Raising Smarter Children

Who knew that playing video games could be a good thing for your child and even more astounding, for laparoscopic surgeons?

According to The American Psychological Foundation, certain video games improved dexterity and problem solving ability.

A while back, I wrote an article on how some types of video games gave kids skills they need in life - motivation, ability to keep going when things get rough, and forethought.  A study at Fordham University in New York, showed that playing video games improved cognitive and perceptual skills in 5th, 6th, and 7th graders.

At several other universities, continuing studies show that video games improve the scientific thought process. However, violent video games fostered violence among students, while social video games made the students more helpful to others. 

Ongoing research definitely shows that playing video games all the time makes kids obese and reduces their school performance. 

One of the most surprising results of the research is that laparoscopic surgeons improved dexterity by playing video games.  According to psychologist Douglas Gentile, Ph.D., of Iowa State, doctors who played video games were able to “perform surgery 27 percent faster and made 37 percent fewer errors.  He also said video games were good predictors of suturing capabilities.

The bottom line is what most parents already know.  Video games are like anything else.  Good value games, played in balance with other life activities can enhance education and important life skills. 

Gentile says, “This means that games are not good or bad, but are powerful educational tools and have many effects we might not have expected they could.”

The tip for today is attention - look closely at the type of video games your child plays, limit the time, and know that there may be some inherent value for your child who wants to play a video game.  You never know, s/he may turn out to be that laparoscopic surgeon.

As it’s gettng close to back to school, here’s another “tech smart” tip your child can use on the computer. 

There’s a free, one hour online CD, for you and your child, if you’re serious about making this the best school year ever.  It’s the first of 8 CD’s in the How To Win The School Game System, showing your child how to get A’s and B’s with “how to learn” strategies.

Visit our website at http://www.howtolearn.com/coachingstudents2.html for more on how to get higher grades in 14 days.

Remember, every child is smart,

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredaks, M.D.

If you like this post, please send a comment or click on the “share this” button below the post.  Join the social media networks and help spread the word about raising a smarter child in every way.  Thank you.

Tags: American Psychological Association, back to school, children and video games, dexterity, Douglas Gentile Ph.D., education, Erin Mavredakis M.D., faster surgery, fewer errors, Fordham University, HowToLearn.com, improve cognitive and perceptual skills, Iowa State University, laparoscopic surgeons, New York, Pat Wyman, playing video games, problem solving, school performance, social media networks, students, thought process, video games, your student

Tags: bacteria, diabetes, Erin Mavredakis M.D., Henry Daniell, Henry Daniell Ph.D., HowToLearn.com, human gene, insulin, intestine, lettuce, molectular biologist, normal blood sugar levels, Pat Wyman, plant cells, Type I Diabetes

Well, according to a new Canadian study from the University of Calgary, researchers said that nearly three quarters of the “fun, so called, kid healthy” foods they examined, are not really as healthy as they claim.   In fact, the ingredients in some of these foods are precisely what lead to an obese, unhealthy child, who either has or is well on the way to type II diabetes.

Many ads that target your child and what he or she eats can easily lead to sickness and a shortened life span, and with all the medical research to back that up, it’s not even a stretch to believe it. 

According to an Associated Press report on MSNBC, The Federal Trade Commission said nearly $1.6 billion ad dollars target your child in every possible way to buy foods, snacks, and soads they see in movies, on T.V., in magazine ads, on cereal boxes, computers and even cell phones.

Given what the American Medical Association has said about the obesity and type II epidemic in children, it’s more important than ever to pay close attention to food labels and what you feed your child.  Fast food in general, the fries, burgers, and soda drinks will only lead to an overweight child who has the chance to get sicker faster. 

When you go to the store, be savvy.  Check the labels.  For example, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and The National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, say to check for fat, sugar and sodium content on the labels. 

