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

On the other hand…

A “lucky” reader also gets the chance to win a gift pack from Johnson’s Baby World of Firsts here by just writing a caption referring to the first photo in the post.

So many contest to join online and I’m sure there are a lot of happy winners out there and that includes me, yey!

Giveaways have included mobile phones, laptops, hewlett packard toner cartridges, food, gift certificates, beauty products and even webhosting packages.

In fact, there was that “heated” talk a while back if a certain government agency should ask bloggers to pay for a business permit of something like it when they hold online contests and host giveaways even if respondents did not purchase anything to qualify. I won’t get into that since I rarely host giveaways.

These online contests range from high priced prizes to fab and fun ones. There are of course the issues about “professional online contest joiners”. Hmmmm… intriguing so I will not delve into that.

Anyway…

Joining contests online is fun, especially if the mechanics are quite easy and there’s no need to sweat the small stuff. Wala namang mawawala so why not join these contest, right?

For me, it feels sad if official FB or Twitter accounts of products and services host online contest where they require for people to like their page only for these same people to unlike after the contest because they didn’t win. In fact, some people would even write trash talk online in these pages. Now, that’s something of a dilemma because if these comments are deleted, they’d get even more pissed.

Social media pages of products and services should be “liked” because the consumer genuinely likes what they offer and not because they are giving away something. I for one will not join a contest to “like” a page for the sake of qualifying to join if I don’t particularly patronize the company’s products and services.

Unless they give away something that I would really not think twice about liking their page, that is another story Bumigay din, LOL.

Bravehearts and the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) will be having Millenium Run for Women’s Health, a fundraising event to that aims to increase awareness on women’s health issues. The registration fees Millenium Run for Women’s Health will help fund the many women’s health projects of POGS. Pregnancy-related deaths, breast cancer and cervical cancer issues are where these pledges will go to.

In the Philippines, over 4,500 Filipinas die of childbirth, around 8,000 die from breast cancer while around 4,380 die from cervical cancer. These numbers are higher compared to other countries in our region.

Among the many causes that doctors see are poverty, lack of awareness about maternal health and lack of support from the government.

The last part being my opinion, so yes, I say YES TO RH BILL.

The Millennium Run for Women’s Health supports the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) which aims to lower mortality rates by the year 2015. POGS targets to improve maternal health in the Philippines.

There are several categories for the run: 3k, 5k and 10k. <- click that for a bigger photo.

Millennium Run for Women’s Health is organized by Run For Change. Click here for more details.

Bravehearts also support The Tour of Hope which raises fund for the purchase of cervical cancer vaccines for the women in far-flung areas in the Philippines.

Nobody can replicate what the Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal has done for our country but we can give recognition to people who have made great great leaps and bounds, risked their lives to fight for what is right and just, for the good of the country.

If you have someone in mind who has the distinction of being that and more, then you can nominate him/her to the Rizal Awards, a project of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in celebration of the commemoration of 150 years of Dr. Jose Rizal.

Two categories:

• Individual category where ten Filipinos and three foreigners will be given awards
• Organizational category where ten institutions, societies, or organizations that qualified in the terms stated would be awarded.

Individuals and groups to be nominated should…

• have or had projects supporting the Rizalian concept of love of country and fulfillment of the duties as Filipino citizens
• in their capacities and involvement in various professions, promote, teach and disseminate competence for the benefit of the people they serve in the light of Rizal’s teaching and way of life
• be models of responsible citizenship who have not misused wealth, rank, influence and power

Nominations can be sent to National Historical Commission of the Philippines or NHCP Office or  e-mail them at rizalawards@nhcp.gov.ph on or before March 15, 2012.

I’m sure children will get bored if they are not engaged in summer fun activities so reading, and not just clicking on those gadgets, will give them fun and excitement too. Now is the time we parents and teachers and parents lead the way and make them love reading.

I’m sure when they are adults they’d rather read fun stuff than read minute details of work-related literature like contracts, North Carolina health insurance, and manuals.

Here is a list of books for summer reading. Let’s hope the reading continues on till after summer vacation. I know *rolls eyes*, it’s 2009 but it’s still a list

Here is another reading list.

I’m not one who get books with popular animation characters because the children can watch these characters on TV so why bother have them in books? I’d rather children read books that will take them to different places, stir their imagination and make them want to read more. Or maybe be a children’s books author some day.

Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan (LBK) was launched in Capas, Tarlac and was attended by 1,500 Aetas from Barangay St. Juliana. Maternal heath services like pre-natal check-up and counseling were included in the health fiesta. Educational activities were also done with the children.

Asuncion Anden, DOH Director on Health Promotion said that Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan aims to have engaging, memorable and fun experiences during the different LBK health fiestas scheduled.

Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan is the DOH’s health reform agenda on Universal Access to Health program.

“Making health and medical services readily accessible to the public has always been one of the priorities of the province. And with programs like LBK promoting health prevention and education in a fun and entertaining approach, we can look forward to a future when households will be competent enough to keep their families healthy and productive,” Tarlac Governor Yap said.

This is the bus for Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan’s mobile counseling and examination clinic for the women and children. During the event, participants can learn about health practices through interactive exhibits, entertainment shows and fun activities.

Please click on photos to see in bigger resolution.

The LBK health fiesta caravan will travel to 10 provinces in its first year.

• Tarlac, Pangasinan, and Nueva Ecija in Luzon;
• Bohol and Negros Occidental in the Visayas;
• Bukidnon, Zamboanga del Norte, Compostela Valley, South Cotabato, and Maguindanao in Mindanao.

LBK is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Victory Liner Inc., Melawares, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Air21, OMF Literature, Green Cross, Dakila – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism, Center for Community Journalism and Development, Manila Broadcasting Company, UNTV, Philippine Press Institute, and the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates International, Inc.