Monday, May 9, 2016

7 Life Skills All Kids Should Have





File:Children playing tag.jpg




There is one thing ALL kids are skilled at and that is knowing how to play. But will that get them where you, as their parent, want them to be when they grow up?



While the world around us may have changed since we were kids...a little bit harsher, a little bit scarier...there are still basic life skills all children should have learned well before they enter high school in order to increase their chances of being productive adults later on in their lives.





Here are SEVEN life skills you child should understand and fully use as they enter elementary school and beyond:



1) RESPECT


          A child should not only show respect for themselves but as well as others. Knowing the boundaries of proper behavior not only when a child is by themselves, but also when they are around others show a child's understanding of the proper social cues. Saying things like "please" and "thank you" and patiently waiting their turn when in line for activities lets others know the child cares enough about others to be courteous at all times. Saying no to bad choices shows the child also has enough self-respect to risk what others may think by them standing up for what they believe in. This life skill helps develop a strong moral compass for future adult behavior.



2) CONFIDENCE 


          Children should be encouraged to overcome any hesitation to try positive, new adventures. Some kids fear the unknown, what others might think of them, or even worry people will laugh at them. A child who exudes confidence will not be seen by others as a "victim" and is better able to handle negative situations like bullying, peer pressure, and every day stressors. This life skill strengthens a child's inner resolve to overcome daily challenges.


3) SELF-CONTROL
         
          We're all human. Every day life can stress us out. But what might seem trivial to a grown up can sometimes overwhelm a child to the point they lash out in anger and frustration. Learning how to control those negative emotions and redirect them into positive action will help a child to feel more in control of their "world". It will allow him/her to use age-appropriate logic to handle most situations without negatively affecting themselves or those around them. This life skill teaches children not to let their anger get the better of them as well as ways to diffuse potential difficult situations.

4) PERSEVERANCE


          Some parents today are eager to give in when their child discovers things aren't going their way. Being overlooked for the school play, not being chosen for the baseball team, not coming in first place in the spelling bee. These are all "life lessons" for children to learn how to properly handle disappointments. If everything is given to them, how will they know what to do when LIFE throws them a curve ball later on? It's those times when children have "failed" at something that gives them the opportunity to see just how strong a spirit lies within them. Getting up and dusting themselves off after a disappointment, and trying even harder next time, encourages children to never settle for less than their best effort. This life skill teaches children to continue to strive for excellence in everything they do and to not settle for a mediocre life.

5) HELPING OTHERS

          Young children can often get caught up in the land of "me, me, me" which can sometimes exclude others. In these times of instant gratification, showing children the benefit of showing care and concern for others help them to understand they are part of a much larger community. Everything from helping with chores around the house or raking leaves for a neighbor to collecting items for senior centers and homeless shelters instill an attitude of courtesy for those in need. This life skill teaches compassion for fellow human beings and encourages a higher level of tolerance for the world around them.

6) SETTING PROPER GOALS 

          Life can be hard, even for young children, and the ability to set age-appropriate goals enables children to create a sense of order to their lives. Whether it's putting aside a portion of their weekly allowance for a much wanted toy or simply making homework time a priority over TV time each night creates the foundation to make the right choices later on when the goals will become even bigger. This life skill can be used in everything from making an A on a spelling test to choosing the right path for a successful college career and beyond.

7)  INTEGRITY

          Probably the hardest thing to teach a child is to have integrity in everything they do. The concept of saying no to your best friend who is making bad choices, or even standing up for the kid being picked on by the schoolyard bully can be daunting to explain. Children want to fit in and having the strength of character to stand out for what is right can be tough. This life skill is the core to who your children will become as adults and more importantly, what legacy they will leave behind for others when they're gone.


There are many more life skills all children should learn before they leave home, but those listed above give each child the best chance at becoming the best version of themselves possible. Programs like the martial arts encourage and help instill these types of life skills in all students, young and old, and are certainly worth looking into if you are wanting a supportive atmosphere for what you are already trying to teach your own children at home.







 KICKS Kids Club





Saturday, April 30, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER Z





Zebra Shark


 

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • The young of this species have stripes which is why they are called "zebra" sharks, but adults of this species have spots which is why they are also known as "leopard" sharks.
  • They can grow to as long as 11 1/2 feet and can weigh up to 66 pounds.
  • They prefer to live in shallow tropical waters with plenty of places like coral reefs to hide and rest.


 KICKS Kids Club


Friday, April 29, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER Y




Yellow-eyed Sturgeon



The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • There is 26 known species with the average length is 7-12 feet long.
  • The lake sturgeon is considered a living fossil because it has survived, unchanged, for more than 150 million years.
  • Their diet consists primarily of crustaceans and small fish.



 KICKS Kids Club



Thursday, April 28, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER X




Xenocongrid Eel




The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • They tend to live in shallow tropical and subtropical seas.
  • There are only 14 known species of xenocongrid eels in the world.
  • They are often called false moral eels because of the similarity in physical features between the two species.



 KICKS Kids Club



Wednesday, April 27, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER W



Wobbegong Shark



 
The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • Wobbogong means "shaggy beard" in the Australian Aborigine language.
  • They are mostly found in the shallow waters around Australia and Indonesia.
  • They can use their bottom fins to "walk" across the ocean floor as they travel from one area to another.



