Genius Child Program

The 5 C’s of Parenting

admin — Sun, 23 May 2010 17:45:35 +0000

If you will dare to care, to correct in love, to share the teachings of charity, and demonstrate genuine concern, you will model responsible parenting principles. Below I’ve detailed a few approaches that promote a strong parent-child relationship and keep the lines of communication open:

Communication: In the eleventh chapter of Deuteronomy, parents were instructed to teach the words of Yahweh to their children, talking about them at home and when away from home. Abraham, in the book of Genesis, was told to educate his children and household to keep the way of the Lord. Likewise, Christian parents must communicate with their children. The two types of communication are verbal (spoken words), and non-verbal (actions and body language). As a child’s first teacher, parents should talk with the child about your familial beliefs, values, morals, expectations, and how to live with and get along with others. However, in addition to talking with them, a parent should also be an effective listener of the needs and concerns of their children. Developing two-way communication in the early years increases the likelihood a child will continue to communicate with parents throughout their preteen and teenage years when the influence of peers is at its highest and most concentrated.

Caring: A Christian parent will be caring. Caring for a child requires giving unconditional love. In the second chapter of Titus, older women were given instructions to teach what was good and provide an example for younger women so that they would love their husbands and children. “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” – Romans 13:10b NRSV. Love is demonstrated through actions and words. Caring for a child requires a parent to give of him/herself. To care means to provide a child with not only the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter, but also nurturing the child to grow, learn and exceed his/her genetic potential. Similar to the Hallmark slogan, a Christian parent cares enough to give the very best. The practice of giving a child one’s best will eliminate a large percentage of the physical, emotional and verbal abuse and neglect prevalent in society today.

Concern: A Christian parent will always show concern. Concern involves providing appropriate responses to the needs, moods, feelings, emotions, thoughts and actions of a child. A parent will show interest in the child and the child’s development. Concern can be communicated by asking a child how his/her day was, what was learned. It is quality time in which the parent assists the child to explore the environment. One cannot look at the flowers, insects, clouds and other marvels of creation with a child without using some of the time to talk about the Creator. Through concern, a parent teaches social skills that include accepting correction, accepting rejection, sharing, conflict resolution and respecting the feelings and property of others. Concern is reflected in the relationship that is established. The author of Romans 12 lists the marks of a true Christian. Loving one another with mutual affection shows concern. When shown in the formative years, preteens and teenagers are less likely to rebel against parents’ questions or view questions as an invasion of privacy.

Charity: In Bible dictionaries, charity and love are synonymous with one another. Loving thy neighbor as thyself can be found in multiple passages in the New Testament. Such love is demonstrated by providing for those in need. Webster’s Dictionary defines charity as goodwill, generosity and helpfulness towards others. A Christian parent will demonstrate charity by teaching compassion and sensitivity to the thoughts, feelings, experiences and needs of others…especially those who are in need or less fortunate than they are.

Correction: Ephesians 6:4 (NRSV) states, “…fathers [and mothers] do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Discipline, often equated with punishment, is defined as corrective or formative training. For discipline to be effective, it does not have to be punitive. Hitting or spanking a child in anger should be avoided at all costs. Because an angry person’s behavior generally reflects a lack of control, all the child sees is the parent’s reaction which supersedes the initial reason for the disciplinary act. This angered approach often develops angry, defiant children rather than obedient ones. Developing a child through instruction has a positive impact upon a child. Proverbs 22:6 (NRSV) says, “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” A Christian parent will strive to train a child by instilling morals and values, teaching right from wrong, and that misbehaving has consequences. This includes explaining why an action or behavior is inappropriate, and then teaching the preferred, more appropriate behavior. Correction involves consequences. Consequences may involve an apology and restitution which will encourage the acceptance of ownership for the inappropriate behavior, promote responsibility and prevent delinquency.

Using these basic approaches to parenting will not only make for a better parent-child relationship in your own home, but will lend a strong and effective blueprint for the child to use in the rearing of their own children in the future. Most importantly these steps serve as ways to continue to give glory to God in our everyday lives.

