Teaching children secrets and values of life can sometimes be really overwhelming. I am promoting teaching through play, which I’m sure you are familiar with. But now I »discovered« another great easy way – showing them how someone else is doing it. And if this someone is a hero, a champion or someone your child admire, it’s getting even easier.

You know that my daughter is competing in swimming and just recently I bought her a book about Michael Phelps. (I have a good excuse for not buying it before:) She didn’t know enough of English to read it. Now she is willing to give it a try and I’m proud to say she understands most of it. Yet another benefit.). Michael is an exceptional athlete, winning 8 gold medals at last Olympic games.

Apart from it that the book is really an interesting read, Michael describes in every detail his daily training routines, how he prepares for the competitions and how he get to where he is.

He determines goals for every swim meet, for every competition. He writes them down . They are very specific, to one hundreth of a second. Then he visualize them. He says he has such vivid imagination that he can see every wave in the water.

Suddenly my teachings and what I’m trying to show my kids become a reality. They are not a theory anymore or something that I insist on doing every year. Someone she admires is doing it! Now she is telling me: »Mum, he puts his goals on refrigerator.«

Once Anja told me that all she wants is to be normal. More like her school friends, whose mothers don’t make them do vision boards or write down goals or meditate. But now goal setting and visualising become normal. If Michael is doing it and he even talk about it in the book, there must be something real about it. And it must be working:) The results are obvious.

Now she is looking at her wall poster with her goals in completely different way. Even if she doubted about them before, she feels now she can reach them.

Next time you want to teach your kid a lesson or two, find more about who she or he admires and let the role-model do your work. The child will recognise and see your ideas in action and more likely he will take them to the heart. The role-model is something totally diferent than a mother who one day teaches important lessons and another day is angry at you.

Even Napoleon Hill wrote his classic »Think and Grow Rich« by studying the lives of rich and succesful people. Why don’t you use the same strategy to teach your kids?

What do you think? Does your child has a role model you can use to teach him something positive? You are welcome to share your thoughts on the blog.

Are you already counting days until Christmas? All gifts bought and wrapped? If not, don’t worry. There is still time, especially if you were planning taking it slow. But even if you haven’t, take it easy. 

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What are the most important lessons that our kids teach us?

I am sure we all can say that our lives changed with the kids. And not only that, I am sure that in many areas it changed for the better. I know there can be some troubles as well, but I hope those are rare in your life.

Here are 3 most important lessons I learned from my kids:

Time is NOT money.
They appreciate your time and your involvement much more than your money. You cannot trade your time with the money. And you cannot buy your time with the money. Or even buy someone else’s time. Of course the kids are asking for the things, they want everything they see and what others have, but they can easily live without. But at the end it’s your investment of time that is invaluable.

Live in the NOW.
Who cares for tomorrow, let’s play now. The kids don’t think of the past nor do they worry about their future. They need the attention and love at the present time. They only want to enjoy every minute, every second of the present and they want your attention at that time, not sometimes later. They don’t find excuses for not to play, the weather is always fine and the house is always clean enough.

Everything can wait, but us.
Kids grow every day and you don’t want to miss one single precious moment. All other things can wait – errands, meetings, phone calls, TV shows, investment opportunities… There might be lost at the time, but there might be another out there waiting for you. The kids will not wait, they will never be that young again.

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National Grandparents Day is celebrated this Sunday throughout the USA. But us, living in other countries can give the appreciation to the grandparents as well.

I was happy enough to live with my grandmother quite a lot (especially during my high-school years) and I always got that feeling of love, support and encouragement from her. She always had time, she cooked my favorite dishes, buying me sweets, taking much attention that I don’t get disturbed when I studied, she let me go out in the evenings without asking a lot of annoying questions…

I remember every morning after the breakfast we drank coffee together. She lit her cigarette (she had one a day, with a coffee) and we talked about news in the newspapers. Sometimes the neighbor came to visit and we talked about the happening in the city and often they shared memories from the past.

She was born before WW2 and she was one of 11 children in the family. They were poor, often didn’t get much to eat, they went to the school barefoot and going to church required quiet organization (especially in the winter when some of the kids waited for others to come home to put on their shoes).