Sugar hides out as substances like corn syrup, which hits the bloodstream and causes a sharp increase in blood sugar.  Then, it is it’s harder for the body to lower that blood sugar spike.  Not to get to technical, but if your child eats too much sugar, type II diabetes and more damaging conditions are on their way.

Be sure to check the label for any fat that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated because these fats are long proven in every peer-reviewed major medical joural on this topic,  to be unhealthy for everyone.

Even foods that claim to be “lite”, hide artificial sweeteners in the ingredients. which can be just as unhealthy as the regular bleached white sugar you bake with or have on the table. The Food and Drug Administration has countless complaints about the effects of artifical sweetners.

Ad spending on so called “kid friendly” foods, definitely contributes to childhood obesity.  According to the research done at the University Of Calgary, 50% of the calories kids eat come from fat or added sugars.  32% of American children are overweight, which does nothing to help their health or learning abilities. 

According to the organizations above, food is deemed to be unhealthy if more than 35% of the calories come from fat, of if it contains more than 3% added sugar by weight. They go on to say that the sodium cut off for a full meal is “770 mg for main meals and 600 mg for individual servings”.

Given that you want your child to stay healthy and live and long and happy life, here are a few healthy kid tips to help your child stay brain and body smart:

1.  Check the foods your child can get at school.  Ask about the ingredients, whether are there candy and soda machines on campus, and does your school use sugary and hydrogenated goodies as fund raisers?

If the answers are not what you know is best for your child, get a group of health conscious parents together, armed with some facts from medical journals and nutritional organizations and put your concerns before the school board.

If the cafeteria food is brought in from fast food restaurants, petition for something more healthy.  Or, pack your child’s lunch with healthy foods.

2.  Take your child on a trip to fast food restaurants.  Get all the nutrition information from the manager, and take a “field trip” to the cooking area if possible.   Take a good hard look at what the food is made of, whether sugar is added to fries to brown them, what percentage of the “beef” is really pure beef, how much fat, sodium and sugar is in each item.  Look at the oil the food is cooked in.  How many grams of sugar are in a soda? 

I’ve found this to be one of the best ways to help kids understand why what they eat can really hurt them.

3.  Make a list with your child before you go to the store.  Put it in two columns.  The second column will show your child how much fat, what kind, how much sugar and what kind, how much sodium, etc. can be allowed on the label.  Also, put artificial colors, msg, and artificial sweeteners of all kinds in the second column.

Then, in the first column, put the list of foods together for the week. 

If that list includes fresh fruits, vegetables, hopefully organic meats, fish and chicken and some truly healthy snacks, let your child help you pick these things out, while paying very close attention to the information in column 2 on the list.  If it doesn’t measure up, don’t buy the food.  It’s that simple.

4.  Look at the total carbohydrate count on the label and divide it by 5 amd that will give you the metabolic equivalent of how much sugar your child is eating.  

When I wanted to show my kids how to see how much sugar was in something, we converted those grams on the label and I had them put that much white table sugar into a glass.  Then I said, how would you like to drink that?

Once I learned about how to keep my children happy, I did hundreds of hours of medical research and the result was my book called, What’s Food Got To Do With It? 101 Natural Remedies For Learning Disabilities.

If you think your child has ADD_ADHD, we put together a 3 book set, called ADD-ADHD.  It contains What’s Food Got To Do With It, Instant Learning For Amazing Grades and Success Strategies For Special Education.  Check these out too, because they contain the information you need on health, learning to get A’s, and strategies for any child diagnosed with a learning challenge.

We want to prevent and cure childhood obesity and prevent type II diabetes.  If you follow these few simple steps, you’re a parent who really cares about your child’s health, and you’ll make great strides in keeping your child as healthy as possible.

Remember, every child is smart - and you need to be smart about what you feed your child,

Warmly,

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.

If you like this post, please press the “share this” button below and help spread the word to others about the facts and tips for a healthier child.