GX Magazine

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The 5 C’s of Parenting

admin — Sat, 22 May 2010 01:42:23 +0000

GX Magazine

Autistic Children At Home – How To Understand Them Better

admin — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:01:51 +0000

An autistic child in the family may news that is met with a variety of actions; some family members may be sympathetic, others distant or disappointed and still others turning up thier noses. However, every parent is bound to feel hurt when their child is regarded less than normally by others and to help such parents of autistic children deal with indifferent or unreceptive relatives and neighbors, we cover some tips here.

At times, a family member may display inappropriate or even unkind behavior towards an autistic child in a certain situation and parents need to be prepared to handle the incident in a mature and informed manner since many a time the person concerned may either be unaware of their reaction or the hurt they are causing or simply need to be educated about the child’s disorder.

Familly members may not quite understand what autism is or what having an autistic child means to the parents; they may even assume wrongly that that the disorder is a kind of mental retardation even though many autistic persons are highly intelligent yet simply unable to communicate this in ways others do. These facts about autism need to be explained to people that do not understand the nature and scope of the disorder in context of the child and parents need to be open to allowing such a relative spend a little time with the child under in their presence to help them see the effects of autism and the methods used to cope with the child.

Familiarity with the condition and information regarding best ways to treat the child coming from the parents are the best ways relatives can learn desirable behavior to be displayed towards an autistic child and help them be supportive towards the situation.

Openly discussing and answering queries friends and relatives may have about an autistic child and how to treat him or her will help bring about a better understanding besides reducing feelings of guilt, fear, lack of knowledge in dealing with spending time with the child or any embarassment over acceptable behavior as perceptions change through mutual regard brought about by parents explaining the disorder and the child’s traits.

Prejudices held by relatives can be overcome only through healthy interaction and an awareness brought about by the parents encouragement of spending time with the autistic child as children are a blessing in any form and autism only a disorder that can be treated through love, patient understanding and support of family members. Parents must not shy away from talking about their personal needs vis a vis thier special child and how a support network can benefit the child’s personality and development, but if acceptance and love is not forthcoming from family members, parents can join support groups outside and continue to shower their child with love regardless of approval from such people.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/autistic-children-at-home-how-to-understand-them-better-709425.html

Technorati Tags: Autistic Child, Autistic Persons, Desirable Behavior, Effects Of Autism, Familiarity, Familly, Family Member, Family Members, Fear Lack, Feelings Of Guilt, Lack Of Knowledge, Little Time, Many A Time, Mental Retardation, Neighbors, Parents Of Autistic Children, Queries, Relatives, Scope, Thier Noses

The 5 C’s of Parenting

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 23:50:12 +0000

GX Magazine

Attachment Facilitating Parenting

admin — Sat, 15 May 2010 15:14:52 +0000

Many adopted and foster children have had very difficult and painful histories with their first parents. These children have experienced chronic early maltreatment within a caregiving relationship. Such a history can lead to the development of Complex Trauma (Cook et. al., 2003; Cook et. al., 2005), disorders of attachment, and Reactive Attachment Disorder. Children with histories of maltreatment, such as physical and psychological neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, are at risk of developing severe psychiatric problems (Gauthier, Stollak, Messe, & Arnoff, 1996; Malinosky-Rummell & Hansen, 1993). These children are likely to develop Reactive Attachment Disorder (Greenberg, 1999; Lyons-Ruth & Jacobvitz, 1999). Approximately 2% of the population is adopted, and between 50% and 80% of such children have attachment disorder symptoms (Carlson, Cicchetti, Barnett, & Braunwald, 1995; Cicchetti, Cummings, Greenberg, & Marvin, 1990). Many of these children are violent (Robins, 1978) and aggressive (Prino & Peyrot, 1994) and as adults are at risk of developing a variety of psychological problems (Schreiber & Lyddon, 1998) and personality disorders, including antisocial personality disorder (Finzi, Cohen, Sapir, & Weizman, 2000), narcissistic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and psychopathic personality disorder (Dozier, Stovall, & Albus, 1999). Therapeutic Parenting is often necessary to help these children heal (Becker-Weidman, A., & Shell, D., 2005/2008). This approach to parenting is often not familiar to most parents and requires a significant amount of work and preparation. Attachment facilitating parenting is grounded in attachment theory and is based on a set of principles that include:

Sensitivity

Responsiveness

Following the child’s lead

The sharing of congruent intersubjective experiences

Creating a sense of safety and security

The effective implementation of these principles requires parents who:

Are strongly committed to the child.

