0 Children and Spirituality: Awakening the Higher Centers

Introduction

In today's society, there is an ongoing debate about whether children need to be exposed to spirituality at a young age. Some argue that it is unnecessary and even detrimental to their development, while others believe that it is essential for their well-being. In this blog, we will explore the concept of spirituality and its importance in a child's life.

Understanding Spirituality

Before we delve into the topic of children and spirituality, let us first define what spirituality means. Spirituality is the understanding that we are more than just physical beings, but also spiritual beings. It goes beyond the confines of the mind and the five senses. While the mind can comprehend certain things, it cannot fully understand the realm of the spirit. Spirituality is a realization, a knowing that we are connected to something greater than ourselves.

Religion, on the other hand, is a set of beliefs and practices that are supposed to lead to spirituality. However, if it fails to do so, it becomes nothing more than a worldly pursuit. The teachings and instructions we receive in religion are like contents in a basket, but they are not who we truly are. They are not the essence of our being. True spirituality transcends religious doctrines and indoctrination.

The Importance of Awakening the Higher Centers

Children are born with a sense of wonder and curiosity. They are like empty baskets, ready to be filled with knowledge and experiences. As they grow older, they start putting things in their mental baskets, absorbing the beliefs and teachings of those around them. However, if these contents are only limited to the lower centers, they will become burdened with mental baggage and find themselves trapped in a cycle of confusion.

That is why it is crucial to help children awaken their higher centers. When a child's higher centers are activated, they become resistant to indoctrination. They can discern reality from falsehood and develop a balanced perspective. By providing children with the tools and techniques to connect with their inner selves, we can empower them to live a life free from mental bondage.

Guiding Children Towards Spiritual Awakening

As parents, it is our responsibility to guide our children towards spiritual awakening. We must first work on ourselves, clearing our own mental baggage and expanding our consciousness. By doing so, we create a conducive environment for our children to grow spiritually.

One technique that can be beneficial for both parents and children is to be mindful of the information we consume. Just as we carefully choose what we eat to nourish our bodies, we should also be mindful of the mental inputs we expose ourselves to. Just as we teach our children to avoid poisonous foods, we should also guide them to avoid toxic beliefs and indoctrination.

Additionally, we can help our children develop a deeper connection with their inner selves by encouraging them to explore their own thoughts and beliefs. Instead of imposing our own beliefs on them, we should allow them the freedom to question and discover their own truth. By fostering an environment of open-mindedness and critical thinking, we can empower our children to develop their own spirituality.

Save the Children Program

In order to further support parents in guiding their children towards spiritual awakening, we will be launching a program called "Save the Children." This program aims to provide parents with the necessary tools and techniques to help their children develop their higher centers.

In this program, we will explore various strategies for awakening the higher centers, including meditation, mindfulness practices, and self-reflection exercises. By implementing these techniques, parents can create a balanced and nurturing environment for their children to thrive.

Through the "Save the Children" program, we hope to create a generation of children who are spiritually enlightened and resistant to mental bondage. By awakening their higher centers, children will be able to discern truth from falsehood and live a life of joy, peace, and love.

Conclusion

Children and spirituality may be a controversial topic, but it is essential for their overall well-being and development. By helping children awaken their higher centers, we empower them to resist indoctrination and live a life of spiritual fulfillment. As parents, it is our duty to guide our children towards spiritual awakening, creating a future generation that is balanced and spiritually enlightened. Through the "Save the Children" program, we can provide parents with the necessary tools and techniques to fulfill this important role.

Remember, spirituality is not confined to a specific religion or belief system. It is a universal concept that transcends boundaries and connects us all. Let us work together to awaken the higher centers in our children and create a world filled with love, understanding, and peace.

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How Can Learning Be Easy For My Child?