Tags: American Medical Association, artificial sweeteners, Associated Press, corn syrup, Erin Mavredakis, FTC, healthy kids, hydrogenated fat, M.D., MSNBC, obesity epidemic, Pat Wyman, saturated fat, school board, school cafeteria, sugar, T.V. ads target kids, type II diabetes, unhealthy foods for kids

If you’re child is having a tough time remembering their spelling words, in weely or standardized tests, the best tip is to use the mental image strategy that spelling bee champions use.  If your child suffers week after week with low spelling grades, the good news is this visual spelling strategy will also help improve their self-esteem.

Author, Thomas Armstrong, says, ““The Super Speller Strategy provides an excellent introduction to some powerful learning strategies. 

I hope that parents and teachers will  throw away the old worn-out spelling methods (“write it down 10 times”) and use the kinds of approaches contained in this online strategy instead.”

When you use the visual spelling strategy, you’re going to begin with just a couple of words to get your child comfortable with a new way of learning and remembering. 

Generally, kids who struggle with spelling don’t see the word in their mind like great spellers do, they just look down and know how they feel about it, using a kinesthetic learning style where they don’t make pictures that are easy to remember.

The full Spelling Success Strategy is in the online program, but you can jump start your child’s success by getting them to write their words on colored unlined note cards or construction paper strips, and then have them hold the words above eye level as they trace the letters with their hand.  Next, take the card away, and have your child look up above eye level and actually see the mental picture of the word.  It’s just like they are seeing a movie.

Brain research tells us that pictures are much faster and easier to remember for a written test, so when your child looks up above eye level, he or she will see the whole word in living color, and can easily write it correctly on the test.

One teacher, Cathy Heissler, owner of the Learning For Tomorrow Center, said, “The Super Speller Strategy changes my students’ lives.  All of my students went from failing to getting A’s and B’s.  Their self-esteem improves so much that they do better in all their other subjects too.”

Remember, kids learn in many styles, but schools tend to test in only one - the written visual style.  If you haven’t already read about how to bridge the gap between test taking success for students of all learning styles, there are more than 20, practical ‘how to” strategies in the book, Learning vs. Testing.  These strategies cover all subject areas and teach students “how to learn” and not just what to learn.

Remember, every child is smart!

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.

If you like this post and want to spread the word about helping kids be great spellers, post a comment, and click on the “share this button”.   You can send the post to all the social networking communities and more parents and teachers will see it.  Thank you.

Tags: Erin Mavredakis M.D., kinesthetic learning style, Learning vs. Testing, Pat Wyman, spelling, spelling bee champions, spelling success strategy, spelling test, spelling test grades, standardized tests, super speller strategy, Thomas Armstrong, visual learning style, visual spelling strategy

This type of post is unusual for us, but in the spirit of loving our children and wanting the best for them, we simply had to speak out against the unconscionable remarks that talk show host, Michael Savage, had to say about autism.  The public “spin” in his so-called apology is inexcusable.  

Michael Savage said, “You know what autism is. I’ll tell you what it is in 99% of the cases.  It’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out.  That’s what autism is.”  He then went on to say that autism isa result of lax parenting, a fraud and a racket, and labeled the children with autism both idiots and morons.

A New York Times article says Savage stands by his comments.

Savage was not original and did not bring the autism epidemic to light.  Autism has been in the news for years, and we clearly have an epidemic on our hands.  While his so-called apology fell back on the ADD - ADHD over diagnoses and over medication, there is something terribly wrong with this picture.   In no way does autism even come close to that argument, and his publicity spin was more than unsuccessful.

One has to wonder what such a media saavy man has up his sleeve.  If indeed, he was trying to shine the light on a controversy, he could have done so in a much classier way.  If his goal is higher ratings, most likely he hit the target.

As one of the 44 co-authors of the IPPY Book of the Year in the medicine category, The Official Autism 101 Manual, these real doctors and world’s experts on autism obviously do not share Michael Savage’s views.  Judging by the raving public outcry against Michael Savage’s remarks, parents, teachers, and special caretakers do not share Michael Savage’s views.  He demeaned millions of people and then tried to explain his comments away in a reckless and unbelievable manner.