Have well developed reflective abilities

Have good insightfulness

Have a relatively secure state of mind with respect to attachment

This type of parenting is consistent with Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, which is an evidence-based and effective treatment for children with trauma and attachment disorders (Becker-Weidman & Hughes, 2008). Many foster and adoptive parents find their children’s behaviors strange, frightening, disturbing, and upsetting. They often don’t understand why their child behaves as the child does; “after all, my child is now safe, doesn’t he get it?” It can be difficult to appreciate the depth and pervasiveness of the damage caused by earlier maltreatment.

Therapeutic parenting based on Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy relies of helping parents understand what is causing the child’s behaviors. Looking deeper in order to understand what is motivating the child. All behavior is adaptive and functional; however sometimes the behaviors that were adaptive in one environment are ill-suited for the new home. If your first parents were neglectful, unreliable, and inconsistent so that you were often hungry and left alone for long periods of time, hoarding food, gorging, and going to “anyone” for help is adaptive. When that child is placed in a foster or adoptive home with caring, responsive, sensitive parents, that same behavior is no longer adaptive. By understanding what is driving the behavior and appreciating the child’s fear, anxieties, shame, and anger, the new parent will be better able to respond to the emotions driving the behavior rather than the surface behavior or symptoms. Unless the underlying emotions are addressed with sensitivity and within a safe, unconditionally loving, and supportive home, the behavior or symptoms are not likely to stop…they may change into other problems, but if the underlying cause remains, then the problems will surface again and again.

Let’s discuss the principles required. These principles are more fully elaborated elsewhere (Becker-Weidman & Shell, 2005; Becker-Weidman, 2007)

SENSITIVITY. Because children with trauma and attachment disorders are often unable to describe their internal states, emotions, or thoughts, it becomes the job of the parent to do this with and for the child so that the child learns to do this. Of course, this is precisely what one does with a newborn, toddler, and child. We often help children manage their internal states by doing that with them. When a baby cries, we pick up the baby, comfort the child, and by so doing, regulate the child’s level of arousal. Over time the infant becomes increasingly proficient at doing this independently. The parent of a foster or adopted child must be sensitive to the internal states of their child so that the parent can respond to the underlying emotions driving behavior.

RESPONSIVENESS. Once the underlying emotion is identified, the parent must respond to this need or emotion, with sensitivity. By meeting the child’s need (to feel safe, loved, cared about, for food, drink, joy, etc) the child will internalize new and healthier models of relationships and parents.

FOLLOWING THE CHILD’S LEAD. By this I mean that the parent will need to respond to the child and follow the child’s lead in the sense of providing what the child is needing (comfort, affection, support, structure, etc) and at the child’s pace. It is very important to move at the child’s pace to create the necessary sense of safety and security that these children need.

THE SHARING OF CONGRUENT INTERSUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES. Intersubjectivity refers to shared emotion (also called attunement), share attention, and share intention. You can understand this if you think of playing a board game with your child. When you are playing some game together and enjoying the experience, you are sharing emotions (joy and a sense of competence), sharing attention (focusing on the game), and sharing intention (playing by the rules, both trying to win, having fun, etc.). Or another example, when talking about the death of the child’s loved grandparent, you both may share the same emotions (grief), both are recalling memories of the grandparent (shared intention and attention). It is the sharing of congruent intersubjective experiences, experiences in which all three elements are the shared, that helps the child heal and learn about intimacy and relationships.