Learning often can become difficult for your child when they get bored with the methods being used. There are numerous ways to make learning more fun for your child, and when learning becomes more fun, they become more engaged, making the whole process easier.
One great way to make learning more fun and easy for your child is to become more involved yourself. When your children see you grabbing a book off the shelf instead of sitting in front of the television, it becomes easier for them to do the same. By grabbing a book yourself, you encourage your children to start learning. When the motivation to learn comes from themselves rather than being told to study something, the learning process itself will be easier.
What child doesn't love games? Educating becomes easier for your child when it becomes a part of playtime. There are dozens of games out on the market right now designed to be learning aids as well as play. Similarly, if you have multiple children in your household, you can make learning into a lot of fun little competitions. These competitions help to make learning fun and easy, as well as help to encourage teamwork. The market is also full of educational toys and electronic gadgets that can help learning be easier for your child by keeping your child engaged throughout the process. These range from building blocks to electronic learning devices.
You can also make learning easier for your child by getting them out of the house and taking them somewhere educational. Learning becomes easy when your child doesn't even really realize that they're being taught a lesson. By taking your child to a museum or cultural festival, learning becomes easy for your child and fun.
Probably the easiest and best way to make learning easy for your child is to motivate them. Your child gets a huge confidence boost from the motivation of their parents. When your child is more confident, learning becomes easier.
You can also make it easier for your child by recognizing their learning style and tailoring what you do at home to that learning style. Children will find learning easier when they can learn through the style that works best for them.
Visual learners learn through images, make it easier for visual learners through board games and picture books. Give your visual learner the opportunity to draw out scenes and pictures. Kinetic learners will learn best through physical activities, so let your child go on nature walks or act out stories and concepts.
Language learners work best when they can verbalize concepts. Make it easy for language learners through trivia and other word problems. Learning becomes easy for language learners when they can create their own stories and word problems.
Finally, logical learners thrive and learn the easiest when their environment is full of puzzles and experiments. Give your logical learner the opportunity to do science experiments and computer learning gaves.

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How Can I Help My Child Improve Their Reading Skills and Vocabulary?

The answer isn't as hard as you think. Not surprisingly, the answer is simple, just read. A good rule of thumb is to spend twenty minutes reading with your child, and a great time to do it is right before bedtime. Not only is it a great way for the two of you to bond, it's also a great way for you and your child to wind down from a busy and stressful day.
The key for a fun and effective session lies in choosing the right reading level. If the book is too hard, your little one may shut off and become frustrated. If it's too easy, your youngster might become distracted and lose interest. Your child's teacher or local librarian can be a great source of information if you need guidance in selecting age-appropriate material.
As you are engaging in a reading activity, don't feel that it is necessary for your child to do all the reading by him or herself. You too can participate by reading to them aloud, or even better, why not take turns and read every other paragraph and the difficult words? Reading every other page is also a good way to keep them engaged. The goal should always be to make reading time a fun and relaxing activity. Many beginners do not feel confident or comfortable with their reading and tend to want to quit earl, so try to be supportive and encourage your youngster, and offer them a great deal of spoken praise. This small gesture can go a long way.
A fellow colleague described the process of learning to read with an amusing analogy, comparing learning to read with learning how to drive a car. It goes something like this: When we initially learn to drive a car, we have blinders on and are only focused with the road ahead, and we are also a bit jittery and unsure. Then as we get comfortable at the wheel we start to play around with the knobs on the dash and radio. As time goes by we begin to go from point A to Point B without realizing how we got there, and then we find ourselves driving in the rain, talking with our friend in the passenger seat.
As they are taking their first reading steps children go through something similar. At first they are tense and irritated and don't have much self-confidence in their abilities. But when they start to find their comfort zone with reading and the words begin to leap out of the page, you will notice their confidence begin to grow and they are delighted to read.
To recap, remember to make the reading sessions fun. Make sound effects, ask questions, switch out different words, and use different voices for different characters. Don't lose track of the fact that this is a unique bonding time between you and your child, one that they will value and anticipate excitedly every night.
Visit our Super Readers site for more articles and information if you are interested in vocabulary measured books and activities to help your child with reading. Need an app created? Our developer is just getting started but they have some great ideas!

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How Can I Teach My Child While They Are Playing?