Yes, he is a talk show host and sometimes knows exactly what he is talking about - and that’s an opinion too.

Autism however, is not an opinion.  Children and adults on the autism spectrum are remarkable, and their parents are heroic for doing everything possible to create a peaceful family life and care for their autistic child. 

As a special education teacher at one time in my life, I taught children diagnosed on the autistic spectrum and loved them deeply.  They were talented, loving, and I”m being honest when I say it was also difficult.  These children light up the world when they smile and at the same time often do injurious things to themselves, like head banging, and we can only guess at the reason. 

If you care look closely enough, you may discover the child has pain someplace in their body, and they think that headbanging or other behaviors may help.

But these are things that Michael Savage apparently doesn’t know about.  I have to wonder how many autistic children he has been around and cared for. 

One of my dear friends has a child with autism, and that child has blessed the world with two beautiful books, and his art-ism.  He has a magnificent talent for art and we are all the better for it.

I’m deeply disappointed, along with The Michael Savage show sponsors, including ABC, and the millions of others who either care for or, are themselves, far enough along the spectrum feel denegrated due to Michael Savage’s remarks.

While our blog is here to promote helping children be smart in their own way, and make good decisions arising from strong values, Michael Savage did not make a good decision today, except to bolster his own self-centertedness and spin his apology with an obvious lack of good values. 

And that, dear readers, is our humble opinion.  If you are the parent or relative of a child or adult on the autistic spectrum, we send you our love.

Remember, every child is smart,

Lovingly,

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.

Tags: ABC, ADD, ADHD, autism, autism controversy, autism spectrum, brat, Erin Mavredakis, fraud, HowToLearn.com, IPPY, M.D., medicine, Michael Savage, Michael Savage and autim remarks, moron, Pat Wyman, raising smarter children

Autism rates are soaring and many parents are wondering if they should have their children vaccinated as well as doing everything possible to prevent autism in their child, and promote learning if their child is diagnosed on the autistic spectrum.

As one of the co-authors of The Official Autism 101 Manual, I do my best to keep up with autism, it’s possible causes and search for cures.

Recently, I was reading an article in USA Today and found some new information that may help parents who are concerned about their child, autism and learning.

According to Nancy Shute, writing for the US News blog, researchers at Harvard University say we’re on the right track looking at genetics.

In the article, it says that “Daniel Geschwind, a professor of neurology at the University of California-Los Angeles who studies the genetic basis of autism, says he’s most intrigued by the indication that genes that at first glance appear to have nothing in common might actually be linked by the fact that they are vital to brain development and are turned on and off by the brain’s response to experience.

It makes sense, since symptoms of autism emerge in early childhood, when the brain is feverishly forming new connections.

If the genes are turned off, maybe those connections don’t form. It’s also when children are learning speech and social interaction, two key abilities often impaired by autism.

This may explain why using behavioral therapies as early as possible, in which children practice social interaction and communication, are the best treatment so far for autism.”

There’s a lot more in this article about the affect of chelation therapy following vaccines containing mercury, as wells as the link to learning, and you can find out more here: 

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-parenting/2008/7/11/autism-and-a-link-to-brain-development.html

Remember, every child is smart!

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.

If you like this post, please help share the information by clicking on the “share” button below.  Join the Digg community, digg this article, and connect with others in the social networks who want and need more information about autism.

 

Tags: autism, autistic spectrum, behavorial therapies, behvaior therapy, brain development, chelation, Daniel Beschwind, Erin Mavredakis, genetic basis, genetics, Harvard University, learning, M.D., mercury in vaccines, Nancy Shute, neurology, parenting, Pat Wyman, raising smarter children, smarter children, Special needs children, symptoms of autism, The Official Autism 101 Manual, University of California-Los Angeles, US New Blog, USA Today, vaccines

Bill Zimerman, twice nominated for a Pulizter Prize, encourages reading, writing and and a unique way for your child to express their feelings through his extraordinary site where your child can create comics. 