CREATING A SENSE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY. Safety comes first. Unless the child is physically, emotionally, and psychologically safe, healing cannot occur. So, it is the job of the parent to create safety and security for the child. This then allows for the exploration of underlying feelings, thoughts, and memories. Without an alliance there can be no secure base. Without a secure base there can be no exploration. Without exploration there can be no integration. Without integration there can be no healing.

Unless the child feels safe, exploration is not possible.

So, what sort of parent is needed? We know form extensive research, that one of the best predictors of placement stability is the parent’s commitment to the child (Dozier, Grasso, Lindhiem, & Lewis, 2007). Therefore, building or rebuilding parental commitment is an important first step. Unless there is strong commitment, the child cannot feel safe and, as discussed above, safety is the most important first step in helping a hurt child heal.

Reflective capacity is also vital to placement stability and to the healing of adopted and foster children. The parent must be able to reflect on the child’s underlying emotions, how the past may be re-enacted in the present, and what in the parent’s own past is being triggered by the child. A well developed reflective function is necessary if the parent is to respond to the child in a healthy and healing manner. We all have buttons. The job of the therapeutic parent is to understand one’s buttons so that these can be disconnected so that when pushed, nothing happens.

Insightfulness (Koren-Karie, Oppenheim, Dolev, Sher, & Etzion-Carasso, 2002; Oppenheim, Koren-Karie, & Sagi, 2001; Oppenheim, & Koren-Karie, 2002; Oppenheim, Goldsmith, & Koren-Karie, 2005) is related to reflective capacity.

A parent’s state of mind with respect to attachment is the best predictor of the child’s. (Main, & Cassidy, 1988; Main, & Hesse, 1990). If the parent has a Secure state of mind with respect to attachment, then the adopted or foster child is more likely to develop a healthy and secure pattern of attachment and heal (Steele, Hodges, Kaniuk, Steele, Hillman, & Asquith, 2008). We know that when young children are placed in a foster home, the child will begin to develop a pattern of attachment that is the same as the foster parent’s state of mind with respect to attachment (Dozier, Stovall, Albus, & Bates, 2001). Obviously, in older children, this is a more difficult task. In the general population, about 60% of the adults have a secure state of mind with respect to attachment. For parents who have an insecure state of mind with respect to attachment, they can still learn to parent effectively with help (Becker-Weidman, A., & Shell, D., 2005/2008; Bick & Dozier, 2008).

USEFUL RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

Becker-Weidman, A., (2007). Principles of Attachment Parenting. 3-set DVD. Williamsville, NY: Center for Family Development.

Becker-Weidman, A., & Shell, D., (Eds.) (2005/2008) Creating Capacity for Attachment, Oklahoma City, OK: Wood N Barnes/ Williamsville, NY: Center For Family Development.

Golding, K., (2008). Nurturing Attachments. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Hughes, D. (2006) Building the Bonds of Attachment, 2nd edition, Jason Aronson, Lanham, MD. .

Siegel, D., & Hartzell, M., (2003). Parenting from the Inside out. Tarcher.

REFERENCES

Becker-Weidman, A., & Shell, D., (Eds.) (2005, 2008). Creating Capacity for Attachment, Oklahoma City, OK: Wood N Barnes & Williamsville, NY: Center for Family Development.

Becker-Weidman, A., (2007). Principles of Attachment Parenting. 3-set DVD. Williamsville, NY: Center for Family Development.

Becker-Weidman, A., & Hughes, D., (2008) “Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy: An evidence-based treatment for children with complex trauma and disorders of attachment,” Child & Adolescent Social Work, 13, pp.329-337.

Bick, J., & Dozier, M., (2008). Helping Foster Parents Change. In H. Steele & M. Steele (Eds.), Clinical Applications of the Adult Attachment Interview (pp. 452-471). NY: Guilford.

Carlson, V., Cicchetti, D., Barnett, D., & Braunwald, K. (1995). Finding order in disorganization: Lessons from research on maltreated infants’ attachments to their caregivers. In D. Cicchetti & V. Carlson (Eds.), Child maltreatment: Theory and research on the causes and consequences of child abuse and neglect (pp. 135–157). NY: Cambridge University Press.