Being a parent of a young child can be very stressful. Many experts say that the first five years are the most important. Children have so much to learn in those first years. What can you do as a parent to help your child achieve all of those skills? Well, its probably easier than you think. There are two major ways to help your child. The first is by helping them role play. Young children learn by watching the people around them, especially their parents and older siblings whom they trust. This is why children role play, such as playing house, doctor, school, fire fighters, etc. As hard as this might be, invite your child to cook, clean, and do other chores around the house with you. They will be learning valuable skills and creating a good work ethic, as well as learning a lot about you and your role in the family. Also, explore places like fire stations, police stations, construction sites, schools (if they aren't already in school), doctors offices, etc. Talk about what the "workers" do there. This will help with role playing, especially if your child can't quite get the concept of pretend play (which is not all that uncommon) They learn so much from just playing.
The second way to help your child is by providing the toys that will help them learn. So, are there certain toys that are better than others to help teach my child the skills he/she needs? The answer is yes. Keep your child away from the TV and computer screen as much as possible. While these can be very valuable tools, it is so important for your young child to touch, see, smell, (even taste, if they are young enough) and fully explore their toys. Wooden building blocks are really great for this. They last long and build the imagination. They also help build motor skills, problem solving skills (Why does my tower keep falling down?), and hand-eye coordination. Mazes, puzzles, and sorting games are also really great for hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills. Bead and wire toys (or rollercoaster toys- the kind you find at the doctors office) are also really great toys to have around and you would be surprised how long your child will play with a toy like that- one that doesn't light up or have any kind of special effects. Which brings me to my next point about educational toys.
It is hard for a child to use their imagination if their toys do all the imagining for them. A young child can learn so much more from pushing a little car around the rug than he can from operating a remote control. There is a disconnect between the child and the toy and therefore a disconnect in the learning process. (Save the remote control toys for later when they are learning more advanced hand-eye coordination). Language skills are built when a child has to speak all of the dialogue in the conversation between her dolls or his action figures. Very young children learn a lot about language through making sound effects as well. So let them make the siren noises for their fire truck and the animal sounds for their farm animals. So give your child a chance to show you what he/she can do with their toys instead of what their toys can do.

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Naturally Not Natural: Toddlers' Harness and Wrist Straps - A Necessary Approach to Safety?

It is known that childhood in Britain is becoming more constrained than ever in what concerns contact with nature. The exhaustive pressure of health & safety regulations, dramatic stories emphasized by media and a growing parental lack of confidence are pushing our children, from the very beginning, to fear taking risks and explore the outside world.
We all remember the times when it was natural to climb a tree. Yes, there was always a very high possibility of hurting ourselves either scratching our knees or even breaking a finger; but that was not the point. The point was that we did not fear taking risks. We were taught that accidents could happen but we were free to explore and investigate the living world around us.
I have managed day nurseries and children's centres for quite a few years now. It has always been difficult to convince even my best practitioner that a child wanting to climb a tree was OK and that by trying to discourage the child to do it, we stop him/her taking risks and wanting to explore the unknown.
Today, as I was walking through the park with my two and a half year old, I saw a parent passing by with a child that was around 20 months old. The mother, busy on her mobile, had a wrist to wrist strap for toddlers. The child wanted to pick up a dead leaf from the floor and was trying so hard to reach it... but he couldn't because he was strapped. The mother, who had her hands busy between her mobile, pushing the pram and controlling the safety strap, was not concentrating enough to see what was happening.
In my mind I was wondering why someone would take a child to the park in first place if the child is not even allowed to walk, run, bounce or pick dead leaves from the ground. What is the fascination about safety wrists straps? What is the purpose? In what way is it supporting a child's development?
It is not that I think that we are worse parents than our parents or grandparents, but the truth is that there was no such thing as wrists straps in those days and children were simply taught rules such holding hands with an adult or being careful when walking in public spaces.
It does make me sad, as a mother and an Early Years Professional, that as a society we allow gadgets such this wrist safety strap to take over our confidence and make us believe that we need them to be better and more sensible parents. I tell you what - we don't!
... Because it is natural that Parents want to nurture...

