1. Success Board – You’ve most likely heard of vision boards for manifesting what you want in life, why not celebrate what your little one has accomplished with a Success Board? Your child can see their latest accomplishments everyday. Each week make a point of having them replace one or more older items (let them choose) with new items. This works great with the many arts & crafts projects your children will create. This can expand to awards and report cards as they get older. Remind then often how proud you are. Be imaginative and have fun with it!
2. Achievement Chart – This is great for toilet training. Get a poster board or a large piece of paper and make a chart with the days of the week on top and times of day (morning, afternoon, evening) on the side. Let the child place a sticker in the correct box every time they are successful on the toilet.
3. Helping with household chores – Ok, so they’re not going to do the vacuuming, but if you buy a child size broom, rake or shovel they can start learning how to take care of themselves and their home. We give our 2 year old a damp sponge and he is in charge of dusting the lower reaching places in the house as well as cleaning off the table after meals. He knows he is a member of the family, not a dependant who needs everyone to do everything for him. The bonus is he enjoys cleaning (and keeping things clean) because he sees and feels how good it is to take care of our home. We play some music and dance while we clean, making it a fun family task. (Special note: my husband and I NEVER complain about housework, so it doesn’t enter his mind that this should be something we don’t want to do!)
4. Taking charge of their body – Simple things like brushing their own teeth; listening to their own body cues for when to go to the bathroom and when to eat; and dressing themselves teaches them they are in control of their body and can make decisions for their own body. This leads to more empowered children and adults, who make confident decisions and, trust themselves and their bodies. Imagine a world full of people who actually love their bodies and minds, rather than feeling like they are not good enough!
Basic life skills, physical health and intelligence will get a child from A to B. But the possibilities are limitless to a child with a strong sense of self and their place in the world. They can accomplish anything they put their body, mind and spirit into.
Nicole Meltzer, RMT, CHt is co-founder of Balanced Body Mind Spirit. Through her specialization in fertility issues & prenatal care she helps parents conceive and achieve balance while on their journey into parenthood. Nicole offers pre/postnatal & pediatric Massage Therapy; Hypnotherapy for children, fertility and childbirth; Reflexology; & Reiki. She teaches a variety of classes including, Hypnosis for Childbirth, Tools for the Birthing Partner, Focused on Fertility, and Infant Massage. To learn more, visit www.balancedbodymindspirit.com
