Life Lessons from the Olympics

Photo Courtesy Sujit & Roz, All Rights Reserved

My family gas been glued to our TV lately as we’ve enjoyed the latest edition of the Winter Olympics. I love the level of danger in these winter events! Zooming down a mountain at 80mph definitely qualifies as trip on the wild side.

Even though these Olympics are almost over, you can still use them as an opportunity to teach your kids a few life lessons. Olympic athletes and regular folks all need strategies if we aspire to achieve.

1.  Hard work is required for success. Olympic athletes are the perfect example of hard work. Day after day for weeks, months, and years...training for the games requires blood, sweat and tears. Some athletes spend a lifetime training for the chance to compete in the Olympics.

2.  Training is important. After hard work comes training. Each sport has a specific skill set that has to be mastered through very exact training. Most professions around the world also hold true to this concept. Skills must be taught and learned if success is to follow.

3.  Commitment is key. The athletes in these games are dedicated to their sports. They follow their commitments through from beginning to end. Even when it’s hard and even when it’s not fun, commitment to success is evident in the Olympic athletes.

Photo courtesy of Michael Chu, Creative Commons License

4.  The journey is as important as the end result. Everyone who goes to the Olympics hopes to win a medal. However, all athletes know that the journey they’ve taken to reach the Olympics is important, too. We all go through a journey in life, and it’s not always the end result that’s most important. We learn and grow as we walk the road of life.

5.  Our differences make us unique. One of the most enjoyable parts of the Olympics is the interaction between the different countries. Whether it’s skin color, language, cultural traditions, dress, or religion, the Olympics provide opportunity to celebrate the differences that make each person and country interesting. What a boring world it would be if we were all the same!

6.  There’s no time for quitters. The difficult training must be frustrating for Olympic athletes. However, quitting can’t be an option. They’ve got to stick it out through good times and bad, even when it’s hard. The hard is what makes the accomplishment so much greater in the end. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it.

7.  Patriotism is important. Every time an American stands on the medal podium, I feel a sense of pride. These athletes represent what’s best about our country. No wonder I get choked up when the national anthem plays for a gold medal winner. Our country may not always be perfect, but at the end of the day, this is still the greatest nation on earth, and we should be proud of it and our accomplishments.

Even after the Olympics are over, you can reinforce these ideas to your children as concrete examples of hard work and perseverance, patriotism and commitment. Adults, too, can be inspired by the wonderful example set forth from our Olympic athletes.

Start Summer Travel Planning Now!

It may be winter right now, but summer is around the corner and with it comes the summer travel season. Here are 6 tips to get you started with your summer travel plans.

1.  Pick a destination. Start with a map and begin to brainstorm. Compile input from family members. Conduct research on the sights and activities that various places have to offer. Consider additional requirements of international travel, such as passports. Make a wish list and then start to whittle it down. A major component of the whittling-down process will likely be...

2.  Transportation. Drive or fly? It’s the age old question every family asks when planning their summer travel. Perhaps you immediately know that flying is cost-prohibitive and therefore out of the question. This may immediately cut several destinations off the list of possibilities. If you’re on the fence about flying, look to the Internet and start to research. It may be too early to book tickets, but you can get an idea of prices and routes. This will help you determine whether or not flying is an option. If you must drive, then factor in the price of gas and hotel stays between here and your destination.

3.  Pick your dates. Look at the family calendar and mark adults’ vacation time and kids’ summer responsibilities. Depending on the age of your children and their level of summertime commitments, you may not have a large window of travel time available to you. Focus on several different chunks of the summer calendar in which you could book a vacation. The amount of time available will help you further pare down that list of destinations.

4.  Research hotel or lodging options. City accommodations will be quite different than beach accommodations. If you’re looking to rent a beach house or condo, then its availability may finalize travel details such as dates and transportation. Rental properties typically need to be secured earlier on the calendar than hotels do. Use a website like Trip Advisor (www.tripadvisor.com) to fully understand what each lodging spot has to offer. A website like Travel Zoo (www.travelzoo.com) is a great place to search hotel and airfare deals for major cities.

It's never too early to start making summertime travel plans.

5.  Set a budget. After viewing preliminary prices on airfare and hotels, start to lay down a reasonable budget. Don’t forget to research the cost of attractions you want to visit, as well as food. This will likely be the final deciding factor on your choice of destination. It all comes down to money in the end.

6.  Pull the trigger when the time is right. After you conduct your research and make your decisions, be ready to act when it’s time to buy plane tickets or book hotels. Don’t be afraid to make those purchases or reservations when you see prices that fit into your budget. Airfare can be notoriously tricky. If you can’t begin to make heads or tails of it, then enlist the assistance of a travel agent. Also use a travel agent to book a cruise or to plan a complicated trip with many location changes.

7.  Apply for a passport. It takes awhile to secure a passport, on average 4-6 weeks. If your destination is international, get moving on this. It can be expedited for an additional fee, but the sooner you can start the process, the better. Visit the state department website at http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/new.html to find out more.