Cicchetti, D., Cummings, E. M., Greenberg, M. T., & Marvin, R. S. (1990). An organizational perspective on attachment beyond infancy. In M. Greenberg, D. Cicchetti & M. Cummings (Eds.), Attachment in the preschool years (pp. 3–50). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Cook, A., Blaustein, M., Spinazolla, J. & van der Kolk, B. (2003) Complex Trauma in Children and Adolescents. White Paper from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Complex Trauma Task Force. National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, Los Angeles, CA.

Cook, A., Spinazzola, J., Ford, J., Lanktree, C., Blaustein, M., Cloitre, M. et al. (2005) Complex trauma in children and adolescents. Psychiatric Annals, 35, 390–398.

Dozier, M., Stovall, K., Albus, K., & Bates, B. (2001). Attachment for infants in foster care: The role of caregiver state of mind. Child Development, 72, 1467-1477.

Dozier, M., Grasso, D., Lindhiem, O., & Lewis, E., (2007) “The role of caregiver commitment in foster care,” in D. Oppenheim & D. Goldsmith, (Eds.) Attachment Theory in Clinical Work with Children. NY: Guilford.

Dozier, M., Stovall, K. C., & Albus, K. (1999). Attachment and psychopathology in adulthood. In J. Cassidy & P. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment (pp. 497–519). NY: Guilford Press.

Finzi, R., Cohen, O., Sapir, Y., & Weizman, A. (2000). Attachment styles in maltreated children: A comparative study. child development and Human Development, 31, 113–128.

Gauthier, L., Stollak, G., Messe, L., & Arnoff, J. (1996). Recall of childhood neglect and physical abuse as differential predictors of current psychological functioning. Child Abuse and Neglect, 20, 549–559.

Greenberg, M. (1999). Attachment and psychopathology in childhood. In J. Cassidy & P. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment (pp. 469–496). NY: Guilford Press.

Koren-Karie, N., Oppenheim, D., Dolev S., Sher, E., & Etzion-Carasso, E. (2002). Mothers’ insightfulness regarding their infants’ internal experience: Relations with maternal sensitivity and infant attachment. Developmental Psychology, 38, 534-542.

Lyons-Ruth, K., & Jacobvitz, D. (1999). Attachment disorganization: Unresolved loss, relational violence and lapses in behavioral and attentional strategies. In J. Cassidy & P. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment (pp. 520–554). NY: Guilford Press.

Main, M., & Cassidy, J. (1988). Categories of response to reunion with the parent at age six: Predictable from infant attachment classifications and stable over a one-month period. Developmental Psychology, 24, 415–426.

Main, M., & Hesse, E. (1990). Parents’ unresolved traumatic experiences are related to infant disorganized attachment status. In M. T. Greenberg, D. Ciccehetti & E. M. Cummings (Eds.), Attachment in the preschool years: Theory, research, and intervention (pp. 161–184). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Malinosky-Rummell, R., & Hansen, D. J. (1993). Long-term consequences of childhood physical abuse. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 68–69.

Oppenheim, D., Koren-Karie, N., & Sagi, A. (2001). Mothers’ empathic understanding of their preschoolers’ internal experience: Relations with early attachment. International Journal of Behavioral Development., 25, 16-26.

Oppenheim, D. & Koren-Karie, N. (2002). Mothers’ Insightfulness Regarding their Children’s Internal Worlds: The capacity underlying secure child-mother relationships. Infant Mental Health Journal, 23(6), 593-605.

Oppenheim, D., Goldsmith, D., & Koren-Karie, N. (2005). Maternal Insightfulness and preschoolers’ emotion and behavior problems: Reciprocal influences in a day-treatment program. Infant Mental Health Journal.

Prino, C. T., & Peyrot, M. (1994). The effect of child physical abuse and neglect on aggressive withdrawn, and prosocial behavior. Child Abuse and Neglect, 18, 871–884.

Robins, L. N. (1978). Longitudinal studies: Sturdy childhood predictors of adult antisocial behavior. Psychological Medicine, 8, 611–622.

