Then, there are those who know the value of silence.

One of the most traumatic responses I have ever witnessed was when a Mother who had been pointedly ignored by her children, ‘disappeared’.  The kids didn’t notice for awhile then when her phone was no longer in service and there was no response to emails, they called someone who knew someone who knew their mother.

Their mother had sold the house and moved.  They weren’t exactly sure where she went.

The kids now became frantic and finally went to where their mother had lived to find out she had sold the house they coveted to a stranger. 

As they had been so divorced from their mother they had difficulty in finding anyone who knew anything, and finally after weeks found someone who told them, with a shrug that she’d migrated to ….

After so many years of not returning phone calls, or telling her how ‘inconvenient’ it would be for her to visit and other such clever ways to avoid her, they now didn’t have to; she was gone.  Gone without a word.

In another case a man simply didn’t show up for work one day.  His boss, one of those from Hell, ranted and raved and threatened in absentia. 

After the next day when there were telephone calls to a dead number, the Boss sent someone to the address. The man had moved.  No one was available to say where.

One of the co-workers ran into him a few months later, and he said; “I was going to tell the Boss exactly how I felt, in detail.  Then thought, why bother?”

If you have a lot to say to say someone, write it down, but don’t send it.  Silence can be more powerful

Teaching your child manners is an important part of social acceptance. Whether with family, friends or in the company of strangers, your child needs to know how to behave himself. Manners teach your child to respect you and those around them, and it also teaches your child discipline. One of the best ways to teach your child manners is by example, so remember that when you are on the phone, at the dinner table or socializing with other people.

1.Encourage eye contact. From an early age, tell your child that it is polite to look other people directly in the eye when speaking to them. Looking away from someone can give the impression of a lack of interest and distraction. Explain to your child that eye contact makes him come across as confident and self-assured to other people.

2.  Set a good example. The most effective method for encouraging a child to be polite is simply being a parent who has good manners. Talk to other people in a kind and calm manner at all times — especially if your child is watching you. Retain an attitude of respect and self-control with other people and she will likely follow suit.

3.  Speak to your child about the value and importance of sharing. Give him some real-life examples, such as holding the door open for another person, passing the ball to another child at recess and letting someone else play with his toys if he is not using them at the moment.

4. Train your child to have proper table manners. Begin table-manner training whenever your child is old enough to have meals at the table alongside the rest of the family. Teach her not to chew with her mouth open, not to keep her elbows on the table, how to excuse herself when she needs to leave the table and where to place her napkin.

5.  Inform your child about handshaking. Shaking hands is an important component of meeting people in modern society. Speak to your child about handshaking techniques and situations that call for handshakes, such as meeting a person for the first time. Providing a child with this information early on can help him prepare for successful interpersonal interactions in the future.

6.  Ban interrupting. Talk to your child about the value of waiting for her turn to speak and being patient. Make sure that your child knows that interrupting people in conversation is acceptable only in times of an emergency. For example, explain that if she isn’t feeling well and urgently needs your help, that would be a time it is okay to interrupt.

7.  Encourage appreciation for other people. One of the most vital aspects of having good manners is having the ability to show gratitude and appreciation for others. Teach your child about always saying “thank you” and “please” to people who are helping him.

8.Praise your child. Positive reinforcement can be very encouraging to a child. If you take note of your child displaying proper manners and courtesy to other people, let her know that you’ve noticed. If a child is aware that you approve of her behavior, she’ll want to repeat it often to please you.

9. Patience is something that should be taught at a young age. A child might scream and throw a fit for something they want at that moment, and although it might seem easier to give him what he wants, it won’t teach him anything. All throughout life, patience plays an important role, whether you are waiting in line, waiting for your meal to be served or waiting for a phone call to end before asking questions. In the long run, children will learn that it is easiest to wait their turn than fight for attention and that patience is a big part of being polite.

10. Leaving a mess behind for someone else to clean up is impolite. When your child is at a friend’s house, it is common courtesy to clean up after herself if a mess is made. Home is the best place to start good cleaning manners. If the child has made the mess, she should learn to clean it up. Start by having her take her dishes to the sink to be cleaned, picking up her toys before bed or putting her dirty laundry in the correct clothes basket. If your child is doing this at home, it should become habit to clean up after herself at home and at her friends’ homes.

11. Table manners. The dinner table should be a place where a family can enjoy each other’s company and talk about their day. If children are busy playing with toys on the table, throwing food, making rude noises or disrupting conversation, this can change the dynamic of the family dinner table. Teach your child to keep her elbows of the table, which will help reduce spills. She should not be taking bites larger than necessary or talking with her mouth open. Reaching over other people’s plates is also rude.

