Parents and educators alike are concerned about the child and their self esteem. Part of the Creative Tutors mission and vision is to support the healthy growth of every child and their self esteem. It is hard to pen down the exact events that helps one child develop a solid self esteem and the next child suffers with a low self esteem.

Self esteem is a feeling. It is not a skill that your child can develop, such as becoming a better swimmer or artist with diligent practice. A great self esteem is a necessary aspect of academic and social success; or possibly a consequence that occurs because of academic and social success. Basically, as each child achieves successes along the way their self esteem builds and grows stronger. Day by day, slow and steady...self esteem grows and blooms....and wilts and blooms again.... becoming a part of the core spirit of each child.

Careful and diligently observe the child's self esteem and it will allow the parent and educators to impact its very strength. Seeking opportunity to nurture it is a delight.

As a parent you may want to observe key aspects that will determine if your child has a low self-esteem:

* Does your child consistently make self-derogatory statements? Such as; I'm so stupid!

* Do you feel your child exhibits a pattern of learned helplessness?

* Does you child sit back and not volunteer?

* Have you observed practice perfectionism?

* Is your child overly dependent?

* Does your child demonstrate an excessive need for acceptance?
Is there a great desire to please authority figures?

* Do you find that your child has difficulty making decisions?

* Does your child exhibit low tolerance for frustration?

* Will your child become easily defensive?

* Do you see that your child has little faith in their own judgment?

* Is your child highly vulnerable to peer pressure?

It is up to parents and teachers to build a child's self-esteem. Learn more about how to develop your child's self esteem by visiting http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/self_esteem.html

If it wasn't "Rapunzel Got A Mohawk" waking up the space shuttle astronauts then maybe it was "Oh, By the Way" being sung to stump the band on the David Letterman Show. Perhaps it was the Psychic Singers singing "Bahamas Pajamas" on the Today Show. It could be that your child came home from school singing "Goo Goo Ga Ga". One way or another way you've probably heard Joe Scruggs' music. Taking the universal experiences that all families have and turning them into a celebration in song has made Joe's music popular with adults as well as children. READ MORE http://www.hellojoe.com/

Award-winning children's entertainer Joanie Bartels' popularity reflects a personal commitment she believes in strongly-sharing musical "magic" with children and adults of all ages! visit her website and learn more: http://www.joaniebartels.com/

One of my favorite links ... please view.... think of the world our children are growing up in....

Do you worry that your child is spending too much time on the internet? Does your child appear to be constantly thinking about the internet when he is not on it? Did you know that between 2005 and 2008 there were 10X the number of text messages sent? Flash forward 5 years.... I wonder how big this problem will become....How will internet dependency and depression affect future employers and employees?

The internet is a tool that has changed our world and a tool that won't go away. 10 years ago, teachers and their classrooms were becoming internet and "Google" connected.... teachers, students and parents were all equally excited about the delivery of computers into the classroom. Possibilities! Our dreams and imaginations ran toward all the possibilities the internet and ease of information would take education. Today, we have not really found that the internet and computers have made our students smarter or quicker better students prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. In reality, education is preparing students for future jobs that are not even created yet. Think about this... a freshman college student learning computer technology in college today will graduate 4 years later with a degree that became outdated before they receive it! Technology outdates itself every 3 years.

Early on and even still today... children have better computer and internet skills than their teachers have and most of their parents. Their brains are becoming re-wired because of technology...

In general people are "addicted" to the internet. We have excepted the speed and ease of information without question. The real question that comes to my mind is "why should we allow our children to become addicted?" to the internet without questioning it.... And the follow up question is "How will that addiction affect their future?"

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My all time favorite game for young learners is Rat-a-Tat-Cat.
Read below and learn about this game but certainly give your child a chance to play this game on family game night!

Get rid of the rats and go for the cats! In Rat-a-Tat Cat, less is always better, and you want to go out with the lowest score. Can you remember the numbers on the other players' cards? Can you keep a poker face, but notice when another player looks pleased? Sharpen your memory and your timing, and have fun with the cool cats and bad rats of Rat-a-Tat Cat. This is the Gamewright version.

1996 Mensa Select

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As providers and caretakers, adults tend to view the world of children as happy and carefree. After all, kids don't have jobs to keep or bills to pay, so what could they possibly have to worry about?

Plenty! Even very young children have worries and feel stress to some degree. Stress is a function of the demands placed on us and our ability to meet them.
Sources of Stress

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