14 Tips to Protect Your Kids Online

The Internet is a great source of information and allows us to connect easily with many people around the globe. For kids, like adults, the Internet is a fascinating world of discoveries, great exploration and yes, some danger. Like many other areas of life, in order to appreciate the “light” of the Internet, we need to have some “darkness”.

There are horrible stories of abuse and even death through misuse of connections formed on the Internet. Sneaky people exist on the Internet as much as they do in any other place society and they abuse their right to participate and become a risk to our children. Education is the answer, I say (surprise, surprise :D ).

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The ADHD Myth

Boy leaning against a stack of books looking sad

I go over 22 year of special education experience and can see a great inflation in ADHD. Well, it did start as ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder – and soon became ADHD with the “Hyperactive” addition.

The special education profession is still split on the existence of ADHD. Some say it is a brain malfunction, some say it is only children’s need to move a lot beyond the “normal” range. I think that no matter which approach you take, our society is sick with the labeling disease!

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In The Outback With Jasmine – Journey to Freedom

In the Outback with Jasmine Banks by Ronit Baras

Reading is one of the most popular and accessible ways to make this journey. There are many personal development books and many of them are very good books. I must have read hundreds of books myself. As an author, I love books, love reading and get a lot from it. I still remember ads from childhood saying “books are your friends”, “your book will take you on a journey”. They have certainly worked miracles for me.

I am happy to announce the official launch of my new book “In the Outback with Jasmine Banks – Journey to Freedom”, the story of young women with similar fears to most people, who manages to find a new definition for what life is all about.

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Knowledge or Attitude?

For many years, knowledge was considered to be the ultimate factor for success in life. Many parents and educators still pump knowledge into kids’ brains, in hope this will bring kids to the desired achievements.

While in the past knowledge was something not all people could have, nowadays it is much more accessible. Unfortunately, knowledge is not the thing that will give kids the edge to succeed.

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How Do You Force a 17-Year-Old Boy to Go to School?

It is common belief that teens have to finish school in order to succeed in life, but that is not true. Sometimes, leaving school is the best thing that happens to them. For example, I was kicked out of school at the end of grade 10 and it was the best thing that happened to me. It was a strong wake-up call. In the end, I became a teacher.

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Parenting – A Rewarding Career

Applying for a parenting career requires no interviews and no application forms, though it is one of the most demanding and rewarding careers. Without the benefit of selection criteria, we discover that to be good parents, we need many skills and abilities that we do not learn at school.

Some people hope that these skills will show up in the delivery room together with their first born. Others say you either have them or you don’t. I believe that the magic of pregnancy and childbirth is not enough to make us parents and we can and should develop these skills over time.

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Mother of Three Flirting with Her High School Sweetheart

I have had this discussion many times and I think it is about time I write about it. I would like to be honest and say that I am a mother of three, I still flirt with my high school sweetheart and I am proud of it! In fact, I recommend this to all of you!

You are probably saying to yourself, “Of course you would recommend this to everyone. You are just trying to encourage herself.”

Is it OK or not? I will let you be the judge.

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Music For The Mind

Did you know?

Children studying music from as early as grade 4 get to their first year of high school with an average academic score that is 11% higher than kids who did not study music.

If they continue their music studies into high school, by the time they graduate, their average academic score is 23% higher than kids who did not study music.

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Teaching Young Kids Money Management

Kids need to learn money management long before they leave home. When their friends have brand-name shoes or a computer game and your kid wants them too, understanding money is going to be very handy. So if you wonder when it is the right time to learn about money, my answer is: the minute your kid can count to 10.

Unfortunately, handling money is not something we learn at school. Just like many other life skills that we find necessary in adulthood, money management is also neglected while lots of energy is wasted on high levels of math.

Children can be taught at a young age that money is their way to get the things they want in life. It is, after all, your way of getting the things you want in life.

Here is how…

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