12. Please and thank you. Kids are all taught from a young age that “please” and “thank you” are necessary every day. When your child asks for a drink or a snack, remind them to say “please” before getting what they have asked for. When you hand them what they requested, require a “thank you” as well. This simple manners device teaches your child respect for others.

            The developmental milestones of children with Down syndrome when considering categories such as gross motor skills, language, and personal and social abilities; occur slower and less frequent than typical children. According to the National Down Syndrome Society, for example, it could take an infant with DS twenty-one months longer to learn how to sit up alone; three years longer to walk alone; and around five years longer to develop two-word phrases, than a typical infant (ndss.com). These numbers represent the most extreme cases and can be reduced with proper influence and developmental aids such as speech and physical therapy as well as occupational and behavior therapy later in life.

            Family influences also play a role in the adaptive behavior of children with Down syndrome. As a caretaker of a sibling with this exceptionality, it has become apparent that constant interaction is needed in order to further increase functionality. A longitudinal study conducted to show the family relational environment as an aid in the advancement of adaptive functioning found that in categories such as communication, daily living, and social skills; a significant increase in functioning occurred from birth to adulthood.  “Families in which members feel more connected to each other, and in which mothers engage in emotionally supportive, contingently responsive and cognitive growth-promoting interactions with their child with Down syndrome, have children who, over time, demonstrate significant benefits in communicating and socializing with others and in their ability to engage in independent self-care tasks” (Hauser-Cram, Warfield, Shonkoff, Krauss, Upshur, Sayer, 1999). It is important for progressive growth that families work together in the development of a child with Down syndrome. Using therapist and other programs will also aid in showing significant progress as the child matures.

            Studies have also been conducted to show how early intervention can help a child with Down syndrome better develop as they grow older. Early intervention is very important because it boost skills that would otherwise be delayed if the child only depended on self-learning. A study conducted by Frosso Motti, Dante Cicchetti, and L. Allen Sroufe tested the level of play of one year old children with Down syndrome. The test measured the child’s ability to distinguish reality of objects such as symbols and color recognition against those of a “normal” child. It followed up after a few years of the child receiving early intervention. The results showed that intervention boosted the child’s mental capacity to age-appropriate capacities in recognition.

“Based on these findings it was expected that, if affective development is closely tied to cognitive development, then the level and quality of the socio-emotional aspects of the free-play situation would be closely related to cognitive aspects of the situation. The results provided further support for this hypothesis and revealed an impressive coherence in the development of Down syndrome children of this sample (Motti, Cicchetti, Sroufe, 1983).”

This study furthers shows readers the importance of early intervention and interaction to improve cognitive development of children with Down syndrome.

            Other studies have been conducted to determine a child’s mental age by measure pretend play. Pretend play shows the child’s ability to symbolize which refers to ways the child imitates, shows representation, and verbal expression. Measuring pretend play is an emerging method that shows semiotic function which allows for the prediction of evolving cognitive skills. This allows for data collected based on metal capacity instead of being based only on sensorimotor skills (Hill, McCune-Nicloch, 1981). The study found that this symbolic play behavior is responsive to intervention and shows advanced progression as the child matures (Hill, McCune-Nicloch, 1981). This further shows that early intervention increases mental maturation.

            As these children transition to elementary and secondary schools it is important to remember that they, too, have the same ability to learn as regular education students. Students with disabilities, by law, all have an individualized education plan (IEP). This plan is derived from consultation between the parent and school special education specialist. Data collected is used to determine what accommodation and/or modifications are needed to help the student reach a desired outcome. The IEP is then applied to the student’s classes to ensure proper facilitation of learning. It is important to remember the student’s individual ability when preparing their plans. Concentrating only on the label will further delay the student’s ability to learn. It is also important to be positive, enthusiastic, and have high expectations. Special educators should work to ensure that the student is maximizing their learning potential. Although the student will learn some things slower than others, it is important to allow students to learn instead of just giving them information. Positive reinforcement is important to prevent excessive frustration. Teachers should establish a routine and give clear signals when transitioning to a different aspect of learning. Educational goals should be clear, high, and flexible. The student’s ability will inform teachers where the lesson needs to go but pushing them to progress is a definite (ndss.com).