Children love comics and it stimulates their interest in reading and writing.  What’s more, child pschologists says that your child can express feelings when they create their own comics.  When you look at their comics you may be enlightened about how they feel at that particular moment. 

Interview With Bill Zimmerman - Click Here  -Should open in Windows Media Player or whichever player you have on your computer.

Bill wrote a wonderful article for Raising Smarter Children and you can read it in the comment section below.

We encourage you to comment on Bill’s vision, try out his http://www.MakeBeliefsComix.com  site and tell us how much your child loved making the comics online.

Thank you Bill for your visionary actions, humility and the honor to interview you!

 If you like this post and want to spread the word about Bill’s free children’s comic site to help kids express their feelings, and improve their reading, and writing…

Simply press the share this button below. 

You can sign in to Digg.com and digg this article telling others you like the information in it,  and join other social networking sites, become part of important groups, let your feelings be known on any issue, connect with old and new friends and share good things to help raise a smarter child - one who is smart with heart!

I’d love to have you as a friend on facebook.com, BlogCatalog, LinkedIn and more, as I’m building a community of parents with common interests - come and join the millions of others who are there; become a fan on Twitter.com and learn more about the people who created this blog, and thank you for visiting RaisingSmarterChildren.com.  Tell your friends and come back soon.

Remember, Every Child Is Smart!

Warmly,  Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D. 

 

Tags: Bill Zimmerman, blogcatalog.com, child psychologist, children and feelings, children and their feelings, comics, Erin Mavredakis M.D., Facebook, feelings, getting children to express their feelings, how to express feelings, how to read with comics, makebeliefscomix, Newsday, parents, parting, Pat Wyman, Pulitzer Prize, raising smarter children, reading, smarter children, Smarter kids, social network sites, Twitter, Windows Media Player, writing howtolearn.com

Do you or your child struggle to read? 

                  Would you like to remove the visual stress and eyestrain from your own everyday reading and make reading faster and easier?

Eye doctors say using colored overlays over the printed page can often relieve reading stress and even raise test scores in the process.

Colored overlays can:

*  clear up the print
*  help a person read longer
*  improve comprehension and focus

Many teachers I know get several sets for their entire class. 

Some parents get two sets, one for home and one for school. 

Executives get sets for themselves and their employees. 

You’ll be excited to try them out — but there’s a warning - they may help you be a faster, better reader.

As a reading specialist, I know how powerful these overlays can be and what eye doctors have to say about their benefits. 

If you have a child or students with reading problems, I encourage you to try them.  The reading journals say they can raise reading levels by more than a year in less than a week.

Colored overlays are sturdy, 8 1/2 by 11 inch transparencies, which are thick.  Place a color over the print and see how it feels. 

When I read, I use the yellow overlay and I don’t need to use my glasses.  Jeanne Siegel, a parent from Florida, called me today and said that her son actually tapes the blue overlay on his computer screen to remove the glare and blurred print so he can read much easier.

If you’re reading for school, work, or pleasure visit http://www.HowToLearn.com/filters.html for more information.

Remember, every child is smart,

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.

P.S. If you like this post, click on the “share this” button just below, and help spread the word to the social communities.  Register for free on Digg, Technorati and the others, and then “digg” this article or paste in the web address where it appears.  Thank you and enjoy faster reading.

 You can also register for free updates on all expert interivews, articles and other posts on raising smarter children.

 

Tags: blurred print, colored filter overlays, colored overlays, developmental optometrists, difficulty reading, Dyslexia, Erin Mavredakis, executives, eye doctors, faster reading, M.D.. social communities, Pat Wyman, read faster, reading journals, reading specialist, vision therapy, visual stress, yellow overlay

 

      

  

 

If you’re serious about wanting to raise a smarter child who has every advantage in brain, body and spirt, here are 7 new discoveries to simplify your life.