Schreiber, R., & Lyddon, W. J. (1998). Parental bonding and current psychological functioning among childhood sexual abuse survivors. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45, 358–362.

Steele, M., Hodges, J., Kaniuk, J., Steele, H., Hillman, S., & Asquith, K., (2008). Forcasting Outcomes in Previously Maltreated Children. In H. Steele & M. Steele (Eds.), Clinical Applications of the Adult Attachment Interview (pp. 427-452). NY: Guilford.

Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D.
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/attachment-facilitating-parenting-749997.html

Technorati Tags: Albus, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Arnoff, Attachment Theory, Borderline Personality Disorder, Braunwald, Cicchetti, Maltreatment, Narcissistic, Personality Disorders, Physical Abuse, Psychiatric Problems, Psychological Problems, Psychopathic Personality Disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Rummell, Sapir, Stovall, Weidman, Weizman

The 5 C’s of Parenting

admin — Sat, 15 May 2010 15:13:12 +0000

GX Magazine

Treatment in Cases of Autism

admin — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:15:17 +0000

Treatment for autism cases is quite variable this days. Choosing a specific way of treating someone is done according to some factors : the behavior of the patient, the development stage in witch he is and possible medications that that person can take. In trying to treat children with autism parents and doctors must do the best they can with what is available for them. Each child must have a specific program just for him in order to have a good chance of combating the disease.

Beginning to treat the most early of symptoms is very crucial in all patients; left untreated some behaviors may later on need extreme measures. It is well documented that children with autism may at one point or another start developing aggresive behaviors. The most early of treatments is needed if chances exist in preventing medication usage later on or even institutionalization.

The family must be very strong and organized when dealing with autistic children. The members must try the best they can to make the child change its behavior and not the other way around. If the family becomes behaviorally disrupted chances for the child patient to ever become normal and to be accepted is society drop drastically.

Sometimes family members must be quite harsh or severe in their attempts of changing the behavior of the autistic child. Still they must do their best in changing any particular behavior pattern in the child that is potentially correctable. This days certain treatments exist in facilitating the patients cure. This way they can use treatments that include ABA, either speech therapy or behavioral therapy and of course special education.

The medication use in autistic children must also be researched ahead of time because the reaction to the drugs can be very unexpected and different from other drugs. Each drug has its specific role in combating this awful illness. In the cases of hyperactive children some drugs are available to reduce their physical activities and thus improve the attention span towards education and treatment.

Certain aggressive compulsive behaviors may be treated by administering antidepressants. This kind of medicine greatly increases the levels of serotonin in the brain of the patient. Studies have showed that in comparison to other placebo treatments, the usage of antidepressants has proven very effectiv. They are considered to be the safest medication available now.

Different treatment do exist at this time and they include integration training, vitamin and mineral treatments and some injections that have yet to be revealed. Cases have been known where children suffering from this disease improve spontaneously. Studies must be done in order to see better if the changes where as a result of treatment or just an abnormal reaction of the autistic patient.

For greater resources on Autism or especially about autism symptoms please click this link http://www.autism-info-center.com/autism-symptoms.htm

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/treatment-in-cases-of-autism-111779.html

Technorati Tags: Aba, Autism Cases, Autism Treatment, Autistic Child, Behavior Pattern, Behavioral Therapy, Cases Of Autism, Child Patient, Children With Autism, Dealing With Autistic Children, Development Stage, Extreme Measures, Good Chance, Hyperactive Children, Institutionalization, Medications, Special Education, Speech Therapy, Treatment For Autism, Witch

The Marketing Secret Every Child Knows

admin — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:14:26 +0000

Little Kids Ask Until They Get What They Want
Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, can I have an ice cream? Can I, Can I, Can I, Can I? Please, Please, Please, Please. I’ll be good for a whole year. I promise. Just give me a dollar. I won’t ask again for a long time. Pleaseeeeee!

Regular, repeated mailings are the way to create big predictable results. When you mail every 30 days for a year you will cause a dramatic growth in your business.

People respond to repetition. If you are a parent you know how hard it is to refuse repeated requests for an ice cream or a desperately wanted toy.