            Children with Down syndrome are exceptional. They are loving, caring, and have potential that can blossom with the right intervention. Early intervention is most important when helping any child with a disability progress through life. These children will develop at a slower pace than most but developmental rates can increase with proper treatment. Without giving the children proper aid at an early age puts them at a greater risk of poor cognitive development. Many studies show many ways that cognitive development can be increase by active intervention with therapist along with family involvement. Readers have learned how family influence, support, and interaction will increase development well beyond the normal standards. They have also learned how early intervention can increase development. With this information, readers now have an understanding of Down syndrome and the fragility of development.

References

http://www.ndss.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=77, What Causes Down Syndrome.

http://www.ndss.org/images/stories/NDSSresources/developmental_milestones.pdf, Developmental Milestones Chart.

http://www.ndss.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=83&limitstart=2, Tips for Teaching Students with Down Syndrome.

Hauser-Cram, Penny; Warfield, Marji Erickson; Shonkoff, Jack P.; Krauss, Marty Wyngaarden; Upshur, Carole C.,& Sayer, Aline. Family Influences on Adaptive Development in Young Children with Down Syndrome, Child Development, Vol. 70, No. 4 (Jul. – Aug., 1999), pp. 979-989.

Hill, Patricia Munday; McCune-Nicloch, Lorraine. Pretend Play and Patterns of Cognition in Down’s Syndrome Children, Child Development, Vol. 52, No. 2 (Jun., 1981), pp. 611-617.

Motti, Frosso; Cicchetti, Dante; & Sroufe, L. Alan. From Infant Affect Expression to Symbolic Play: The Coherence of Development in Down Syndrome Children, Child Development, Vol. 54, No. 5, Infants at Risk (Oct., 1983), pp. 1168-1175.

 The largest number of people in the world “Over 700,000 of our people are involved in the cleaning of toilets using their bare hands; this is a huge shame on the country. The politicians raise slogans of becoming a super power but do not look back. They knowingly ignore the plight of the poor people of India.  Every country may become a super power but only when its people are prosperous and enjoy all amenities of life. With the world records from bottom  India cannot even become a power not to speak of super power.

Firstly, if you make alcohol a mystery to your children, then this is just going to make them even more curious about it when their time comes. From when they are young, you should allow them to sip at an alcoholic drink at meal times, or even have one of their own mixed very weakly with lemonade or another soft drink. This means that once they’re legally able to buy alcohol themselves, they’re not going to rebel against you and just go and drink as much of it as they can. They’re not going to be wondering what it tastes like, as they will have already tried it, nor are they going to think that they are cool for drinking it because it will have just been something that they were brought up being able to drink. It is also important that you set an example to them as well. It is up to you if you want to get drunk, however to do this in front of your children would not be good parenting. This would mean that they would see that being drunk is the norm, and this should not be the case at all.

When they are in their teens, you should tell them that you don’t mind them having a drink at parties, as long as they tell you what they want and then let you buy it for them. You don’t want them to get into the habit of buying alcohol on their own when it isn’t legal, as this is only going to get them into a lot of trouble in the long term. Tell them that you trust them not to drink anything other than what you’re buying for them, and that if they betray that trust, you’re simply not going to allow them to take alcohol or a party again or, if they’re young enough to still be under your control, go to the party at all.

It is important that you talk about the dangers of drinking to them. If you know of somebody who has damaged themselves seriously with alcohol, or even died because of it, then this is a good story. You don’t want to scare them, and they need to understand that alcohol can be fine in small amounts, but it is very important that they do understand just how problematic an actual binge can be to their own bodies. 

The first thing that you should do is think about how much time you spend on the internet. Most people spend several hours per day on their computer, and this means that you should think about setting a rule which would mean that you wouldn’t spend more than half an hour per day on your computer. You should also make sure that you set a time by which you should be off the internet each night, and ensure that you stick to it so that you’re not just sitting aimlessly clicking on things that you don’t even really have an interest in. If you set that time aside specifically for reading, then you’re much more likely to actually get it done than if you just say that you’re going to read something during the course of that day; as time will run away with you and you may end up not getting anything done at all.

If you have children, then it is really important that you get them into good habits quickly in their life. This will mean that they will grow up being able to appreciate books and the worlds that are held within them. You should start to teach them how to read from an early age, and encourage them to read anything and everything that you see when you’re out and about with them. In addition to this, you should make sure that they never get into the habit of sitting for hours on end on games consoles, as this can mean that they end up not reading at all, which can only be a bad thing. By starting your children out this way in life, it is much more likely that they’re going to be able to pick up good habits, and this means that they will learn how to read properly. If you work together with them and with your child’s school, there is no reason that your child should not learn how to really enjoy reading, unlike a lot of children who’s parents don’t bother with them at all and just let them do whatever they like all day. Be a good parent, and give the gift of reading to your child. 

