many schools will hire very young trainers that are either still studying themselves, or just passing time while they look for a job in a different field. This is where a parent can help decide which school is the better choice.

Things to consider about part time or inexperienced teachers:

These teachers are inexperienced: They will lack the necessary skills and experience that a professional teacher will have.

Part Time teachers are often just earning money to pay for their college classes. It isn’t long before they go off to start their real career as an accountant or similar. Part time teachers lack the commitment of full time professionals.

There is a lack of maturity with very young trainers. If their experience with children has been limited they may not yet know how to run a class of young pupils. It is a common misconception that anyone can teach a class. The truth of the matter is that anyone can talk to groups of people, getting them to learn is a craft.

Professional teachers on the other hand have several advantages:

They are very knowledgeable and have spent years dedicating their lives to the art of dance. This will mean that they can use that experience to pass on a wealth of knowledge to the young students that trust them. They are a specially trained professional.

It is important that young students get to know their teachers and not have a different face every couple of weeks. With professional teachers they are settled in their position and are usually not planning to move on quickly. This allows a young student to develop a bond and trust with their teacher. It also allows them to feel secure and not have to help new teachers get to know what level they are at with their schooling.

Also, professional teachers are trained to deal with young children. It’s difficult for a teacher to get the best out of a child, but professional teachers have developed many ways to break down barriers with young students.

They are dedicated to their pupils: professional teachers have gone through a fairly rigorous training and do not do these dance courses unless they are really dedicated. Because they love dancing they are keen to pass on this love to others. That is why they are very committed to their pupils, especially their young students. This enables their pupils to learn faster and better.

It takes a special person to understand and train your children in dance. Dancing comes naturally to young children but the discipline of the dance routines do not. You need someone who knows how to encourage dance discipline with a balance of fun. Professional teachers are trained and have the natural ability to do this. They also need to know how to persuade young children to practice the dance skills. This is another reason to hire professional teachers, even if it means paying a little more.

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29 January

How Piano Lessons Benefit Children

It’s a rare parent who wouldn’t love their child to take piano lessons. We’ve all heard of child geniuses like Mozart who began playing and composing at a very tender age, and who wouldn’t want their little one to have that same opportunity?

While you may be thinking about investing in a piano and lessons for your children, it’s also a big expense. Most people want to be sure they are doing the right thing if they are going to spend the money and that is precisely the point of this article. Here you’ll find a number of reasons piano lessons are beneficial for children.

Boost coordination: In order to make music sound like it should, children will need to have full control over where their fingers go and how they move. As the piano lessons get more complex, they will need to coordinate both hands to play a piece, something that is very useful in other areas of daily living.

Increase math skills: It’s no secret that music and math are connected, but did you know that many children find it easier to tune into music, and then end up being better at math because of it? Piano lessons could easily help your child who is struggling with math in school, though this shouldn’t be the only reason to take lessons.

Language and thinking skills: Music is basically a foreign language. Kids have to translate the strange marks on those bars of music and turn them into a smooth-flowing song. This can actually enhance the area of the brain that processes new languages . . . also easing the way for your little one to pick up another language like French or Spanish in the future.

Sense of pride: Too many children these days have a low self-esteem, so anything you can do to encourage them is great. When a child participates in a piano recital or graduates to the next level of piano books, his self-esteem will also improve. There’s nothing better than seeing a thrilled youngster, with his eyes glowing as he recounts how he won a ribbon for his piano playing.

Develop a lifelong skill: Playing piano is much like riding a bike. When children take lessons while young, they develop musical skills that will last them a lifetime. They may not stick to the piano . . . in fact, many kids end up moving on to other musical instruments with piano as their base instrument. However, you’ll be setting your child up to be successful in musical endeavors forever. Even if he doesn’t become a rock star or a famous pianist, it’s always good to have a skill like this where you can sit down at a party and entertain!

Enhance concentration: With kids these days being diagnosed with ADHD left and right, an activity that not only enhances concentration ability but makes it interesting and a challenge is an activity you want your kids in. Piano lessons will provide that option and while small children might start out with just 15-20 minute lessons and practice times, they will soon be able to practice for longer and longer periods of time, as their attention span lengthens. This obviously has benefits in many areas, not just on the piano.

Enhance concentration: With kids these days being diagnosed with ADHD left and right, an activity that not only enhances concentration ability but makes it interesting and a challenge is an activity you want your kids in. Piano lessons will provide that option and while small children might start out with just 15-20 minute lessons and practice times, they will soon be able to practice for longer and longer periods of time, as their attention span lengthens. This obviously has benefits in many areas, not just on the piano.

Enhance concentration: With kids these days being diagnosed with ADHD left and right, an activity that not only enhances concentration ability but makes it interesting and a challenge is an activity you want your kids in. Piano lessons will provide that option and while small children might start out with just 15-20 minute lessons and practice times, they will soon be able to practice for longer and longer periods of time, as their attention span lengthens. This obviously has benefits in many areas, not just on the piano.

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4 January

Dance Classes - Small or Large Sizes?

The size of classes is a popular discussion these days and all of the positives seem to go to smaller classes. Smaller classes give the teachers a better chance of getting to know the students and to see when they aren’t fully grasping some aspect of the skill they are attempting to learn.

All students work at different speeds and dance students are no different to other pupils. A small class not only gives the teacher a better opportunity to cater for their pupil’s needs, but a chance to keep everyone learning at the same speed.

Large classes tend to make many children feel as though they don’t exist. This can often lead to them competing for attention. Dance is about creativity and self expression and if a child can’t feel comfortable and understood by their teacher and peers their dancing will suffer. It is always a shame when a young person’s creativity suffers because of a poor choice in school. This can lead to other difficulties and a loss of confidence.

These days, the quality dance schools have smaller classes, which are a much better suited to the needs of young children. In fact, this mantra is being repeated across all learning institutions who desire quality outcomes. This is where the science of teaching shows out in an organization. You can bet a dance school that still employs large class sizes is one that is run by non-professionals. Small classes are:

More secure and full of atmosphere. A child needs to feel at home to perform at their best, small classes do exactly that.

Well facilitated learning: The teachers understand the craft of teaching and the benefits of smaller classes. This allows them to cater for the different rates of learning that are normal amongst young people.

Friendly atmosphere: your child will able to make friends easer. They can work with friends to improve routines and skills. They can also make life long associates and learn social skills that will be useful throughout their lives.

Encourages concentration: Smaller classes offer less distraction for young students. This enables them to concentrate better and absorb what the teacher is explaining to them.

Better at producing quality students. Because the classes are smaller, class enrolment is limited. This means that the children enrolled will be more dedicated to success and really want to learn to dance. Sometimes, larger classes can be full of kids just trying different things every month. This can be a drain on a dance teacher’s service.

Good dance schools are hard to find because of the sheer quantity of unprofessional organizations out there. If your child is serious about dance lessons, placing them into a large class with children who aren’t serious about staying there long is the worst option you can take. Small classes with the intimacy to produce a secure and comfortable environment will allow your child to get the most out of their dance experience.

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