by Happiness Hassan | Jun 30, 2021 | Family & Parenting
Oftentimes, parenting is a complex task to achieve, when as a parent or caregiver you assume kids are just tiny humans, who are dumb and only need to be feed enough to grow. This mentality only sets your parenting life for disaster as you commit all kinds of parenting mistakes that should be avoided. In contrast, there are more interesting facts about kids than you could ever imagine. Kids aren’t just tiny humans—there is more to them.
Therefore, to achieve success in growing the child of your dreams you need to become open-hearted to learn more about growing kids.
Curious Facts About Growing Kids
1. Kids are Imitators
Kids are somewhat spies. They take notes of your activities unknowing to you—either good or bad. In other words, they learn from you without you uttering a word. Parents are the first contact of a child that’s why learning how to be a good role model for your child will guide your parenting journey.
Parents need to be mindful of the things they do in the presence of their kids and how they relate to others— it influences them. Therefore, portray a positive character. You’ll be amazed how your kids can display your exact tone, walking steps, dressing sense down to your attitudes—kids are smart imitators.
2. Kids are Inquisitive
Hadiza had thought something was wrong with her three years old daughter due to the way she asked tons of questions each hour. Questions she couldn’t provide an answer to till I came visiting. Immediately I stepped into the house, her daughter embraced me with a loving hug, before I could have my seat she asked; why do humans have black hair? About to answer, she asked again; what’s the meaning of the writings on your purse? She was about to ask another before her mom interrupted.
I don’t know what to do about my daughter’s indiscipline, it’s getting out of control, her mom lamented to me. However, her complaints weren’t new to me as I have heard that severally from different parents. I replied to her; welcome to the world of parenting. Get set for an unveiling of interesting facts about kids every day you wake up to see your three-year-old daughter grow.
She was puzzled by my response. By the time we had gone talking she became aware that kids between the age of 3–5 ask an average of 200–300 questions in a day. Hence, don’t get annoyed by their inherent attitudes. Rather appreciate their inquisitiveness as it helps their brain development—it shows they are healthy. Instead of tagging them mannerless, choose to learn from their outstanding questions and provide answers to those you can.
3. Kids are Enthusiastic Learners
Kids aren’t dumb beings, but quick learners. They are new to their environment and want to know more about it. This stage comes with high memory retention ability and creativity. That’s why they are inquisitive. Kids are great explorers, always eager to try new things—multitalented.
Therefore, it’s detrimental to the well-being of your kids if you choose to restrict their need to explore their environment. I advise you to learn more about how to discover your child’s passion. Nonetheless, select the right school for them where their academic performance can be enhanced. Education broadens their scope of learning.
4. Kids are Superheroes
Ever wonder why kids don’t seem to lose the zest for adventures? This is because at childhood they are filled with so much energy— a stable immune system. Alongside the inability to coordinate their emotions. This makes them see possibility in whatever they engage in.
Meanwhile, the outburst of energy often makes them noisy and do wild stuff most especially male kids. Therefore, it’s your responsibility to help them channel their exuberance towards the positive like sports, soft skills, or home chores.
5. Kids are Demanding
One of the ingredients for growing a child is being there for that child. Unfortunately, most parents find it difficult to spend quality time with their kids. This is because they’re occupied with their pursuit of money. They need to remind themselves that their kids crave more for their love and attention compared to paying for their bills. Don’t get me twisted, I’m not against earning a living, it’s vital especially for a single parent raising a child.
However, learn to balance your schedule and create time for your kids — focus on the activities that increase your love bond with your kids. Children with supportive parents thrive better than those abandoned.
Sad looks is one of the interesting facts about kids that shows they feel abandoned. Therefore, whenever you notice your kids are sad, it’s a call for you to hear them out and know more about their needs.
6. Kids are Childish
Growing kids requires a truckload of patients with kids to cope. Kids are controlled by their impulses—how they feel at the moment. Therefore, they carry out decisions and behavior without thinking of the impact of such decisions. Due to this they always want to have their way and make you as a parent dance to their tune. Oftentimes, this attitude is tagged rude since they are disrespectful when you go against their decision or when you force them to obey your instructions.
