We've heard the stories: a child left mostly to himself at home because the parents are working and have practically no time to interact with him. Left by the babysitter to watch Nickelodeon the whole day while she does other household chores, the child grew up and learned to speak English as his first language, accent and all. Well and good.

Then there's the other one: a child left to himself in a household filled with dogs. The first sound that the child was able to make was a bark. Okay, this last story is anecdotal. I cannot deny nor confirm the veracity of it. But here's one story that I can.

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One of the rewarding things about having kids is the fact that they can bring us parents endless delights in their accomplishments. There may be some parents who don't care much about what their kids have accomplished but they stand to be the exception rather than the rule in this regard. A majority of us would always want to stand side by side with our little ones and savor the moment of elation as they receive their medals or trophies. Many of us still would go through unimaginable troubles, even sacrifices, to help them harness their full potential and be recognized for having done so. Oftentimes, however, we as parents may put a lot of expectations upon our kids and may end up disappointed with them, with their school, with their teachers, even with ourselves when they fall short. I think it's time that we look at their intelligence in context. This time, we will be talking of intelligence in the more traditional sense, as opposed to the multiple intelligences sense

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parents co-educatorsOne of the desired goals of Eastbridge School is to instill the idea on the parents that the education of their kids are not the sole responsibility of the school. Being in the academe for twenty years now, the administrators of the school deem that this is a necessary element  for a successful learning experience especially in the preschool level. For what is education if not the preparation for life? A person who is trained to only prepare for work in adulthood has only prepared for half of what life is all about.  Others may even argue that most of life is interaction with other people. For isn't work even also mostly comprised of this? Thus, it is of the utmost importance that the training that the kids get in a learning institution must touch on this major element.
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 "Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents." -Beethoven

Filipinos are known for their love of music. No wonder there's a proliferation of videoke bars in almost every street corner and perhaps in a large percentage of our homes. But music is normally viewed as an exercise in aesthetics, or perhaps body kinesthetics. To some it's a hobby, to  ohers a livelihood. To the hobbyist it serves as a way to relax and remove stress whether by way of listening or dancing to the beat. Seldom is music viewed beyond this in ordinary life, until recently. Studies after studies have shown that music has other uses, especially in learning. Indeed, music can enhance learning and even improve a child's IQ and EQ.
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ImageRest and recreation is a must for all people, of all ages and races. That's why there's a lot of money being spent to promote and ultimately to avail of recreational and entertainment services. However, not all recreations are actually promoting the well-being of those who avail of it. Surprisingly, the ones that we suspect less may be the number one threat of all to our families.

 

Many many studies have been pouring in showing that watching TV is bad not only for kids but even adults. The damage can be done in many areas. Some of the findings of studies are:

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In my previous article, "Discovering & Nurturing Our Child's Gifts" , I have expressed my opinion on the need for us to discover and nurture our children's gifts. There is no other thing worth our while than that if we want to be instrumental in turning our kids into individuals that can or have achieved their full potential as God has designed them to be. Seen in this light, it is not only important but it becomes our duty as parents. The second part of this parenting responsibility is nurturing and it is in this area that I would like to dwell in this article.
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