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Musical Baby Toys

Musical baby toys are some of the best learning toys out there for toddlers and infants. Our culture puts a lot of emphasis on recognizing patterns, textures, shapes, and sizes, but being able to understand the structure of music and the complex patterns it entails is often deemphasized. Musical toddler toys are not just a way for babies to amuse themselves. Although the effects of music on the mind are not well understood, it is clear that it plays a profound role in our society. Music affects our emotions, inspires us, makes us dance, and can even be used to control us and make us docile in shopping malls and waiting rooms. By getting your kids musical instruments, You can help give them a head start in understanding the fascinating world of sound.
There are all sorts of musical baby toys out there. The ones for smaller kids actually tend to be more elaborate. Things like the Speak and Spell and miniature children's synthesizes require very little input to get complex output. You press one button and the whole machine flashes and plays a melody. You press another button and you get a different pattern of flashing and a different melody. This gives the child a lot of gratification for very little work - a useful thing for kids who are only just beginning to develop basic hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Musical toddler toys, by contrast, tend to be quite a bit simpler. Whereas musical baby toys make all of the music for you, instruments for slightly older kids tend to be simplified, inexpensive versions of real instruments. A kids accordion works much like an adult to accordion except that it only has notes and chords in a major scale. A kids harmonica is more or less identical to a professional harmonica, except that it is cheap to make and cheap to buy. And of course all the kids drums, rhythm sticks, and other percussion instruments, are exactly what they appear to be: a low cost way to let your child explore the world of rhythm.
I've always thought it was good to give your child a selection of different musical toys. Baby learning toys with a musical component are great for the first year or two of life. After that, your child can move up to junior musical instruments that allow him or her to really play a rhythm or compose a song. Finally, if the kid is really interested in playing music, he can move on to half-size guitars, small violins, and things like that. Going from musical baby toys to actual musical instruments is not one big jump, but rather a series of progressive steps.
Education should not be dry and boring. I enjoy finding learning opportunities that are outside the box.

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How Concerned Should You Be About Your Child's Safety Online?

The internet is one tool few families are willing to do without these days. It's useful in so many ways, as entertainment, for school projects, for keeping up with family and friends. But for all we love it for, the internet has its problems. How can you be sure your child is safe online?
There are a few things you can do to protect your child. It's no longer enough to say that you'll keep all computers in public areas so that you can see what your child is doing. There are too many gadgets that connect to the internet, and most of them are mobile.
1. Talk About It
No matter how much attention you pay to your child on the internet, there will probably come a time when he or she is on there without your direct supervision. You want to make sure that your child understands that the internet is not always a nice place, that people can say anything there, and that they can and should come to you with any problems.
Emphasize this rule for chats and other forms of communication you may not be able to see just by logging into your child's account. Make sure your child knows that other users can be blocked on many websites, and that you don't have to accept every chat request, so that he or she can get away from individuals who cause a problem.
2. Set Safety Rules
Safety rules for children aren't really all that different from the ones you follow much of the time, most likely. Talk about when it's appropriate to use a real name versus a screen name for privacy. Explain that personal contact information, especially photos, location and phone numbers, should never be shared online without your permission.
You may also want to set rules on who your child can friend online on any sites they play on. These sites will vary by age, of course, but you probably don't want your child friending just anyone online. Make sure your child understands that even online friends should not be given personal information unless you approve it. Explain that people aren't always who they claim to be online.
3. Show Your Child That Not Everything on the Internet Is True
This is one my husband and I had fun with. We told our daughter about the tree octopus on day while driving to her grandparents' house. She didn't believe us, so when we got to the house, we got on the internet and showed her. She was amazed, but believed it... until we explained that you can post anything on the internet, but that doesn't make it true.
She was a bit mad, but now she knows to question what she sees online and other places. I hope that bit of skepticism will do her good in the long run.
4. Keep Track of What Your Child Does Online
Just go over your child's online accounts with him or her regularly. Discuss how they're using each site, and any problems that have come up. You should know if he or she goes into chat rooms, who he or she is mostly in contact with, things like that. Sites where you're both members, you can insist on being on the friends list.
Just how carefully you track things depends on what your child needs. Some kids need to be monitored enough that you may want user names and passwords for all accounts, so that you can check on things directly. Other kids you may just be able to talk to in order to know enough about what's going on. Take the steps you feel are necessary, but if your child feels you're snooping too much, find out why. You may still find it necessary to "snoop," but at least you should learn something about what kind of privacy your child would like. It's your place to decide what level is appropriate.
5. Decide If Any Sites Need to Be Blocked
You can block some sites from being accessed at all through your computer, but this may vary by the device being used. As smart phones, iPads and so forth commonly allow children on the internet, you need to decide how to handle these extra ways to get online, especially if there has been a problem with particular sites.
6. The Internet Is Forever
Well, perhaps not quite forever, but make sure your child understands that anything posted online is out of their control, and others can take it and do as they will with it. Don't post personal information, don't be mean, don't post things you'd hate to see go viral, don't post things you wouldn't want a potential employer to see. Many say that companies will have to be more accepting over time of things they find about employees online, but do you really want to take a chance on that?
7. Remember That Bad Things Happen in Person Too
You may hear a lot about cyberbullying, but remember that many online problems relate to problems your child is having in person too. If a classmate is giving your child problems over the internet, odds are there's a problem in person too. Don't focus only on the online part.
Stephanie Foster runs Encourage Their Talents for parents who want to encourage their children's interests. Get ideas for what to do when your child wants to start a website at her site.