Subsequently, their mood begins to fluctuate from happy to sad to anger and somewhat in between. Meanwhile, to effectively detect what’s bothering them at the moment, learn how to recognize emotions. Therefore, don’t blame them for going against your set rules— they are simply being childish, of course, they are still children. What were you expecting? However, to control these childish acts apply the next interesting facts about kids when relating with your Kids.
7. Kids Need Positive Discipline
Erase the thought of applying the violent method of disciplining a child when it comes to positive discipline. Mind you, they are children and are prone to acting childish. Their behaviors can be annoying and prompt you to act in anger. However, be in control of your emotions. In contrast, exercise positive discipline. Among the interesting facts about kids comes their ability to improve their behaviors when rewarded for acting right.
In other words, positive discipline means playing the kid’s games—rewarding their good behaviors. This way, they discard wrong behaviors and embrace positive behaviors to gain your approval.
8. Kids are Extremely Social
Humans by nature are social beings, the same applies to kids. Social connection is vital for the growth of kids. Hence, they are longing to connect with their peers to share their ideologies and learn more. Peer group association is a medium for kids to learn more about their world. Kids begin to adapt to the lifestyle of their peers, either good or bad, depending on the peer association.
In addition Kids feel free among their peers to express their passion, they also feel inspired when they see their peers doing awesome stuff— stop restricting your child.
Conclusion
To sum, your life isn’t going to be the same while raising kids— that’s the fact. You will need to adjust to the ever-changing childhood stage of your kids. However, the best way to scale through is by learning and applying the interesting facts about kids outlined above. These facts make you see meaning to your kid’s behavior instead of tagging them weird. The least you can do is provide them with your support and encouragement.
Perhaps, you know about other curious facts about kids, do well to share in the comment section.
by Abdulganiyu Ibrahim | Jun 26, 2021 | Personal Growth
About a lot of retirees have been analyzed to go bankrupt or insolvent not because they receive little or no pension at the end of their service at work, but because they failed to make the best retirement plans ahead of when they retire. So as to avoid the mistake made by other retirees, I decided to wrap my finger around my pen to put words into writing which will provide you with more benefits over other retirees.
But before I take you on a ride to on the main topic, I will like to remind you what it means to retire.
What is Retirement?
Retirement is the period after you have permanently stopped your job or profession. This literally means to pull out or withdraw from work so as to enjoy the good life and start living your dreams, and also to involve in a life well deserved rest after years of back-breaking work.
So now tell me, if you haven’t adequately planned against that time, how would you stand a chance to rest when is time for it. you would probably be forced to go labouring so as to meet up with your demands. However, this is why you need to plan ahead.
What is Retirement Planning?
Retirement planning is the financial strategies of saving, investing and ultimately the distribution of money meant to sustain one’s self during retirement.
It is also the financial strategies by setting aside enough money while in service or the middle of your career which you can actualize your goals with after retirement.
When is the Best Time to Start Planning for Retirement?
The earlier, the better. It is advisable to start making retirement plans right from the day you receive your first paycheck because it gives you enough room and the opportunity to have better planning ahead of you retire. Moreso, it enables enough accumulation of money before you get to leave service.
Reason Why You Should Start Focusing On Your Retirement Plan Now
1. Retirement Plans Prevents You From Depending Totally on Your Pension
Most employees today or company seem to forget their employers when they retire from work. Leaving lots of retirees in shabby conditions because they rely only on the stipends from their employers. But when you choose to start saving for your retirement now, your financial freedom account begins to grow. Hence you will be financially free when you eventually retire from service. Therefore makes you more in control of your destiny.
According to Brian Tracy, among one hundred people who start work at age 21, by age 65 (when they retire), one will be rich, four will be financially independent, fifteen will have some money put aside, and the other eight will still be working, broke, dependent on pension, or dead. The category you will end up in will be determined by your retirement plans and savings before you finally retired.
2. Investment Helps You Maximize Your Savings
Every investment is a risk. The risk of either you gain or lose. So therefore when you start planning your retirement at the very early stage, it gives you room to take the risk of investment. Which there is a high possibility that it might double your earnings. But when you are not lucky by gaining, it won’t affect you a great deal.
