10 Relaxation Tips for Kids

Wouldn’t it be great if you had learned effective ways to relax and calm your anger when you were a kid? Here are 10 relaxation tips for kids that I just read on a babysitting website. Read them, post them, and have them on your phone so you can teach your children techniques they can really use!

10 Relaxation Techniques for Kids

Posted on July 11, 2012 by admin | in Babysitting Jobs

While it may seem unnatural for children to experience stress, many children actually do have high levels of stress.  Children are worried about doing well in school, winning sports games, pleasing their parents and fitting in with their friends.  As most adults know, living up to others expectations can be very stressful.

If you find your child is experiencing stress, here are some relaxation techniques that you can try with him.

1. Deep breathing.  The convenient thing about this technique is that it can be done at anytime, anywhere.  Have your child close his eyes and take a deep breath in through his nose and fill his tummy with air.  Do this step slowly and then blow the air out of his mouth all at once.  Sometimes having him think about breathing in the good and blowing out the bad will also help to relax him. 
2. Visualization.  Visualization can provide a vacation from the mind. The first couple of times you can help your child do this technique, and then after some practice she should be able to do it herself.  Have her sit or lie down in a comfortable position and close her eyes.  Ask her to picture herself in her favorite vacation spot.  Is it on a boat or at the beach?  Wherever it is help her intensify her visualization by asking her if she can feel the wind on her skin or the spray of the waves hitting her face.  Then move on to her sense of smell and ask her if she can smell the sea water or the flowers nearby.  Move on to her sense of hearing and ask her to listen for the sea gulls or the laughter of other children.  Once you’ve made it through all of the senses let her stay in that visualization for a few minutes as she releases stress.    
3. Exercising.  The freedom of running causes your body to release endorphins that flood your brain and make you feel better.  Sometimes exercise can help clear his mind and reduce his stress levels.  Making a habit of regularly exercising will help him learn to cope better with stress. 
4. Listening to calming music.  Music can be naturally relaxing. The human body is an amazing thing, and often our moods will adapt to the type of music we’re listening to.  If she listens to loud angry music she may begin to feel angry and stressed. If she listens to soft calming music it will lower her heart rate and drop her blood pressure.  These things will help relax her overall and can even be used to help her fall asleep at night.  If she’s using music as a sleep aid try to avoid music with lyrics or use the same one over and over so that she doesn’t listen to the words.   
5. Laughter. Laughter is one of the biggest stress relievers for both adults and kids alike.  Read a joke book with him or take him to a really funny movie.  Watch a comedy on TV.  Tickle him.  Anything to get him to laugh.  The longer he laughs the more tension he will release.
6. Meditation or prayer. Meditation or prayer is very relaxing.  By removing herself from distractions and sitting or lying in a comfortable spot she can begin to meditate or pray.  Meditation requires that she closes her eyes, clears her mind, and focuses on her breathing.  Prayer can be done with her eyes closed, and as she is talking to God she can unload her burdens.  Either method she chooses will have a relaxing effect on her.
7. Massage. Massages will help kids relax.  While this isn’t the time for a deep tissue rub down, a relaxing massage is done with soft hands and a tender touch.  Gently squeeze the shoulders to release the tension that sits there.  Rub his scalp and as it becomes looser any tension headache should ease.  If no one is available to give him a massage have him rub his own feet.  This self-massage will encourage blood flow and help manage stress.
8. Release muscles. A muscle relaxation technique will help loosen tight muscles.  Have her lay down on her back on the floor or bed.  No pillow should be used during this exercise.  Tell her to close her eyes and scrunch her toes as tight as she can and have her hold that for 20 seconds if she can and then relax her feet.  Continue having her tense her calves and hold it for 20 seconds and then relax her calves.  Moving muscle group by muscle group continue up the body to the head.  Once she has scrunched her face and then relaxed tell her to imagine that she is a sponge and just let her lie like that for a while.
9. Mindful walking. The mindful walking technique is an easy one to teach to kids.  Start this technique by sitting down on the floor with your child.  Have him close his eyes and concentrate on his breathing for a few minutes.  As soon as he is calm have him stand up and start walking around the room.  Have him concentrate on his feet.  How they bend and how they touch the floor and roll off the floor.  First one foot and then the other foot.  Continue to walk mindfully for 10 minutes.
10. Cuddling. Cuddling with a parent or pet will reduce stress.  Just petting a pet can relieve stress and improve a person’s mood.  It’s hard to be upset when a pet is cuddling with you, believes Richard Timmons DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine).  If you don’t have a pet then cuddling with a parent or caregiver can be just as soothing. 