If you are not a parent, I’m sure you remember asking, even begging for a toy, a treat or permission to stay up past your bedtime, until your parents finally gave in. Your customers and prospective customers are similar. They need to be asked repeatedly too.

Who You Should Ask:

You should be asking 3 groups of people to do one of 3 things:

1.The first group is your house customer list (your own list of existing customers).

You should be asking your existing customers repeatedly to contact you about some offer you make to them for your products and services.

A clear offer with an easy way to contact you should be made, like:

“We will give you 5000 full color postcards for $389, simply give us a call at 800-628-1804 to set up getting your postcards.”

Or some other offer you reasonably believe they will be interested in based on your personal knowledge of them and preferably based on their actual previous buying behavior.

2.The second group is your house prospect list (prospects you have caused to inquire about your products and/or services through your own marketing efforts).

This group of people is interested in your service but hasn’t made the decision to go for it yet. They will be the most likely to respond to a special when you offer it to them.

3.The third group of people are people who can reasonably be expected to be interested in your products and/or services, but who have never purchased anything from you and have never inquired about your products and/or services either.

The likely reason they haven’t contacted you is that they don’t know that you even exist.

You remedy that by contacting them with a series of postcards offering free information about how they can benefit from your products and services.

If this list of people is properly selected and if you make an offer that a reasonable person will find very, very difficult to refuse, then your response rate will be high.

That is the whole game in a nutshell. Create or get a list of people who have demonstrated they are interested in the type of product or service you offer. AND/OR Get a list of people extremely likely to be interested, even if they haven’t already proved they are, by buying from you or one of your competitors.

Once you have these lists of people contact them with postcards which offer them the benefits of your products and services and keep making them offers until they inquire and/or buy from you and then ask them to buy more on a regular basis.

If you do what you have just read about you will have more business than you can shake a stick at.

You will have a smile on your face just like the little kid with a belly full of ice cream he/she convinced mom to buy.

Steve Conn
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/the-marketing-secret-every-child-knows-53344.html

Technorati Tags: 3 Things, Bedtime, Color Postcards, Dramatic Growth, Existing Customers, Hasn, Little Kids, Long Time, Marketing Efforts, Mom, Own Marketing, Parents, Personal Knowledge, Predictable Results, Prospect List, Prospective Customers, Prospects, Repetition, Second Group, Third Group

Child Anxiety Attacks – The Unreported truth

admin — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:14:09 +0000

Anxiety disorders can effect people of all walks of life, ethnic backgrounds, and age groups. Child anxiety attacks are not only possible, they are probably happening more than doctors realize. This condition seems to especially effect teenagers and can persist into young adulthood.

Symptoms of a Child Anxiety Attack

The symptoms of a child anxiety attack are generally the same as an adult having an anxiety attack would feel. A child anxiety attack may start with a psychological symptom, such as a persistent and strong feeling of dread or fear. This is then followed by physical symptoms, the same as an adult would experience: racing heart, chest discomfort, numbness or tingling in the extremities, et cetera. Also common among child anxiety sufferers are diarrhea, stomach pain, headaches, nausea, and shortness of breath.

Effects of Child Anxiety Attacks

Even though anxiety attacks generally don’t cause any direct physical damage, the effects on a child’s psyche can be very noticeable. Children suffering from child anxiety attacks often have trouble concentrating in school, and may show an overall lower ability to learn or make decisions. Often child anxiety attacks can be triggered by social situations, so the child may attempt to isolate themselves to try and avoid triggering a child anxiety attack.

There are many different kinds of child anxiety disorders: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), acute stress disorder, social or general phobias, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and adjustment disorders with anxiety, to name just a few. Many of these involve child anxiety disorders that focus on specific situations, people, objects, et cetera.

Helping Your Child

If your child is experiencing anything that you suspect may be child anxiety attacks, you should take them to see a doctor. He will be able to diagnose whether there is anything physically wrong, and if not, will be able to recommend some treatments that can help.