Rather, you will rest assured that you have enough time ahead compared to the risk of going into investment a few months or years to your retirement.
Check out these apps that will make you money or hobbies that will make you lots of money.
3. Retirement Plans Prevents You from Becoming a Burden To Your Children
A wonderful solution to not being a liability on your children is through planning your retirement by saving and investing before you can pull out from work. Though there is nothing wrong with your children taking care of you after your retirement, the best of which a good parent will pray for is to be able to cater for at least 90 per cent of their needs after service, while your children whom you have always prayed for to become successful can cater for the remaining 10 per cent.
Your retirement plan should include what you want to be after retirement, is it a burden onto your children or a financially independent parent?
4. Investment is the Fastest Route to Maintaining Your Home
A home is considered one of the most valued assets especially when it is big. So the question is how will you be able to maintain that same home you raised almost if not all of your children after you retire? Would you rather put it on sale when you can’t adequately afford its maintenance fee?
5. Have an Insurance
When you retire, you are probably not getting any younger again, and more medical attention is needed. And as we all know, age comes with increased medical expenses.
So by that time, you won’t have to worry about paying all your medical expenses by yourself alone since you already have life insurance to cover that.
Conclusion
it’s never too early to begin planning your retirement plan now. in fact, its advantages are notable and will be of great help to you in the future years to come. finally, what plans do you have for retirement?
by Fatima Sheikh | Jun 21, 2021 | Personal Growth
Meditation has become popular amongst modern health enthusiasts. What started as a simple spiritual ritual amongst the Hindus is now taught on modern platforms and is accessible to everyone willing to start their journey through meditation.
This article is a detailed guide for beginners on how to meditate.
These techniques and strategies to achieve a clear and calm state have been modified, refined, and remodelled with little change from the original meditation techniques for individuals, health enthusiasts, and beginners on their journey to mindfulness through meditating.
As always, I am a huge fan of mindfulness and mental stability, I have tried different strategies and techniques to help me achieve mindfulness and focus better. With the unending life issues, I advise you to build techniques or select strategies to help you achieve a level of calmness and mental stability.
After extensive research on meditation and its benefits, I have discovered numerous meditation practices that I recommend you try out. These steps are also simple especially for beginners willing to learn how to meditate. Of course, you have to apply discipline to help you stay firm. Meditation has been categorized into different types and each one has its purpose, benefits, and step-by-step procedures on how to practice each of them. However, there are general practices that apply to all meditators.
General Meditation Practices
- Get a quite comfortable place with no distractions.
- Spread your mat or simple carpet to sit on for the exercise.
- Sit comfortably with your legs crossed.
- Rest the palms of your hands on your legs wherever it feels most natural.
- Focus your gaze and chin gently downward
- Pay attention to your breathing. Every breath you take in and out and how your body acts while you breathe.
- Bring your attention back anytime it wanders because it is going to wander.
- Gently lift your gaze and ease your breathing after the exercise. Get up gently and pay attention to how your body and mind have become calmer.
Types of Meditation Practice
Mindfulness Meditation
This is a simple meditation exercise that can be practised individually or in a group. Mindful meditation is most suitable for beginners starting their journey into meditation. In mindfulness meditation, you are required to pay attention to your thoughts without any form of judgment while staying focused on your present.
As a beginner mediator, all you have to do is observe your thoughts and patterns. Constant practice of this exercise has been researched to improve emotional states by eliminating depression and decreasing the stress level of patients with PTSD.
Concentration Meditation
This meditation is focused on using all your five senses during the exercise. As a beginner, your first time might be a little difficult concentrating without any thought interfering, but with constant practice and discipline, you will perfect the exercise.
In this meditation, you are required to get an object or sound to channel your concentration such as your breathing, repeating a word of mantra, listening to a repetitive gong, staring at a candle, or just counting a mala bead.
I recommend this exercise for anyone battling attention or focus. This exercise will help you improve your focus and concentration.
Spiritual Meditation
This meditation exercise, although easy for beginners willing to learn how to meditate, it is recommended for people seeking that sense of calmness and connection to God.