Mother is not less than father she also sacrifice her health wealth and time for her children but it is father who is more praiseworthy in upbringing the children.

A father always makes sincere efforts to guide his children to to the right path. No father in this world wants to spoil his offspring. He works hard and hard to earn money for his children. He is perspired but wants to see his children resting in air conditioner. He himself denies his health for the betterment of his children. He always wants to do something for his children.

I have spent three years teaching grade-school kids and though it wasn’t the most glamorous job on the planet I had my share of fun, tears, ups and downs.

Not only that but during those three years I spent with fifth and sixth graders, I have taught them a lot of things from proper cursive writing to spelling and basic grammar rules. In a lot of ways they in turn have also taught me the basics of life’s biggest and most important lessons. Here’s what I have learned from them, young as they are:

PATIENCE: Franklin Jones said “You can learn many things from children.  How much patience you have, for instance” and let me just say, he is completely right. A classroom of hyper kids with different levels of intelligence and contrasting personalities is enough to drive one crazy. But a teacher should be patient…it is a must; or else he or she will not have the right to be called a teacher at all. It was just but three years and I feel as if my kids have done so much to stretch my patience to the limit. But I am thankful for it because in a way, it was a great lesson especially for a short-tempered person like me.

FAITH: Not all the kids in my classes were perfect little angels. Far from it, many of them were naughty and dull and incompetent. But having imperfect beings in my class taught me a valuable lesson on faith. No matter how bad or dull they were, I just had to believe in them the way they believed that I was a good teacher. In grade school, I learned to believe in the smallest dream and to have faith in the smallest of positive change each child manifests. And when I believed, the kids also did their best to live up to what I believed in them. This I have proven over and over again.

LOVE: A child’s love is like no other. I’m glad that I was lucky enough to receive such kind of love and at the same time, learned how to love in such a way. My kids taught me how to love completely and unconditionally. I remember one particular time when I spent at least fifteen minutes scolding my Grade V kids because of their bad behavior. They were not speaking at all, just sitting there contritely listening to me scold them. But when I was saying goodbye (coldly) before leaving for my next class, one of them shouted out, “Goodbye teacher, I love you!” It was enough for me to forgive them right on the spot. Tell me, is there an adult who would display such kind of love? After a scolding and criticism, who in the’r right minds would tell their perpetrator the words “I love you”? But I think that’s the kind of love more of us should demonstrate: unconditional, complete and unwavering.

More than the grammar lessons or the writing exercises I have given to them, I feel so blessed that they had given me these wonderful lessons in exchange. They are young and seemingly unaware but in their harum-scarum ways, they have also become teachers of life’s essential lessons.

All parents want their child to be happy, healthy and successful and in line with their own traditional school experience unfortunately, sometimes they tend to relate the success with the teaching of reading, writing, and number skills to their child rather than knowledge acquisition of the child.

To convince parents about the importance and role of play in children’s knowledge acquisition, the first step would be to convince ourselves on the subject matter. Teacher’s own observation in the classroom would provide many concrete examples to support the value of play and use them whilst discussion with parents.

I would start the discussion emphasizing that we (as a team) share their goals for their child, namely growth and success. It is a point to be emphasized that the children are not taught walking, standing, speaking, recognizing relatives and friends, singing and socializing. Children are intrinsically motivated to do such activities and they learn mostly through play, exploration and interaction with others.

Children through play learn about objects, environment, people, and emotions almost all the time. It is utmost important in this light to partner with parents to provide the child with quality material, rich environment and healthy social circle for quality interaction. Such natural learning process would provide a direction to the ever increasing curiosity energy of the child for overall development.

Furthermore, Cognitive and intellectual skills are not the only skill to contribute towards the knowledge acquisition. Children learn through social, emotional and physical skills and abilities. Interaction with peers helps in providing base for negotiating skills, problem solving skills, listening skills, being expressive, understanding feelings of others, being patient, cooperative, sharing and making friends. Parents would understand that developing social competence is as important as developing academic abilities. Wide variety of physical activities helps child to master his motor skills, bodily control and hand eye coordination.

Parents might not get convinced with fairly new concept of play immediately so teacher should involve parents in variety of context and activities in school, focusing on few ideas one at a time. Sending them timely written update to Childs development, inviting parents for specific days to see or even participate in some planned activities will help them to understand the importance of play.

