Parenting Views

My views on education, mutilingual parenting and other parenting topics
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April 7, 2014

Encouraging a Struggling Learner- (Part One)

Dominique Parenting and Kids, Parenting Views less stress, Parenting, Series

Doggie boy riding a horse

A Struggling Learner

– A child which takes a longer time and
effort to learn as compared to their peers.

Doggie boy has been a late developer as compared to his elder brother. It takes him quite a long time to process certain information and has difficulties transferring information learned in one situation to another situation.

Application of concepts doesn’t come as naturally for him and he needs to be shown step by step ( and sometime repeatedly) before he is able to understand what is being taught.

Doggie boys way of processing information is very different from his elder brother. He is more visual and tactile while Monkey boy is able to understand perfectly well by just having text or verbal instructions. You can say that he is a more “hands on ” person and needs to be able to physically internalize any instruction before taking action on it.

He gets frustrated rather easily and have been having problems expressing himself clearly to others. He can get lost if the instructions are too lengthy or if they come in multiple steps.

Even though he is hardworking and willing to try he has difficult retaining the information taught. Previously I have tried building up his Auditory skills by focusing on the tips suggested by Thinkerbox when we went for an assessment last year. I have been trying audio books with him but it didn’t really seem to work.

Intently listening and focusing on certain key items while listening is not something that is easy for Doggie boy. Although there is a wide selection of Audio books within the library many of them are rather lengthy and I feel that it makes it more difficult to train his listening skills using this audio tool.

Doggie boy might be better of reading the passage or article aloud and listen to his own voice as the listening to the audio books were not helping him.

It is not that he is unwilling to learn but he simply can’t and it has been frustrating both him and me.

In the next part of this post I will be sharing the what I have been doing with Doggie boy to improve on his memory and learning ability.

Post in this series

– Parenting with Less Stress ( An Introduction)

– Teaching Kids about coping with the fear of Failure (Part 1)

– Teaching Kids about coping with the fear of Failure (Part 2)

– Encouraging a Struggling Learner (Part 1)

– Encouraging a Struggling Learner (Part 2)

-Dealing with a Strong Willed Child (Part 1)

– Dealing with a Strong Willed Child( Part 2)

– An Update on Monkey Boy

–An Update on Doggie boy

March 26, 2014

Teaching Kids about coping with the Fear of Failure (Part 2)

Dominique Parenting and Kids, Parenting Views less stress, Parenting, Series

Monkey boy deep in thought

In the first part of this post I gave a introduction to Monkey boy’s character and his abilities as a 10 year old. In the 2nd part of the post I’ll be sharing with everyone how I plan to help Monkey boy over come his fear of failure.

The need for wanting to change and overcome this stumbling block has to come from within to be successful. No amount of encouragement and help will be able to initiate the change unless he himself renders it possible.

As a parent the best that you can do is try to persuade and guide him on how to take the first step. You also need to provide him with all the necessary tools that he will need for this transformation to occur.

There are a few things which one can do when you feel fearful.

You can create a safe place in your mind of psychically where you can retreat to in your time of need.
You could extend loving support to yourself as you would to a good friend.
Listen to soothing music or your favourite music.
Practice gratitude by giving thanks for all your blessings.
Visualize yourself as your favourite superhero.

It may be difficult for a ten year old to understand all the concepts mentioned above but I will be walking him through each and every one of them using age appropriate examples.

Together with Monkey boy we will choose which item(s) on the list he is most comfortable with and practice it together with him.

It is all in the mind and he needs to learn how to control his own emotions to be able to overcome the fear.

The aim is to get around the fear and focus on ~ I CAN DO IT!!

Monkey boy has to take a stand and know that there is a difference between what he wants and what has to be done to achieve the desired result.

Positive Affirmations are what I will be working on with Monkey boy on a daily basis. I will be getting him to write out two to three affirmations which we will paste at his bedside so he can look and read it out aloud twice daily- when he wakes up and before he goes to bed.