Essential oils and scents such as frankincense, myrrh, and sage are used to bring a sense of calmness and heighten the spiritual experience.
The steps and strategies are also similar to that of normal meditation although this meditation exercise is mostly practised at home or in a spiritual worship place by people seeking spiritual growth.
Conclusion
Meditation is over a thousand years old, integrating it into our modern lives has to lead to the modification of these spiritual practices to make it easier and practicable for people only seeking the health benefits of this practice. There are numerous types of meditation exercises such as the Mantra meditation that has to do with chanting a repetitive sound or phrase, or the Visualization meditation which is focused on enhancing feelings of relaxation, peace, and calmness by visualizing positive scenes or images.
If you are on a mental health journey or seeking to learn how to meditate for health benefits, I recommend you try these outlined meditation exercises and the steps outlined for effective results.
As a beginner, starting meditation might be difficult, but with constant practice and discipline, you will perfect these exercises and achieve the numerous health benefits that come along with meditating.
Tell me when you do try them out!
by Happiness Hassan | Jun 21, 2021 | Family & Parenting
Raising a child as a single parent is stressful. This stage comes with several unpredictable changes and takes your life off balance. You will have to make crucial decisions. Oftentimes, choosing the happiness of your child over yours. Recently, the percentage of single parents is rampant. This is as a result of a separation or divorce. Which leaves hurting scars on the child involved.
Therefore, as a single parent, you need to equip yourself with the right knowledge and skills to raise a decent child without burning out. Irrespective of your partner’s absence—although it hurts.
How to Raise a Child as a Single Parent
1. Eliminate perfection
Expecting to be perfect at raising a child even as a single parent is the fastest route to stress. This mindset builds pressure on you and makes you liable to other forms of health challenges such as depression and high blood pressure (hypertension).
Therefore, give yourself some credit and take parenting one step at a time. In addition, don’t give in to self-guilt when you get into mistakes. Such as using violent methods to discipline your child, nagging, abandoning them to the care of someone else, or pampering them. Accept your mistakes and learn from them.
2. As a Single Develop an Optimistic Attitude
As a parent, you are the first role model of your child. In other words, they are watching every step you take, this includes your attitude. Despite the awful situation surroundings you at the moment, you need to maintain an optimistic attitude. Your attitude influences that of your child.
Therefore, being negative when things go wrong will discourage your child from trusting you. Instead, cheer them up with positive words and an outlook.
3. Tell Your Child About the Separation or Divorce
Be open to tell your child about the absence of your partner. Keeping it a secret will tarnish the blossoming relationship with your child when they find out by themselves. Telling your child about the separation enables them to understand and cooperate with you better. However, don’t create a wrong impression about your partner before your kid, despite what they may have done.
This wrong impression may later result in resentment towards those of the same sex as your departed partners either male or female.
4. Create a Light Schedule For Yourself
The day you become a single parent marks the dawn of an entirely new life for you. Therefore, things are not going to be the same. And you would need to adapt to the new change. Hence, you need to lighten up your schedule by erasing unnecessary activities. Any activities that add little or no value to your life are best avoided.
Whereas, there are other activities you need to engage in once a month or suspend until your kids are much older.
5. Financial Stability is Needed
A stable financial life will be required to keep the family together. This will require effective planning on how to utilize your monthly earnings towards the needful. The needful includes providing the necessities of life and health care facilities for yourself and your child. In addition, affording a standard school for your child and other miscellaneous.
Raising a child as a single parent requires discipline in terms of money management. This will enable you to meet up financial goals and invest your money wisely. Always have a plan B for the unexpected event and the future. Subsequently, as a single parent, don’t rely on one source of earning. Engage in various legit businesses and learn to cut your coat according to your size.
6. Spend Quality Time With Your Kids
Oftentimes, your child may begin to feel the absence of your departed partner and results in emotional disorder. However, to fill in that gap, you need to spend quality time with your child. And engage in the activities that make them happy. Although there may be times you need to stay out late to make extra money.