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

How to Yell at Your Child Less

Yell at Your Child Less

Last week I spoke at the Parent Teachers Association of the International School and when I ran across this article today I thought parents would find it interesting if they need ways to deal with difficult children. 

                                                          How to Talk More, Yell Less

April 11th, 2013 by admin

Caring for children, whether you’re a parent or a professional, requires an indefatigable well of patience. While losing that patience from time to time is both normal and natural, it can still leave you plagued with guilt and doubts about your ability to nurture the little ones under your care. Learning how to talk to your children more and to yell at them less may not eliminate those moments of lost control altogether, but they can make a difference in the way you communicate as a whole.

Take Care of Yourself

Managing the busy schedules of everyone in your household, staying on top of the chores required to run that household properly and making sure that everyone is fed on a regular basis doesn’t leave much time for parental pampering, but caring for yourself is an essential part of caring for your children. When you’re struggling with your own fatigue and are feeling hungry, stressed or overwhelmed, your patience is the first thing to go. Make sure that you carve out a bit of time for yourself over the course of the day, even if it’s just a few minutes. You’ll find that you’re better equipped to handle situations as they arise, and less likely to resort to raised voices when you reach the end of your proverbial rope.

Be Prepared

Embarking on a journey that hasn’t been properly planned or running with no real plan of action in place for how to handle your seemingly-endless to-do list is just asking for trouble. When you’re trying to get reluctant kids to get in the car or to stop dawdling and you’re attempting to keep to your hasty, ill-formed schedule or running at full tilt to get to the store before it closes, you’re naturally going to be running on empty. Just a bit of preparation in advance can help you create a structured schedule that still has a bit of wiggle room, leaving you under less stress and far less likely to scream at everyone around you when the pressure becomes too much to handle.

Learn Deep Breathing Techniques

Before you lose your temper and start shouting to get your point across, take a moment to stop and breathe deeply for a few seconds. When you hold your breath, you become even tenser and exhaust what little patience you have left. Take deep, slow breaths that you hold for a few seconds before exhaling, or even walk out of the room for a few seconds to regain your composure. As an added bonus, practicing deep breathing in front of your children models effective and productive ways of managing frustration. Remember that your kids will mimic almost everything you do, especially when they’re small. Seeing you take deep breaths and a short time out to keep your temper in check may rub off on them, and it will certainly help you to keep your emotions in check.

Set Clear Consequences, and Adhere to Them

Shouting happens when you’ve threatened your child with dire consequences if he doesn’t cease his misbehavior or follow directions, but continue to issue those empty threats rather than delivering on real consequences. Setting actual boundaries for your children and letting them know the consequences of choosing not to heed your warning is one thing, but you’ll have to follow through. Don’t allow yourself to be dissuaded from allowing those consequences to manifest, or your kids will just start to believe that your threats are empty.

Be Firm, Not Mean

There’s a difference between being firm and being downright mean, and you’ll have to learn to strike that balance if you’re looking to facilitate real and productive conversations with your children. No one wants to talk with someone they think is just going to be mean, even if that person is Mom or Dad. Make sure that you’re never crossing the line from stern into cruel territory, and make sure that you’re truly listening when your kids share their opinions.

It’s important to remember that yelling only breeds more yelling, which leads to major confrontations and hurt feelings. Trying to keep your temper under some semblance of control is a very real challenge, but it’s one that will make all of the difference in your household.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Good Interview Questions for Sales Jobs

Here are some good tips on interview questions to use when interviewing a potential salesperson.

