Soraya Diase Coffelt's Blog, page 10
January 10, 2022
All-American Football Player Kaelin Clay's Story of Overcoming Failure is Very Inspiring for Children
I enjoy the stories and quotes shared by The Foundation for a Better Life as they are very encouraging and inspiring. The story about football player Kaelin Clay is one of the stories recently shared by the Foundation and I want to share it with you. It is a story that Clay actually loves to share with children to help them to overcome failures and discouragements as he candidly talks about fumbling a play, allowing the opposing team to score and win the game.
Clay played football for the University of Utah. In a game against Oregon, Clay caught the ball and ran almost all the way to the goal line. He started to celebrate before he actually crossed the line and dropped the ball close to the goal line. A player for Oregon caught the ball and ran all the way to score a touchdown.
It is important to learn about what Clay did after that. He did not blame anyone or anything for what happened – he readily admitted it was his fault. His team lost the game, and he candidly acknowledges that it was because of what he did.
He learned an important life lesson: do did not give up! He said: “Life is crazy. Things change. That moment right there helped me realize that no matter what happens, just keep pushing, because something good will happen in the end.” When Clay speaks to children, he tells them “Things are going to happen; you just have to keep pushing. It’s going to be all right, and it happens for a reason.” Despite this failure, he went on to become an All-American and play professional football.
To read the entire post, please visit https://www.passiton.com/passiton-blog/102-overcoming-our-own-worst-mistakes
January 3, 2022
5 Tips for Helping Your Children to Set Goals for 2022
At the beginning of a new year, many people like to make New Year’s resolutions. I prefer to set goals instead. And, when you are setting goals, please include some for your children. Here are 5 tips for helping your children to set goals in the new year of 2022:
Talk with them about setting attainable goals, not pie in the sky ones, as well as measurable goals. For example, to encourage your children to read more, perhaps an attainable and measurable goal is to read one book each week. You can write on a calendar each week the title of the book read. Your child can then easily see his accomplishments. For younger children, a goal can be to read to them a book before going to sleep every weeknight or on a night during the weekend.
Limit the goals to just a few and have your children write them down. Having a vast variety of goals is just not achievable and your children will feel more accomplished if there are just a few goals that they can concentrate on by taking small steps. Also, by writing them down, your children will be more likely to focus on them on a regular basis. Keep the goals in places that your children can easily see them so they are reminded of what they are aiming toward.
Motivate your children to set goals. Goal setting is not easy and many children would rather not even talk about it. Experts say that goal setting is an important skill for children to learn at an early age.
Include goals that have personal as well as family benefits. Some goals may include activities for the family to build bonds as well as activities for the child only.
Ensure that each goal is one that you as a parent can support and encourage. As your child accomplishes each small step toward a goal, be there to applaud his efforts.
To learn more, please visit:
https://www.totsnteens.net/blog/preparing-your-child-for-the-new-year/
December 27, 2021
Happy New Year!
We at As the Stars of the Sky Foundation would like to thank you for all your support! Happy New Year 2022! I love this prayer from Numbers 6:24-26, NKJV version, and pray this over you for the new year:
“The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
December 20, 2021
God Gave Us The Greatest Gift Of All - His Son Jesus!
God is the greatest gift-giver of all time! He gave His Son Jesus as the most precious gift to us all. This Christmas, talk with your children about gift-giving and gift-receiving.
Luke 6:38 states that in giving, we will receive. The NIV version provides:
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
That verse is counter to our way of thinking as we usually believe that we should be on the receiving end of many beautiful and wonderful gifts. We also cannot ignore the last part of the verse – if we are stingy in giving, then that is what we will receive back. How are you and your children following through with God’s command to give this season? Is the focus on receiving gifts or on what God did for us?
From my family to yours – MERRY CHRISTMAS!
December 13, 2021
3 Important Benefits For Your Children From Learning To Play A Musical Instrument
If your children do not yet play a musical instrument, please consider having them learn to do so. There are so many benefits to a child, including the 3 mentioned below:
It helps to develop discipline. Learning to play an instrument takes time and dedication. Time must be set aside on an almost daily basis to practice. Sometimes, practice needs to take place even though your child would much rather to be doing something else.
It helps build time management skills. There are only a set number of hours each day that a child has and much of this time is taken up by school, homework, chores and play. In order to practice regularly, you and your child will have to plan out a schedule and then stick to it as much as possible. Your children will learn how to prioritize their time and eliminate tasks that really do not matter.
It helps children to regulate their emotions. In a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry on the effects of learning a musical instrument on child brain development, researchers saw improvements “in regions of the brain that regulate behavior, emotions, working memory, attention and future planning.” Dr. Jim Hudziak, professor of psychiatry, medicine, pediatrics, and communication sciences and disorders at University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said that “there are things we can do to help in the development of those frontal and prefrontal regions of the brain, which are involved with attention and emotional regulation. Musical practice is one such workout.”
Monday December 13 is recognized as National Violin Day, promoting the importance of violins in our society. One of my nieces has played the violin since she was a young child and she was able to excel through discipline, including daily practice sessions. She is now attending a prestigious music college as a result.
Parents should speak with their children about what type of musical instrument they may be interested in. It may be that your child starts learning one instrument, but later, changes to another one. What is important to keep in mind is the impact learning an instrument has on the child’s brain development, not the type of instrument itself that is played.