However, don’t make that your routine which can detach you from your kids. A close, healthy relationship with your kids helps you discover your child’s passion. Likewise, their weaknesses, to help them improve. Spending quality time is one of the activities that can increase the love bond with your kids.
7. Create a Routine and Stick With it
A balanced routine helps create an order for your day-to-day activities and that of your child. This reduces stress and encourages independence in the life of your child. So, even while you’re away for some time, your child can coordinate him/her self.
There should be a set time to perform the important activities such as a set time for shopping, cooking, doing the home chores, and exercise.
8. Set Limit to Your Action
To control the urge of giving your child whatever they ask for, you will need to set limits and stick to them. Setting boundaries is one of the proper methods of disciplining your child. This helps instruct and guide them on the right code of conduct to put on. Set a limit to what they eat, how they associate with their peer’s and the time spent on the screen.
Instead, occupy them with activities that improve their emotional intelligence and academic performance.
9. Create a Personal Time
Your health as a single parent influences the wellbeing of your child because if you get sick, there’s no other person to look after your child to your satisfaction. Therefore, don’t become a workaholic, which causes the body system to break down. Create time; a time for yourself away from distractions. A time to relax and meditate. Also, a time to engage in the activities you love and spend time with your friends.
These sets of activities boost your immune system, enabling you to think through your problems from an advantageous perspective. Furthermore, it enhances your mental, physical, social, and emotional health.
10. As a Single Parent Take Decision Making Serious
A large percentage of single parents struggle to make crucial decisions about the well-being of their families. This is because they have become accustomed to sharing ideas with their partner before concluding what to do. Therefore, the departure of their partner leaves them confused. They begin to doubt if the choices they make are right.
On the contrary, as a single parent, you need firm courage in decision-making. Believe that your decision is for the betterment of everyone. Perhaps, you’re unsure about certain decisions, consult a family counsellor or a trusted friend or family member.
11. Share With Other Parents How You Feel
When it comes to healthy parenting, no one is a superhero at training kids. Similarly, every parent needs the advice of other parents to forge ahead when raising a child as a single parent. There will come a time in your life as a single parent where you’re overburdened and feel like giving in to your challenges. During this period, staying alone often leads to depression. Instead, learn to share your feelings with others who are willing to listen to you.
Seeking the help of others doesn’t mean you’re weak or makes you an irresponsible parent, rather, it helps you ease the burden you feel. However, you should join a single parents club or group. This helps you get advice from other parents who can relate to what you are experiencing in raising a child as a single parent.
12. Create a Relationship Between Your Child and the Opposite Sex
This kind of relationship depends on the gender of the partner that has departed, either male or female. There is always a need for a child to feel the love of both a mother and a father while growing up. Therefore, create a connection between your child and a trusted person. A person who truly shows and represents the love that your child needs to receive from a mother or a father. This could be a family friend or relatives or counsellor.
Conclusion
Raising a child as a single parent can be made much easier if you take parenting one step at a time. It isn’t compulsory to get it right at first. Gradually, with time, you will succeed at raising a child without the help of a partner.
Perhaps, you have a tight working schedule to meet up with the growing family needs, endeavour to get a babysitter to look after your kids while you’re away. Meanwhile, this practise shouldn’t be a routine. This often distances you from your child, which is one of the parenting mistakes you should avoid.
Finally, share your thoughts in the comment section below.
by Abdulganiyu Ibrahim | Jun 19, 2021 | Personal Growth
Do you know you can travel around the world within the four painted walls of your room? I know you would ask that question, okay, the answer to that ‘how’ is through reading. Oh yes! To anywhere of your choice, Asia, Europe, America, you name it. But why the saturnine face? Or are you still blue because you think you are not a proficient reader? Worry no more, Brai has got you covered in tackling your common reading mistakes and how to fix them.
So, fasten your seatbelt, while I take you on a ride to places you can fix the problems robing you to see the world.
As you and I both know Reading to be the act of ascribing meanings from printed words. So it is through it, students expand their vocabulary and learn about the world.
But today, the majority of readers are confronted with reading errors or mistakes, which have become an obstacle in their comprehension and understanding.
Furthermore, the common reading mistakes have turned a great number of adults indolent when it comes to reading.