February 2015  Most companies struggle with hiring competent sales people.  Recently I was helping a client hire sales people by pre-screening them on the phone.  I asked the same questions of at least 10 different candidates to make sure there was a certain continuity and consistency.  Rarely do I spend too much credence or time looking at their résumé. WHY?  If I look at anything I will look and see what they have accomplished.  My emphasis is on their behaviors, motivation, and skills and NOT experience. It was amazing to me that each person I spoke to was an “experienced and successful salesperson”, many of whom have gone through well-known and respected sales training.  Some had worked for major corporations.  And yet, I noticed that there were some very disturbing traits in almost all the candidates. Let me set the scene.  I first called and if they did not answer I sent an e-mail asking to set up a time to talk.  I did not want to interview them immediately because from experience many of them were applying to other jobs and this would give them time to prepare.  Here were some of the common issues I discovered: Most of the candidates did not read the Job Description thoroughly.  We had Sales Managers applying for a Sales Representative job.   Maybe the Job Description title was misleading.  However, I believe that is no excuse for not taking the time to read the job description.  What does that tell you about future responses and actions when a customer requests something in writing or following up skills? One of the first questions I asked was “From the website what can you tell me about the company?”  Despite giving them at least a day to prepare many had not even looked at the website. Zero went beyond looking at the website and finding out more about the company or the industry or industry trends.  Do you want a salesperson that does not do their research before calling on a buyer? Are they really interested in finding a job?  Will they be customer centric and try to understand the customer’s business so they can service them better? I asked “How do you sell?” – Many answered, “I build great relationships” but what does this mean? I am not diminishing the importance of relationships in selling but is this what today’s buyers want to hear?  We can have a great relationship and go out for a beer, but you may not trust me or my company’s services or products. Do I want to buy from someone who wants to build a relationship with me alone or someone who I believe is an authority in their field and can collaborate with me on solutions to my problems and opportunities? “What do you do to keep up with your profession?” This was probably the most interesting question I asked.  If you want to know how truly motivated for work a person really is than ask this question.  If one has the mind-set of constant improvement and learning I want them on my team.  Answering networking or going to trade shows to keep up with the profession is not an acceptable answer.  Reading books, articles, scoping out competition, and self-improvement courses show a need to be better at what you do. Ask the interviewer questions – Come on people you are in sales.  You tell me that what helps you build relationships is asking questions and listening.  Yet most of the candidates never asked me any questions.  Does this mean they will have difficulty asking the customer for next steps, or worse yet asking for the order? Say Thank you – Only 1 in 10 of the interviewees actually took the time to write me a short thank you for interviewing them.  Yes, I understand I am not with the company.  However, isn’t it a common practice in sales to thank someone, or reconfirm how much you want the opportunity? For further information, please contact me at allan@salescoachaz.com, call at 480.220.4296 or join the conversation  __________________________________________________________ NEED A SPEAKER? If you or your group are looking for a speaker at a conference, seminar, or workshop, please contact me at Patti@PattiWood.net

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

VIDEO of Little Boy & Girl Latin Dancing - "UP" Body Language

VIDEO of little boy and girl Latin Dancing

“Up” body language in dancing children. UP body language in others makes us feel up.

See how watching the video of these little kids Latin dancing makes you feel up and happy!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=807940212608649&pnref=story

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

List of Patti Wood’s Most Popular Speeches and Training Programs as a Body Language Expert and Professional Speaker

List of Patti Wood’s Most Popular Speeches and Training Programs as a Body Language Expert and Professional Speaker

First Impressions and Body Language

You meet someone, and on average, within 10 seconds you decide whether or not you like them. How is that first impression formed? Is your gut reaction accurate?  In this program you will learn to read the thousands of nonverbal cues hidden in the hello and the handshake that can make your interactions more genuine and more productive. Patti has done years of research on the topic to create this high-energy interactive program. It is great for an opening keynote or after dinner speech as participants practice their 10-count intuition, 3-pump handshake, bubble breaking and head nods throughout the convention or meeting.

Reach Out - Communication That Transforms (Motivational Speech)

When was the last time you had a conversation that affected you profoundly? What are you saying to people that can influence them in a positive way?
Do you feel that people are paying attention to what you have to say? In this motivational program, rich with stories, tears and laughter, you will learn ways to communicate and to transform by establishing meaningful rapport, uncovering commonalties that connect, discovering what makes each person unique and methods to be more receptive and open to others.

Success Signals —
Body Language in Business

Have you ever been in a business meeting and wondered what someone was thinking? Would you like to change your power and confidence through a simple shift in body language? Would you like to have the winning edge in sales and negotiations? Do you know how to spot a liar? Eye blinks to head tilts, palms up to leg locks, this extremely popular program, based on Patti’s’ research and book, teaches you how to read and use body language to become aware of hundreds of secret messages. The insights will help you gain and maintain your business relationships.

The Conflict Cure

Like traffic and taxes, conflict is inevitable. So many times when you’re dealing with a difficult person or situation you feel powerless. You think, "There is nothing I can do." But you do have power. You do have choices. In a conflict, you can see the other person as the enemy or choose non-defensive Options.  In this program, you will learn clear, effective choices to handle attacks and criticisms.  This program helps you: analyze the choices that you make in conflict, understand the origin of conflict, utilize the seven Handshake Options, and integrate conflict management tools into your daily life.

You Can Depend on Me — Teamwork, Team play and Teambuilding

Support, sharing, synergy. This program is a highly participative formula for creating esprit de corps. Participants walk out with a feeling of connectedness and have specific tools for nurturing teamwork. The program can also include: strategic planning, creating vision and mission statements, using personality type assessment, developing creative problem solving, learning team project tools and mastering change.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.