But the stories from her childhood were great. They were funny and sad at the same time and for us they were like fairy-tales of free wild life, when kids and animals were so much more connected. Although she and her siblings got spanked many times, it was like part of the adventure, where rewards was so bigger and worthier than punishments. They played in the woods, discovering life in the nearby river, spending days at the pastures looking after animals. How excited that sounded back then when we grew up between concrete blocks and on the streets.

No wonder that the forget-me-nots are official flowers of the Grandparents Day. 

How do you remember your grandparents? What are you grateful them for? What role they play in your children’s life?

You can listen and learn the words to the official song here.

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Remember how children could brag endlessly in front of their friends about what they have. It can be really annoying, but can you make a fun of it?

Get them list all the things they really have.

Help them see beyond material things (although they will probably start with them). Put on a list all their friends, things in their neighborhood and the environment (like fresh air, water, woods …). Don’t forget to mention their rights (like freedom, schooling…) and their feelings (towards themselves, other people and from others to them).

You can even make a competition, who can list more things.

Or go even further and find the pictures of everything listed to post somewhere as a reminder.

The game will show your kids that they already have lots of things that they can enjoy and be grateful for. They will also help them appreciate the NOW and to live in the moment.

Did you like the idea? Post your comments below!

Or check out other 49 ideas in the workbook “50 Law of Attaction Games for Children”.

If you were an animal, which one would you choose?

Would you be brave as a lion? Hard-working as bees or ants? Deceptive as a fox?

Now think about these questions:

• Why would you select this animal?
• Which characteristics would you like to have?
• What would you do with your power (or brains)?
• What would be your message to the people?
• Would you choose to help someone special with the quality you possess?

I would really love to hear your answers. Please post your comments below.

And if you liked the idea, you might also like other 49 games and activities in the workbook “50 Law of Attraction Games for Children”.

Summer is a great time to meet your neighbors. The days are longer, the evenings are warm and everybody is more relaxed.

So… invite your neighbors to the party!

It doesn’t have to be a big burden for you. Don’t complicate and stress over it. Have your neighbors join you in the preparation. Decide on the date and delegate the assignments.

Each family could bring some food and drinks and prepare a game or an activity, such as relays for the kids, treasure hunt, face painting, football…

If you want to give a little more, collect charity donations or help a family in a need with some clothes and school supplies.

The best museums and museum exhibits about science or technology give you the feeling that, hey, this is interesting, but maybe I could do something here, too. Paul Allen

Why don’t you spend a hot summer day in the museum?

I am sure there are some great exhibitions and events at the local or near-by museum. Find out if they have something special, like a workshop or hands-on experiments. You can learn something new or relive the past.

Every June we visit the Museum Night, which is held every year for a whole day (and night) at every museum and the custos prepare special workshops, tours and events. Our favorite is going to the school lessons from the past. We get to wear old school uniforms and the lessons are taught in the “old” language. We write with a quill pen and at every lesson there is someone who misbehave and have to kneel on the corn:).

Museums can be as fun as they are educative so don’t avoid them just because its name is a museum and you think of them as bored. Nowadays you can learn through visual, interactive presentations as well as through your own involvement. And what better way to remember than by trying it by yourself. Just make sure you have lots of time as you can easily get carried away.

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. Henry James

Ever since the late 1700’s, tea time has been an integral part of English life. When people from other countries imagine life in England, they almost always picture the English sitting down at a table set with delicate china, socializing over hot cups of tea and little cakes.

But lately it’s more often drunk on the run or in front of the computer screen.

Make an afternoon tea time a tradition in your family too. Get together at the specific time every day to have a cup of tea (or lemonade or whatever drink you choose) and some cookies, cakes, pastry or fruit . Enjoy each other’s company. Discuss the day’s events and your plans. Listen to each other. And turn off your phone or TV.

You will notice that after some time family members become more aware of each other, they develop deeper bond and they feel really connected. The kids get their chance to share their stories and they see that the parents are really there for them, listening and appreciating their feelings and concerns.

I am sure you can work around your schedules to find some time to do it every day, but even if you can’t, at least try it during the holidays.

And don’t forget how much fun it can be to bake the cookies or cake. Maybe the kids can prepare some on their own. Try recipes at Joy of Baking

Are your friends away for the summer? Do you miss them?

Why don’t you write them some letters?

Describe your days, what are you doing, how are you spending your holidays…

And don’t forget to mention how you miss him (or her) and how happy you would be to spend some of the time together.

You can also include a poem, quote or your drawing.