Common Reading Mistakes You Should Put an End to
1. Avoid Vocalization
Vocalization entails making sounds with the voice. Hence, this is one of the most common mistakes most readers make while reading. The mistakes of vocalization may as well be seen as the mistake of reading out loud. It entails too much oral reading, which slows down the reader’s reading pace. In so doing, it takes away understanding and comprehension of what has been read.
However, this happens on most occasions as a result of the complexity of the reading material or the reader lacks vocabulary comprehension. You can overcome this challenge by discipline yourself to always read silently or within yourself.
Also, you should try as much as possible to study more vocabulary in your leisure time, as this will familiarize you with new words.
2. Repetition is Another Common Mistake Most Readers Do
Repeating sentences after reading is another most common mistake made while reading. Among the reasons for this is when you vocalize while reading.
Hence, you probably tend to forget most phrases and sentences as a result, which will automatically trigger repetition.
Furthermore, repetition may be a result of the complexity of the material or because of the reader’s poor comprehension of vocabulary as the case may be with vocalization.
As the Same case with vocalization, you can tackle this issue by taking your time in developing your vocabulary skills.
3. Word Guessing Is Bad for You
This particular scenario once happened to me. An SMS message from a sister of mine named Tayo came in through my dad’s phone and my junior brother was the first person who saw the message and said, “Dad, you have a message from Taye”. But when I got to realize it was “Tayo” not “Taye”, then I smiled because I understood he had word guessed.
I myself am not left out of one of the common reading mistakes.
In most cases, I only look at the first letter, then guess the word. This same mistake has now become major error readers do make while reading.
Example of such is: taking: (Never as Nurse), (Shell as shoe), (Canoe as Canon), (Taking as Talking), etc. This happens as a result of reading the word phonetically. And simply because those words share several of the same letters in common.
This same action can also be in form of word substitution wherein no doubt the reader is not reading the print, instead of guessing his/her own word from the context. Examples include taking: (Home as House), (Class as School), (Angry as mad), etc.
To fix the problem of word guessing, you just need to learn to read phonetically. Furthermore, you also need to get yourself acquainted with words that look similar but are different in both sound and meanings.
Patience is the way to achieving this.
4. Use of Unknown Vocabulary Is One of The Common Reading Mistakes You Should Avoid
Most readers get trapped in unknown vocabulary, hence this is one of the majority of the mistakes we make while reading. It’s a problem because it’s capable of consuming ur precious time in the process of wanting to know all the meanings of every word used in the passage.
It is somehow funny some people go the extra mile in having a dictionary with them while reading, so as to check any vocabulary they come across. But in an instance like this, you forget most things you might have read easily because you have divided your attention into two (for the book you re-reading and the dictionary you are consulting).
However, in most cases, the meaning provided by the dictionary may not be in line with the context meaning, therefore causing problems in understanding and comprehension. Most articles and books need to be viewed, but not closely analyzed. While reading, you should be clear if the meaning of a particular word (vocabulary) is really important worth wasting time on searching for the meaning. If not, just move on.
It may interest you to know that even most of the writers of the content don’t understand every word written by them.
But to get rid of this problem, you should be perfect in English vocabulary. You can achieve that by learning at least 5 words with their meanings in a day. By doing so, you will be surprised the number of words you will capture just within a span of a week.
Mind you, the more words you know, the easier it will be to recognize them in reading, thereby making it easy for easy understanding and comprehension.
5. Blending Difficult Is Another Common Mistake
This happens when words that are meant to be pronounced together as one is segmented, or split separately, then pronounced as different entities.
In most cases what is being pronounced might be correct but may lack meaning because you have segmented that, which is not meant to be segmented.
How you can get rid of this is by learning to smoothly blend sounds. Check out how to develop on smooth blending
Conclusion
You must remember that it is only by reading you can expand your vocabulary and learn a lot of things about the world. The more you read, the more you know. However, the only way you can understand what you have read is by avoiding these common reading mistakes.
If you enjoyed this, you should read how to motivate yourself to study even when you are tired.
So, where do you like to journey to first now that you are good to travel?