To learn more, please visit:
https://time.com/3634995/study-kids-engaged-music-class-for-benefits-northwestern/
December 6, 2021
Celebrate Human Rights Day With Your Children on December 10
On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which establishes the unalienable rights of all human beings. It has been translated into over 500 languages and it holds the Guiness World Record of being being the most translated document in the world. Each year, December 10 is celebrated as Human Rights Day and the theme for 2021 comes directly from Article 1 of the UDHR – “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Teaching our children about human rights will broaden their understanding and appreciation of other persons and cultures and the rights that we all share. Various websites have information and resources for you to learn more and celebrate the day with your children and I have noted some below. Included in the resources are a simplified pdf version of the UDHR and an illustrated booklet. Each person is entitled to basic human rights and knowledge of those rights is key.
To learn more, please visit:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day
https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day/resources
https://www.standup4humanrights.org/en/take-action.html
https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day/know-your-rights
November 29, 2021
Involve Your Children in Caregiving During National Family Caregivers Month
November is National Family Caregivers month. President Joe Biden signed a Proclamation on October 29, 2021, declaring November 2021 as such. President Biden wrote in the Proclamation as follows: “I encourage all Americans to reach out to those who provide care for their family members, friends, and neighbors in need, to honor and to thank them.”
What is a caregiver? It is a person who provides so much to the person being cared for, from companionship, love, attention, and friendship to providing healthcare for the person. Even a smile is a way of showing that you care.
I was a caregiver for my late husband for many years – he suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. Our two sons assisted me in caring for their father. It was a loving tribute to their father that they will always remember and cherish. And, of course, their father much appreciated their acts of love.
Is there a grandparent or other relative with whom your children can spend time? Is there a neighbor who needs some assistance, perhaps with some simple chores? Perhaps there is someone whom you know who is a caregiver. Think about honoring and thanking that person too. We should harken to the words of the Apostle Paul in Acts 20:35, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (NIV)
November 22, 2021
Learn the History of Thanksgiving Day!
What do your children know about Thanksgiving Day? My faith-based children’s book tells the history of how Thanksgiving Day came to be and all that we should be grateful for. It is filled with colorful illustrations and lots of humor because children love to laugh. It is a fun way for children to learn about and truly appreciate this holiday.
You can purchase a copy at any online book seller and at our website at asthestarsofthesky.org. If you order from our nonprofit foundation’s website, we will add a FREE set of coloring pages too. These coloring pages reinforce what the children read. All proceeds from book sales go to the foundation to help promote literacy. Please consider purchasing a copy today.
November 15, 2021
Dos and Don’ts About Allowances For Your Child
According to a survey of 1,000 parents by The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, approximately two-thirds give allowances to their children. The average allowance is $30 per week! If you’re like me, you may have thought that amount was too much. This blog post will provide some helpful advice as to the dos and don’ts about allowances. At the end of this blog are some links to websites that will provide additional assistance. The bottom line is that it is up to each family to decide when to start giving an allowance, how much to give each child, and what the child will be required to do to earn it.
How much should the allowance be? Some experts recommend that the weekly allowance should be an amount equal to the child’s age. If your child is 9 years old, for example, the weekly allowance can be $9. Or you can establish it to be one-half of the child’s age. Using the same example, the allowance would be $4.50 per week.
Should the allowance be tied to chores? According to experts, here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pros: children learn the difference between work and play; it is an incentive to actually get the chores done; and
Cons: children learn that household duties always deserve a reward rather than they should do some duties because they are part of a family; if they do not need money, then they will not do the chores; because of your small family budget, you may not be able to pay much of an allowance or any at all.
What are some age-appropriate chores? Again, according to some experts, you can consider these ages with related chores:
Ages 4-5: cleaning their bedroom; helping put laundry away; putting away their toys; making their bed
Ages 6-7: setting and clearing the dining table; taking out the trash; feeding the pets
Ages 10-11: cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry, walking the dog, putting groceries away
Remember that you are teaching your children to be responsible. As a parent, you should be consistent and have your children follow through with doing the chores for which they will be paid an allowance. They last thing that you should do is pay the allowance when all the chores have not been done according to your agreement.
For more information, please visit:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-mistakes-parents-make-when-giving-kids-an-allowance-2016-05-06
November 8, 2021
The Benefits of Children Playing Teams Sports
I have written before about how important it is for children to be involved in sport activities. Today’s blog post is taking it a step further and is on the benefits of playing team sports. It is generally understood about how physical exercise is good for children, but team sports involves much more than that.
Phil Jackson, the famous basketball coach who coached the Los Angeles Lakers to five league titles, said this about teamwork: “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” Here are some of the benefits of children participating in team sports:
It helps them develop better communication skills. Each team member must communicate with the others to develop better skills and play better together. Team members talk with each other before a practice or game and after. They encourage and joke with each other as well as discuss their disappointments. They learn to respect each other.
It helps build their self-esteem. What could make a child feel better than his/her fellow team members speaking words of encouragement and hearing their shouts of joy and cheers?
It helps them to build leadership skills. Each team has a few leaders so your children can aspire to be one.
It serves as an external family and community. Children develop friendships and loyalties with each other and that serves them well for many years, often a lifetime.
It can help older children to be mentors of younger ones.
Find out what types of sports our children would like to play and consider helping them to join a team. It is important to make sure that you and your children will have time to participate in all that team sports entails.
To learn more, please visit:
https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/social-and-academic-benefits-team-sports
https://abcquality.org/posts/2020/the-many-benefits-of-children-playing-a-team-sport/