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Young Teens Can Be Taught To Save A Life

It's not only paid babysitters who need to know safe child care. Young teens (11-14), who stay home alone or must care for younger siblings in the absence of adults, have just as much responsibility to shoulder. And while many young people have a love of children and an earnest desire to do the right thing, few are prepared for, or even aware of, the immense responsibilities they assume. However, age and maturity don't necessarily go hand-in-hand and young teens can easily be taught to provide great child care-or even save a life!
It may seem obvious but any young teen in the position of staying home alone or caring for other children needs to know where an adult can be reached and the contact number for that adult. Additionally, they should know emergency numbers (fire, ambulance and police). It's always a good idea to leave a list by the phone. The list should also contain the Poison Center's toll free number, 800-222-1222. Should an emergency arise and it becomes necessary to call for help, the young teen should know his own phone number and be able to provide clear directions to his location.
It's important to be familiar with the house in terms of knowing all entrances and exits, fire/burglar alarms, first aid supplies, flashlights and off-limits areas. Young teens should know what to do in case of a fire, including all escape routes and where to go call for help. A medical center in Jupiter, Florida received a report about a student who had taken a babysitting class at the center. Apparently, the 14-year-old teen remembered what he'd learned when a fire broke out and he successfully got 8-year-old twins out of the house before the arrival of the fire department. The house was totally destroyed but no lives were lost.
Young teens can be taught to have the confidence, caring and skill to handle many emergencies. They should know where to locate first aid supplies and have access to a first aid chart for easy reference. (A first aid chart may be obtained from the American Academy of Pediatrics by calling 800-433-9016.) A medical center in Jacksonville, Florida learned that its babysitting class had produced an 11-year-old graduate who, while caring for her 5-year-old cousin, used abdominal thrusts to dislodge a hair barrette the young child had swallowed and choked on. In fact, the teen intervened and provided correct care when her adult aunt was prepared to smack the choking child on the back, potentially making the situation worse. Another medical center in Las Vegas, Nevada reports that an 11-year-old graduate of its babysitter program saved the life of his 14-month-old sister. While playing with his younger siblings, the young teen noticed that his baby sister had stopped coughing and began to turn red. He prevented her from choking when he performed abdominal thrusts to remove a half-bitten crayon from her throat.
Sometimes, emergencies arise due to special health conditions. Young teens must be aware of any conditions or medications used to treat those conditions and know how much, how often and how to give. A hospital in Beloit, Wisconsin was pleased to hear the heartwarming account of two sisters, ages 12 and 13, who'd helped their 12-year-old brother through a severe asthma attack while their parents were away. Because they'd taken a babysitter class at the hospital, one sister knew to comfort her brother while the other located his inhaler and then called 9-1-1. A 12-year-old graduate of a Youngstown, OH hospital's babysitter program reported back to the hospital that, because she'd taken the hospital's class, she knew how to provide care to her 11-year-old friend when she experienced a seizure and a subsequent bloody lip during an after-school bike ride.