Brad and Angelina first said that they would get married when EVERYONE is able to be married.  Boy.  You talk about a fully loaded statement.  Does that mean I can marry an alligator or toad frog too?  A Martian? An underage male?  Hey this list can go on as long as the dessert has sand.   I mean come on.  I remember when you two were kids.  Brad I was working and having my first child when you and that little cute face was on “21 Jump Street” and Angelina, I thought your father (with whom you’ve severed all ties, I’ve heard) was the BOMB.  John Voight wasn’t running around all mysterious and stuff either.  He was just acting superbly and being rather handsome in the process.  So you two little twits are not impressing the older set with your reasoning on when you will tie the knot and that awesome reasoning of WHY.  You all are just sooooo very open to everything.  Nothing good comes out of that, believe me.   Either you marry or  you don’t. And you shouldn’t get married either.  Not until there is a law that every wife who has  had their husband stolen from them file a lawsuit for Alienation of Affection and then win. It’s an old law but it’s still in existence.  It may vary from State to State as many laws do but it’s certainly valid in some.  Some smart people still use it too.  Bet you a dollar I would!

Jennifer Aniston doesn’t need my support.  She’s a lady and a pretty one at that.  Besides, she’s a good girl.  Angelina, this overrated but swell Actress is just a tad out the box if you ask me.  Well, no one asked me; I guess that’s why I write.  To vent.  To share a view.  On that Barbara Walters special years ago Angelina spoke of her Bisexuality – boldly, saying how beautiful females are and that her love affair with one of her female co-stars was just  a natural occurrence and Barbara kind of put her in her place on that one  Every woman is not attracted to other women and every woman isn’t having an affair with another woman either.  Most of us don’t girl-kiss and when we call our friends our girlfriends we mean it like it is supposed to mean.  They are girls that are our friends, our pals, our homies, the people we have formed friendships with and have discussions that involve men and other interesting topics we girls can come up with.  Many of us cannot imagine it any other way.  That’s Angelina’s business if  other females  float her boat but doesn’t it make one wonder what marriage is like with a bi-sexual individual?  I am sure that she will be attracted to another female by what I heard her say.  Does this mean that she’s able to still have affairs with women since she and Brad have been together?  But more so, does this mean infidelity if she does this while they are married?  Again, let’s say if they get married?

Now, I do like this couple, to be honest.  When two people are successful in living together and are raising children biologically and through adoption, I do give them good credit for being able to mesh a beautiful lifestyle for them.  Really, I do.  In my heart, I think they are going to have a nice family of children for I do  think that Brad or Angelina are good people, after all.  It’s just that they are the results of what our world, morals, and society morphed into which is still strange to me, and they were allowed free passage and accolades because of their Star Status for doing things alternatively.  Instead of looking at what people are really doing, we divert our attention to how they look and/or their talent.  And yes, Angelina is pretty, though a tad overrated and of course, Brad is very handsome. But I do think the kids will be fine and free-spirited I’m sure.  We all thought that Michael Jackson’s children were probably strange until he passed and we saw some very grounded, alert and warm children.  In those respects Michael was an enigma.

Back in the day we had enigmatic stars both male and female who gave us just a little of themselves and we didn’t really want any more.  We liked to guess and wonder and speak of them with innocent curiosity.  For one thing we didn’t have the Tabloids running amok either.   We liked their mystique because if we knew that they were really day to day people like us, we’d think a tad differently.  That was the magic of Hollywood back in the day.  The Studios hid their Star’s affairs and the little ugly sins because they were selling movies and dreams and keeping secrets.  That’s money-making and smart too.   That’s what I’m used to. Greta Garbo, a star old enough to at least be the average middle aged person of today’s grand-mother or great grand-mother was the most mysterious.  Her acting ability and beauty were pretty much peerless.  Her lifestyle was that she was a Lesbian.  She had one man that she almost married, her co-star, John Gilbert, the only man she ever loved.  The wedding day was set but she didn’t show up.  This woman was indeed a mystery for she lived in New York for years until her death in the late 80s or early 90s. She was well over 90 years old. She had walked the streets of New York and carried on her day to day life, hiding in plain sight in society.  It was not what Ms. Garbo’s sexual orientation  was but how she lived her life and therein lies the difference.  She was not unhappy and remains a legend til this day because of the way she carried herself. Quietly and respectfully.  That’s why the stars of today should realize that in the grand scheme of things, LESS is ALWAYS just more. But moreso, they haven’t invented anything really new.   Peace!