Why is it that having extra-curricular activities like learning how to play the guitar is important in the development of children?

First, they learn discipline. One can’t be a good gymnast without spending hundreds of hours practicing. The same discipline goes with playing musical instruments as well as learning how to paint.They don’t need to know everything at one time, just go slowly step by step until they master what they’re really good at.

The passion for music does not just mean playing musical instrument, it could also mean learning about tracktion 3 or even composing new songs.

Second is that learning new skill boosts the children’s self-confidence because they know they have talents and skills to show.

Third would be knowing that because they were able to master a skill, they will understand that whatever they want to achieve in the future, with the right dedication and hard work plus support from their family, they can be what they want to be.

Encouraging your children and giving them the much-needed support to be able to reach their goals and make their dreams a reality. There are no definite steps or ways to make these happen. More often than not, parents do not merely lead what they think is best for their children but they feel and know what it is their children like.

There are of course those parents who insist on making their children do things without regard if the children are liking the experiences but that is another story.

So, how can parents encourage their children?

• Develop their self-esteem.
• Be able to provide for avenues to let them have experiences and develop skills that will further hone their talents. These need not be expensive, with the right creative approach, parents can give their children the support they need.
• Encourage them to love learning new things like making best friend gift ideas rather than buying or by trying out new things to see what they really want to pursue.
• Encourage them to be creative because being creative can open avenues for them to explore further.
• Let them know that mistakes don’t mean that they failed, but these are chances for them to stand up and do better.
• Love them unconditionally.
• Set limits. As a parent, you’ll know when is the right time for setting limit

Of course, there was no way I will burst their bubble by saying that … never mind. When asked if I tell my children about Santa Claus, I tell them that I teach the children about the birth of Jesus Christ and what it represents to the Christians.

I also tell them that we traditionally ask the children to choose what they want for Christmas to be given as gifts. They are surprised I do that. But I tell them, better we give what they like (as long as these are within the budget) than they get something they don’t like.

So what do we teach the children about Christmas besides the Bible-related verses? We teach them that Christmas is about:

• Love. Loving your family and friends not just during the Christmas season but the whole year through. Year after year after year.
• Generosity. Generosity that does not just pertain to gifts and things that money can buy but generosity of kind words, respect and kind words among others.
• Family. Christmas is about family and how we should treasure each and everyone in our family.

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas!

This post written today, December 28th, but time-stamped for an earlier date for the ABC posts that I had not done since the last post I published dated December 6.

No matter how much we brief our children on what to do just in case they get bullied, it is another story when they are on their own.

Young children are not exempted from bullying.

Online bullying happens and is probably just as scary as being bullied at the back of the school building because more people read and see what is happening. It is important to teach children about being careful when they do online activities.

For the teens, with the many issues they are going through, there are some things happening that make them vulnerable to being bullied or becoming bullies themselves. Coping with the challenges they face may make them unsure of what they should do and there are cases when they act out unexpectedly.

Reports of young people taking their own lives have  made headlines. I for one is ambivalent if these should be reported because others who are going through so much would probably take interest. At the same time, incidents like these, though depressing and really sad, inspire schools, teachers and parents to be more vigilant in safeguarding and teaching their children about bullying.

So what should parents and teachers tell their students? Here are a few tips:

•  Teach your children to stand up to the bully and tell the bully to “Stop it” without being physically aggressive. Better if others are able to hear this.
• If the child can’t stand up to the bully for fear of being physically attacked, he/she can be taught to ignore or turn the other way. Best if the child being bullied/taunted walk away from the bully.
• If the bully waits in a particular spot like maybe a water fountain or a cafeteria table, it is best if the child being bullied don’t go there alone.
• Report to the teacher-in-charge and other school authorities.

Bullying cuts across races and geographical settings. What is happening to one child on the other side of the world is also happening on our side.

Bro. Bo Sanchez has an interesting article on bullying. Another article this time about cyber-bullying written by my friend, Ria. Here is an article written about bullying in the Philippine setting.

Here are some interesting reading materials about bullying: Stop Bullying and Bullying Statistics.

Serotonin is said to be the happy hormone that helps to regulate moods, relieve depression and anxiety. It also helps you have a regular sleep pattern, among other things.

Food rich in trytophan help increase serotonin production in the body. Some of these food are: different kinds of cheeses (Swiss, cottage, provolone), bananas, yogurt, soybeans and soy products and seafood like tuna, clams and oysters.

Egg white, cheddar cheese, pork chops, lamb and potatoes on the other hand help you increase trytophan intake.

Anyway, back to the subject of happiness and setting limits, I agree and disagree with the speaker about setting limits on happiness.

When we set limits on happiness, we tend to be more comfortable with what we have and have no real nor immediate desire to have “things” just so we can be happy. There’s more to living a simple life than working too hard and too much to get that expensive bag or a car that’s not within the budget and not necessarily a need at the moment, are two examples I can give for this.

Sure, we may feel complacent if we don’t work harder to be able to afford little comforts (like those ann gish bed linens for your home’s beds) and luxuries (a cuppa of your favorite coffee) but if these wants are the end-all and be-all of what we work for, I don’t think we would be happy nor content at all.

On the other hand, why would we set limits on happiness based on these worldly things? There are so many things we can get our happiness pills from: being with family (of course, this is a source of great stress too), doing a stop-and-smell-the-roses actions, doing random acts of kindness and just being content and not wanting for more than you can bite are just a few suggestions.

One more thing, alcohol and excess caffeine interferes with your body’s ability to produce serotonin. So, there goes your “Happy Hour”

September was also a month that I missed a lot of deadlines and I know my ever patient editor must be clenching her teeth and slowly losing her patience with me (huwag naman please, ).

I even promised a dear friend an article about sun showers but I failed to deliver. I just visited one of the  blogs I own and saw that for last month, I only got 6 entries because the posts are still in the drafts. IN the drafts for several weeks already.

I still have the passion to write but after all these weeks, the writing muse is still nowhere to be found as of this moment. Or maybe there is hope because I was able to sit down to write this piece because the article before this was in the drafts for almost three weeks. Egad!

For the month of September( please don’t ask what happened to the daily gratitude journal, let’s not get into that, haha), I am grateful for:

• my family’s love, support, hugs and kisses

• mini-struggles that keep me on my toes day in and day out

• friends who make me smile and who give encouraging words whenever I feel the need to share my “load” of emo moments (if only I can afford to give you gold necklaces with pendants engraved: “I am a Patient Friend” I will do so)

• I am grateful to moms/readers of this blog who sent me emails about their children, trusting that I will help them in any way I can. I am deeply sorry for not answering your inquiries because it was only the other night that I got to read emails as far back as 2009. With that, thank you hubby for finally figuring out what was wrong why I can open these web mails: our ISP servers.

• I am forever grateful to my Papa’s cousin, Auntie Angie, for giving my parents a place to stay because our home’s roof has damage from previous typhoons. The roof is now completely damaged after Pedring came and went. I worry about how to help them financially but I know we will be able to find a solution to this.

There are so many things to be grateful for and I know just counting my blessings make me feel even more blessed. Now excuse me while I wipe away my tears first.