1.  Smart Is More Than A High I.Q.

I.Q. scores are very limited and often used to measure a gap between learning potential and actual performance in school or other settings.  It makes sense then, that I.Q. cannot possibly be the only hallmark of your child’s learning ability.  The I.Q. test cannot assess musical ability for example.

Your child is smart in so many ways, so never pressure your child for A’s, so much that he or she is anxious and unhappy.  Otherwise, your child’s desire to learn may shut down and you may not see their true precious talents.

Your child’s talents make him or her very unique.  Nourish each of these if you want a smarter, more well-rounded child, and you just may find you have the next Pavarotti on your hands.

2.  Give Your Child’s Brain A Big Boost With These Fats

Te World Health Organization and respected medical journals have proven that omega 3 fats like DHA and ARA (such as those found in fish oil) can give your child’s brain just the boost it needs for learning,  faster thinking and better memory.  One study even shows that Omega 3’s can reduce or eliminate ADD-ADHD symptoms.

Omega 3 fatty acids have thousands of health benefits and many doctors now recommend taking them in supplement form.  You’d have to eat pounds of fish to get the same amount of omega 3 oils and DHA found in a couple of fish oil capsules.

If you decide to supplement with omega 3 fish oil capsules or DHA, be sure to check with your doctor first.  Then check the quality because some are rancid and contaminated with toxins like mercury.  Toxins can be safely removed, but not all brands do this. 

One Omega 3 and DHA supplement our family takes comes from Norway and is certified the number one country in safety and quality by the organization with the most stringent safety standards in the world.

3.  Music Can Make Your Child Smarter

Controversy aside, new research from UCLA on The Mozart Effect says it has a molecular basis in the brain and improves spatial abilities.  Your child used spatial abilities in subjects like math and science. 

Several studies show higher I.Q. scores after listening to specific Mozart selections.  The Society For Neuroscience has more information on the brain benefits of listening to Mozart.

4.  Nature Does Not Always Have The Final Word In Your Child’s Learning and Brain Power

The nature vs. nurture debate is nearly endless in the scientific community.  Some think that nature and genetics are the most important factors in how “smart” your child is, but newer research says nurture and environment can actually play a bigger role.

Did you know that hugging and kissing your child can actually enhance learning by increasing a fatty substance covering the nerves?  This means faster thinking and better motor control.

I have a personal confession which shows just how powerful nurture can be when you want your child to be “smarte” and more successful in a certain area.

In front of the whole class, my high school math teacher told me I was “dumb” and would never understand higher level math.  I believed him and it devasted me for a very long time.

However, I decided right then and there that my children would never have to suffer in math the way I did.

Although they were both born 6 weeks early (by the way, Dr. Mavredakis, my daughter says this nips a lot of brain cells), I said to heck with genetics and did the following:

From their birth, I told them how brilliant they wre in math.  I never said anything about my experience in math.  I simply told them they were super smart in everything, and especially math.

The result:  my daughter, Dr. Mavredakis, won advanced placement math contests with her high school classmates and fulfilled her life long dream to become a pediatrician.  My son graduated from a very highly rated four year private university and now works with special needs children.

So much for nature, I’ll opt for nuture every time.

My point to you is that you can empower your children by building them up.  Make a very big deal out of their accomplishments in everything.  Never take them forgranted and tell them you love them every day.  Say positive things to them and you may find that you can overcome any type challenge nature tosses their way.  I’ve read thousands of stories, and one day will share my own, of how people overcame the worst possible diseases, against all the odds.  It is your mental attitude that makes all the difference, and will help your children be the best they can possibly be.

5. Parents Mold Their Child’s Character, Attitude and Behavior

Dureing the first five years of your child’s life, doctors, parent experts and child psychologists say that you are the primary person who helps shape your child’s character, attitude and behavior.

However, unless you find out all you can about good parenting, you’re likely to re-create the most difficult parts of your own childhood. 