Generally, child anxiety is treated the same way as adult anxiety: with medication and therapy. Your doctor will be able to prescribe medications that will help control your child’s anxiety attacks. The therapy will help them to overcome the fears that are at the root of the child anxiety attacks.

At home, try and keep your child’s life as stress-free as possible. Don’t be overbearing or put too much pressure on them to be perfect. Don’t argue with your husband or wife where they can hear you. Stress from a bad home life can really take its toll on a child’s mind. Rather, make sure they feel loved and secure, and that they know they will always be loved even if they don’t get that “A”. You’ll find that reducing the stress your child feels can help their recovery quite a bit.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/child-anxiety-attacks-the-unreported-truth-709322.html

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College Planning: It’s Not Too Late

admin — Wed, 12 May 2010 10:48:36 +0000

In May of 2005, at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, college graduates threw up their caps to celebrate the achievement of a lifetime. Two of those caps belonged to twins, Carol Malone and Linda Clem. But there was something different about these two. The difference was age, experience, and wisdom.
The twins are 54-years old, and they just received the first college degrees of their lives. The moral to this story? It’s never too late to do anything you put your mind to.

It’s a common myth that if your child is about to head to college or is already in college, then you’ve reached a point when the only thing left to do is take out a few large loans and get ready to bear the burden of tuition.

According to top college funding planners, that is simply not the case.

What people don’t often realize is that with the proper financial planning, you can save significant amounts of money even while your child is still in college. The following are a few basic tips to save money in the late-stages of college planning.

Financial Aid

Always apply for financial aid as early as possible. The standard FAFSA forms are the first and most important to fill out. Getting into the mix early-on ensures that you have a better chance at being awarded the “first come-first served” financial aid packages. By being prompt, you increase your chances at better awards and loans, which reduces the amount of out of pocket costs passed on to you.

Make sure you go over the financial aid forms and regulations with a financial professional. Anyone who has tried to navigate through the forms or the various pages of rules and guidelines can tell you that it’s more than a little complicated. Having someone help you through the process doesn’t just ease the burden financially; it also takes away a lot of stress and anxiety.

Your FAFSA forms typically take a few weeks to process, which is one more reason to plan ahead. Once your financial need is determined, the schools you’ve applied to will offer you a financial aid package. The package can include various ways to pay for college, including loans, grants and any scholarships they have awarded your child.

A little research can go a long way in saving you money for college. If your child is applying to schools, make sure you study which schools give more gift aid and scholarship money out compared with those who don’t. Also, make sure your child applies to at least two schools where he or she is in the top 25% of the applicants. This can be found by doing some basic research on the G.P.A.’s of previous freshman classes.

A common pitfall to filling out financial aid forms is relying heavily on high school counselors. Counselors are often loaded up with numerous students, sometimes even hundreds, and often cannot provide the personal attention that each individual student needs. That’s why a trusted college planner is best.

Gifting and Shifting

There are numerous legal and ethical ways to shift your assets to allow your child to have more money for college. You can shift assets to your child, or gift them certain assets which they sell and keep the profit. It allows them to hold onto money for college without suffering the same tax burden as you, the parents would.

Children who file their taxes independently are in a lower income tax bracket which can work to your advantage. The money you save in taxes adds up quickly and can be used as one more way to pay for college.

Employment

Do you have a small business or rental property that you own? If so, you can use that property to your advantage by employing your child. Your child will not only learn the value and responsibility of work, they will also receive a wage. As a small business, you can offer a specialized Employer Education Assistance program. This allows you to give up to $5,250 a year, tax-free to employees who are attending college. It’s just one more way to save money while your kids reach for their dreams. In the process, your kids will be learning valuable life lessons.

Many of us work hard so that our children may have a better future. Education does not always define success, but often success could not be achieved without it. No matter what stage in life you’re at, it’s never too late to save for college. With some simple strategy and some help from your financial advisor, you can find ways to reduce college costs and increase the ways to pay for it.

Carol Malone and Linda Clem, 54-year old twins, proved that there’s no better time than the present, so what are you waiting for?

Robert Valentine
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/college-planning-its-not-too-late-64587.html

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