 KICKS Kids Club


Tuesday, April 26, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER V



Vampire Squid



The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • If threatened, they are able to turn themselves inside out.
  • Instead of ink like other squids, they secrete mucus that glow in the dark for up to 10 minutes to confuse their attackers.
  • They only have to eat a few times a week.


 KICKS Kids Club



Monday, April 25, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER U





Unicorn Fish



The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • They feed on the algae growing on shallow coral reefs found in the tropics.
  • This fish is easily identifiable by the bony horn on its forehead, found on most species.
  • It does not use its horn for defense but uses its sharp tail spikes to defeat predators.


 KICKS Kids Club


Saturday, April 23, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER T



Toadfish



The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • It has a scaleless, flattened body that grows up to about 12 inches long.
  • It lives in shoal water all along the east coast of North America from Cuba to Maine.
  • They get their name from the croaking "singing" males will do to attract females.


 KICKS Kids Club


Friday, April 22, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER S



 Sea Cucumber


 

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

  • There are over 1250 species of sea cucumber found all over the world.
  • Depending on the species, they can be red, black, blue, green, or brown in color.
  • Most species live between 5 and 10 years in the wild.




 KICKS Kids Club


Thursday, April 21, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER R




 Ribbon Worm


 
The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

  • They are believed to be the longest living animal, sometimes growing up to 197 feet long.
  • Their bodies are covered in slime to prevent their skin from drying out and to assist in sliding between rocks.
  • Most ribbon worms are poisonous to eat.




 KICKS Kids Club


Wednesday, April 20, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER Q




Queensland Grouper


 

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • They can live up to 50 years old which is old for a fish.
  • They are the largest reef-dwelling fish in the world, growing up to 8 feet long and weighing up to 660 pounds.
  • Their powerful jaws can open and close so quickly the movement can't be seen by the human eye.



 KICKS Kids Club


Tuesday, April 19, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER P



 Portuguese Man-of-War



The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

  • Their tentacles with the stinging cells can grow up to 165 feet long.
  • They usually are found in the warm waters around Hawaii or Australia.
  • They are often found floating on the ocean surface in groups of up to 1000 or more at a time.




 KICKS Kids Club


Monday, April 18, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER O



 Oarfish


The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

  • They are the longest known species of bony fish, growing up to 56 feet in length.
  • This rarely seen fish is thought to be the inspiration of the "sea serpent" tales from history.
  •  Japanese folklore believe if too many oarfish are seen in a short time then an earthquake is about to occur.





 KICKS Kids Club




Saturday, April 16, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER N




 Narwhal


The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • It's tusk is actually a tooth and can grow up to 10 feet long.
  • There are no living narwhals held in captivity.
  • They are mid-size whales living in the cold waters of the Artic Circle.



 KICKS Kids Club



Friday, April 15, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER M




 Marlin


The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • They are incredibly fast swimmers and can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.
  • Females can be up to 4 times larger than males with a length of up to 14 ft and weighing up to 2000 pounds.
  • Males live on average 18 years while females can live up to 27 years in the wild.



KICKS Kids Club




Thursday, April 14, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER L



 Leafy Sea Dragon


The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • They use their tubular mouths as straws to slurp their food.
  • They are fragile creatures and can rarely survive in captivity.
  • The male leafy sea dragon is the one to carry the eggs until they are born.



 KICKS Kids Club



Wednesday, April 13, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER K





Krait




The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • It's a high poisonous snake native to Asia.
  • It feeds on eels, fish, rodents, frogs, lizards, and other snakes.
  • They are able to survive in the sea and on land while most other species of snakes must live in water OR on land, but not both.



 KICKS Kids Club



Tuesday, April 12, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER J




Japanese Spider Crab


 

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • Their leg span can be up to 14 feet in width and they can weigh up to 41 pounds.
  • It is orange in color with white spots on its legs.
  • It's one of the longest living animals in the world and can live up to 100 years in the wild.



 KICKS Kids Club


Monday, April 11, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER I




 Indo-Pacific Sailfish


 
The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • They are usually blue to grey in color and have a long, pointy bill.
  • They can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds as adults.
  • They will hunt in groups, using their large sail fins to create a wall that their prey can not get around.


 KICKS Kids Club


Saturday, April 9, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER H



Hagfish 


The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...





  • They can go months without eating any food.
  • While eating their prey, they will tie their tails into knots to help increase the force of their bites.
  • They are jawless and boneless, having a skull made out of cartilage .



KICKS Kids Club



Friday, April 8, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER G



Ghost Crab





The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...


  • It has large black eyes, supported on stalks, to help it see in all directions.
  • Their strong, hairy legs helps it to run at speeds up to 10 miles per hour which makes it the fastest among all crustaceans.
  • They hibernate in the sand during the winter.


 KICKS Kids Club











Thursday, April 7, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER F



 Foxface Fish


The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean....

  • They have a long fox-like snout that can be used to reach into cracks or crevices in search of food.
  • There is a poisonous spine in their dorsal fins that can be used against predators.
  • They are active algae eaters and can be found mainly on the Great Barrier Reef.


KICKS Kids Club




Wednesday, April 6, 2016

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER E






 Elephant Seal


The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

  • The elephant seal spends more than 80% of it's life in the ocean.
  • It can hold its breath for more than 100 minutes while under water.
  • An elephant seal's favorite food include stingrays, octopuses, squids, penguins, eels, and small sharks.


KICKS Kids Club