Children model what they see, so giving them unconditional love, advice, intructions, and specific ways to make tough choices when they need to, will do more for their character, behavior and attitude than any other thing.  You’ll be raising your child on purpose and not by chance.

My favorite book on this subject is called, Have A New Kid By Friday.  It’s the best I’ve ever read and I highly recommend you keep it close at hand when you’re raising your kids.

6.  Brain-Body Connection:  Smarter Foods Equals Smarter Kids

In 1997, I wrote a book called, What’s Food Got To Do With It? 101 Natural Remedies For Learning Disabilities.  Medical science has now proven beyond a doubt that there is a strong connection between food and learning.

In the book, I gave some tips to help you choose great foods to help your child when you’re at the grocery store.

Because the Centers For Disease Control states we have an obesity and Type II diabetes epidemic, your child’s diet can often prevent both of these.  The smarter child tip:

Keep your home filled with healthy foods (remember you’re the one buying them), add fruits, vegetables (even if you have to hide them in the food), and as many organic proteins like fish, meat and eggs as you can.  Organic foods don’t have the antibiotics and hormones in them that are harmful to you and your family.

Want a smarter test taker?  Have your child eat some protein before the test.  No sugary snacks or their blood sugar levels will rise and fall quickly and they can’t focus as well.  Protein will stabilize the blood sugar levels and improve learning, focus and memory.

The bottom line - food impacts your child’s learning ability and behavior.  Show that you care for your child’s health and learning by reading more and asking your doctor what is healthy and what is not.

7.  Belief In A Higher Power Can Make A Child Smarter Too

Kis who belive strongly in a higher power are more likely to make smarter choices in tough situations.  Their belief can be the conscience that helps them understand that every action has a consequence, what is good and what is not.

You may want to look into programs that instruct your child about God, spirituality or a higher power because it can help them behave with more integrity and act in a kinder, more loving way.

Remember, all childre are smart!

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.

If you like this post, click the share button below and help spread the word through Digg or other social communities.  Just join the commuity (it’s free) and paste in the web url of the post you like. Thank you.

P.S.  If you like the informaiton in this post then visit our website http://www.HowToLearn.com for more information.

 

Tags: ADD, ADHD, adhd symptoms, CDC, DHA, Dr. Kevin Leman, Erin Mavredakis, fish oil capsules, gap, Have A New Kid By Friday, health benefits, i q scores, I.Q., learning ability, medical journals, musical abilitiy, new discoveries, omega 3's, Pat Wyman, pavarotti, raising smarter kids, raising smarterchildren, smart, Smarter kids, The Mozart Effect, type II diabetes

Dear Fellow Parents and Friends,

What parent doesn’t want their child to be able to make good, solid decisions, grounded in integrity and excellent character?

When I was raising my children, I always worked out real life scenarios with them in advance, knowing they would have to make some tough choices when the time came.  So we planned what they would do, how they would act, what choice they would make and discussed all the consequences of their actions.

It’s so important to raise children who are “smarter” when it comes good values and decision making.

In the comment below, Dr. Aaron Cooper, author of I Just Want My Kids To Be Happy, and clinical psychologist with The Family Institute of Northwestern University, gives some remarkable advice on how to raise kids who make smarter decisions and have a solid sense of values.

One great tip he recommends happens at dinner time.  Have your kids share something special about their day.

When I raised my kids, we all went around the table, and said one reason we liked or loved another person at the table, and one thing we liked about ourselves.  It definitely went a long way teaching them about never taking another forgranted, gratitude and raising their self-esteem.

Dr. Cooper has several tips to raise a “smarter child” and I encourage you to read his insightful and very practical advice.

Remember, all kids are smart in their own way,

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.

Tags: beliefs, character, decision making, Dr. Aaron Cooper, Erin Mavredakis, I Just Want My Kids To Be Happy, M.D., making good decisions, Pat Wyman, smarter children, Smarter kids, values