Even though summer still feels far away, you can get the jump on planning an enjoyable vacation by starting the process now. Sunny skies are right around the corner, and you’ll definitely want to make the most of your summer travel time.

Feed Your Brain

Winter weather might be getting you down, but it’s easy to keep your mind sharp by exercising your brain. Kids and adults benefit from a daily dose of “brain food.” So turn off the TV and video games and give your brain a workout with exercises meant to stimulate your mind.

Reading...the ultimate brain food!
Photo courtesy of Paul Bence, Creative Commons License

As a teacher, I have to recommend reading as the most important “brain food.” Readers create mental pictures that engage the imagination. Processing words along with their meanings forces the reader to understand a scenario as it’s being described. Reading will always top my list of “brain food” activities, and the greatest part about it is that if you visit your local library, it’s totally free.

Not a reader? Don’t worry. It’s not the only activity that qualifies as “brain food.” Puzzles are another engaging activity. Whether it’s a hands-on jigsaw puzzle, or a written puzzle such as Sudoku, a crossword, or a word search, puzzles force the brain to think creatively while also exercising memory and perception skills. Mazes also fall into the puzzle category. The more difficult the maze, the better the mental work out.

Crafts and hands-on activities also give the brain exercise. Knitting, crocheting, wood working, scrapbooking, painting, sewing, and even auto repair connect the hands and the mind together. Introducing these types of skills to kids provides them with opportunities that can be utilized into adulthood. Adults, it’s never too late to learn one of these activities, so don’t assume it’s all kids’ play.

Learning a musical instrument is exercise
for the brain.
Photo courtesy of Nikos Koutoulas, Creative
Commons License.

Music and dance provide wonderful exercise for the brain. Learning to sing or play an instrument stretches the mind and forces it to work, especially when reading music is involved. Dancing, besides its obvious physical benefits, gives the brain an opportunity to direct the body into a prescribed set of motions and actions. Singing and dancing together takes the entire process one step further.

Play board games as a family. Institute a family game night and make it a grand event. Snacks, games, and family competition make these “brain food” moments even more fun. Play a variety of games and keep a running total of the winners so that you can crown a champion for the night. Game night brings the family together for some quality time, as well.

Play with LEGOs, blocks, or other building materials. Give your kids the opportunity to create and build. Don’t just stick to the provided directions for LEGOS, either. If your blocks are all mixed together, then take them and just start building. It’s fun to see what can be created. Or, for an even bigger challenge, attempt to copy a well-known building or person to make a LEGO version.

Learn a new skill. It’s a healthy to engage in new activities or skills. Think about something you’ve wanted to do and learn how to do it. Encourage your kids to do the same. Your brain will thank you for it.

Build variety into the cold winter months by regularly feeding your brain and keeping it healthy. This is important for kids and adults. Feed your brain and give it a work out no matter what your age!

Cooking with Kids

In my last post I discussed the importance of eating dinner together as a family. One central idea to that concept involves kids in the kitchen. There’s beauty in the time spent on nourishing your family, and kids learn it best when they begin to cook as youngsters.

Good cooking is truly an art form. My younger self could cook, meaning that I could take prepackaged food and create something that was edible. But understanding food and the nuances that accompany a delicious dish is a skill that must be rehearsed, just like anything else. I’ve learned a great deal about cooking thanks to my husband who understands food much better than I do. My attitude changed as I realized that cooking for family and friends is truly an expression of love.

So, how can you develop a love for cooking in your kids’ hearts and minds? Several strategies bring kids into the kitchen to start them on a journey of food appreciation.

1. Begin by including them as your helpers, or as we like to call it at our house, “sous chefs.” Kids of all ages can assist in cooking, and it makes them feel important. Whether it’s getting out the ingredients, pouring things into a mixing bowl, or stirring, there’s always a task to be completed. Older kids can learn to chop, peel, and manage a hot skillet. If you need time to teach skills, approach it on a weekend when time is not as tight as on a school night.

2. Get kids’ attention with their preferred foods. If your child is reluctant to serve as your assistant, entice them with foods you know they already enjoy. It’s more fun to make a batch of cookies than to prepare a vegetable side dish. Be patient. The goal is to get them interested, so take it slow. Once you’ve got them hooked, you can start to introduce new foods or engage them in the preparation of other dishes.

3. Watch cooking shows on TV. Something amazing happens when you watch cooking shows...you really want to cook. Watching the masters at work stirs up a sense of excitement. “I could do that!” you start to think. And, if you’re thinking it, kids will, too. Find an entertaining cooking show host and start to tune in regularly. Not only will you pick up a few tips and tricks, your family will start to see how much fun it is to cook.

4. Find kid friendly recipes. Search the Internet, look in magazines, or visit bookstores for recipes that are written for kids. The local library is likely to have kids’ cookbook available, too, including ones written by celebrity chefs like Rachael Ray. It won’t take much time to find recipes which engage your kids in the kitchen.