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Children and Spirituality

I try my best to give my son an idea of what religion and what spirituality means. One of the things we do therefore is visiting religious places. Today we went to the Xingtian temple in Taipe. The temple is devoted to Guang Yu (Guang Gong) and Lawrence knows that he was a legendary warrior from the Three Kingdom Period. Guang Yu is an inspiration to many people even today. He was very skilled in martial arts and was famous for his wisdom, righteousness and loyalty.
When we came here the last time, Lawrence was six years old and he observed how people where throwing red half-moon shaped blocks on the ground. I told him that it are oracle blocks and that people are seeking divine guidance from it by praying while holding them and then throwing them on the ground. By the way they fall they receive answers to their questions. The little boy asked if he could try it. I saw no harm in this and I gave him the blocks.
He put the blocks in his hands in front of him, closes his eyes and after a while he throws them on the ground. He opens his eyes and looks with great attention to the blocks. I saw a relief on his face when the oracle blocks indicated a "yes". He picks up the blocks, closes his eyes and throws them a second time. Again the blocks indicate "yes" and again his face shows an expression of relief and contentment. The seriousness with which he was doing it made me a bit worried so before he would throw them a third time I asked him what the questions where that he asked just now. The little boy answered: "The first question was if there would be another life after this life and the second one was if my best friend Neil would still be my best friend in the next life." That explained the relief and the smile on his face when the blocks indicated "Yes" in both cases. A bit surprised by the kind of questions he was asking and worried about his next question (and even more of its answer), I decided to end the little ritual.
The little boy was a bit disappointed because he had so many things to ask he said. I remembered a Chinese story that helped to explain it. I told him to treat these kind of things as one would treat a lucky dragon. When you come across a lucky dragon in your life, every time you touch him you will be lucky. But every time you touch him, he would also shrink a little and get smaller and smaller. So if you would touch him too many times in a short period he would disappear very fast. If you feel happy in life because you feel you received something that is nice, just like your answers just now, enjoy them and learn to cherish them and don't go immediately for more. If we would know everything the future will bring, we wouldn't be able to enjoy what is here and now.
He is eleven now and became more skeptical about religion and all things related to God. I found this a good thing because he is using his own mind to find out what is right and what is not. However, I was happy today that he remembered the story of the lucky dragon and that in life you must moderate things.

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Adieu Boredom, Learning Is Now Fun and Easy With Kids Websites

Learning is an unending process and the speed is faster, especially in one's formative years. But then, does the very mention of the term 'learning' invite uninterested sighs from your child? Is teaching him or her an arduous task, the very thought which gives you goose bumps? Even if the answer is an overwhelming yes, you still need not worry now, all thanks to the internet. A wide array of kids websites is here to make the job incredibly easy, for you and your child. They make the process of learning a pleasure so much so that even the trickiest of concepts and methodologies are fun to learn.
Teaching educational subjects to kids has become a supremely exigent job now. Uninteresting books and methods of teaching take their toll on the interest levels of the kids. Teachers and parents are so very caught up with the curriculums that they tend to forget that learning for kids can be fun and possible to be carried out in a relaxed atmosphere, where kids not only understand the concepts well but also become eager learners.
So, are there any tools available to make the same possible? Yes, a multitude of kids' websites is there to help you out. Such sites not only take the teaching pressure off you but would also turnarounds the way kids learned, so far. Such sites generally come with games and exercises that make learning fun and incredibly easy.
Such kids websites offer varying facets that the kids, right from preschoolers to those in primary schools, ought to know. The online math puzzles are replete with fun activities and help kids with the understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, in a play way method. Animal and bird pictures, fruits pictures and vegetable pictures give the pre-schoolers, a great start up to their learning journey. Generally, the knowledge of kids is limited to the fruits and vegetables that they tend to eat, or animals and birds that are there in their vicinity. Not anymore, as such sites open up a world of great information in simple slideshows. Kids not only learn but also do so, the fun and happy way.
Children can also hone their drawing and coloring skills with the help of these kids websites. Right from joining the dots to coloring their favorite characters, they do it all with affable ease. This keeps them engaged and works wonders for their hand-eye coordination in the process. Colorful palettes and vibrant presentations not only keep your kids hooked but are sure to find a great admirer in you too. If the site has to offer a practice arena, kids can recall and reinforce their learning.
Teaching kids, the conventional way, is increasingly becoming a harrowing experience for both the teacher and the taught. The system of online learning has opened up a world of awesome opportunities for both. Vivid graphics, friendly cartoon characters and cute animations looks ever so appealing. If we introduce kids to this system early on, they would not only pick up on their learning process with a great start, but would also become smarter and sharper.

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