Turn your children into chefs and start them on the road to a lifetime of cooking. Make food and mealtime a priority in your family and equip your kids with healthy habits and attitudes for the years to come.

Mealtime is Family Time

In this increasingly hectic world, it can be difficult to sit down for a family dinner. Don’t mistake the importance of this family time, though; coming together to leave the distractions of the world behind. Several wonderful things happen when a family eats together.

1. Children learn good table manners. At its most basic function, the family dinner helps children learn table manners, especially when mom and dad model them. Implementing the manners at home trains the kids for using those manners in other eating situations, such as restaurants and at friends’ houses. Train them at home and then take them out to practice their skills.

2. Children learn the art of conversation. Besides eating, talking is a major function of the family dinner. Not only do kids hear their parents talk, but they learn how to engage in polite conversation and all the nuances that accompany it. This frequent conversation with parents also improves vocabulary which develops better language skills.

3. Children have uninterrupted attention from their parents. Busy, busy, busy. It’s become the American way of life. But, when the entire family sits down to eat, the kids have the opportunity to talk to their parents, share information about the day, and ask questions. Some of the best conversations in families happen at the dinner table.

4. Children eat healthier meals. Research shows that families eat more fruits and vegetables when everyone sits down for a family meal. Teach kids about nutrition and model healthy eating habits. Eating at home also gives parents control over portion sizes, a difficult task when dining out.

5. Children learn about cooking. Preparing and then eating a family dinner teaches kids how to cook. Let children be part of the meal preparation. Older kids and teens can even take on the responsibility of preparing an entire meal once a week. Pass down those cherished family recipes by engaging kids in the process of cooking.

6. Children try new foods. While cooking and eating a meal together, take this opportunity to introduce a new food. Experiment in the kitchen and get kids on board with your new adventure. Eating at home is more economical than dining out, so trying a new recipe is gentler on the pocketbook. Let kids suggest a new menu item and even let them help make it. It’s easier to be adventurous when eating at home.

7. Children are less likely to engage in risky behaviors. Studies show that kids who eat at least five family meals a week are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as cigarette smoking, drugs, and drinking. The time spent in direct contact with parents has a positive impact in helping kids make wise choices in these areas.

If a myriad of activities keeps your family from sitting down together on a regular basis, then it might be time to pare down the activities. Start small with one or two meals per work and gradually increase as you flex the schedule. In time, the family dinner will feel so routine, you’ll wonder how you survived without it. 

Keep Kids Active in the Winter

Winter has reared its ugly head with cold temperatures and plenty of snow. After just a few days of being stuck inside, you may be looking for ways to get your kids moving. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 60 minutes of exercise every day, and that can be a tall order to fill when winter weather keeps recreational activities at bay. Think outside the box to keep your kids active during the long days of winter.

1. Turn your house into an indoor gym. Create an obstacle course with chairs, pillows, sofa cushions, tables, and anything else that you can use to make a maze for your kids to crawl and jump through. Utilize the space in your basement or garage for kicking a soccer ball, having a “sword fight” with pool noodles, jumping rope, or creating the aforementioned obstacle course. Set up a fitness routine with a series of jumping jacks, push-ups, sit ups, and jogging in place. Time your kids and set goals for personal “bests.”

2. Bring technology into the mix with your video game system. Wii Fit games are a lot of fun, and kids love working out with other “Mii”s. Games like “Just Dance” provide a fun way to work out while dancing. Find workout DVDs that everyone can use. Kids enjoy using adult exercise DVDs because it makes them feel more grown up. Zumba DVDs incorporate dancing into the workout.

3. If you need to get out of the house, take advantage of your YMCA membership. Teens can visit the fitness room or shoot hoops in the gym. Get kids of all ages moving by walking on the track. Let kids use their MP3 players and headphones to motivate them while walking or running. Take the entire family for a dip in the pool and conduct family relay races across the pool.

Visit an indoor entertainment venue with jumping
inflatables, laser tag, and more!

4. Visit a local establishment with jumping inflatables. Older kids will enjoy laser tag, and you could even stage a family competition. Search out the indoor entertainment venues in your area to find other fun activities, such as sand volleyball, go karts, laser tag, mini-golf, and bowling. Many large cities now feature the SkyZone Trampoline Park. Jumping packages start at just $9 a person. Google search to find indoor entertainment establishments for admission rates, directions, and hours of operation for wherever you live.

5. Go outside! When those rare winter days with higher temperatures arrive, send your kids outside. Keep a few balls or other outdoor toys handy through the winter so that the kids can shoot a few hoops, take a spin on a skateboard or scooter, or swing on the swingset.

6. Don’t shy away from the snowy days, too. Buy your kids winter weather clothes so that they can go outside to play. If the price of snow pants and boots feels oppressive, check second-hand stores or consignment shops to pick up those clothing items for a lower price. At the end of the season, shop sale racks for next year’s winter gear.  Being prepared for the weather means kids can get exercise outside more often than not, year-round.

Don’t let cold weather keep your kids stuck on the couch all season. Get creative and keep ‘em moving.