In our busy, over-scheduled lives, the impact of stress on our children is often forgotten. Children are bombarded daily by stressors such as school exams, homework, peer pressure and standards to live up too, sexual pressure, violent images, inappropriate talk and language and the list goes on. Childhood is a time to...

Beginning another educational year can be a stressful time for children and parents. Whether your child is a part of the educational system or you home educate (which includes outside activities) you know that now is the time to plan ahead and get ready. Here are some ways to prepare both your family and your child for...

A recent study by the American Psychological Association found that Children can experience as much stress as adults do, and they are often not equipped to deal with everyday stresses of social pressures, peer pressure, school and home life. We can easily help our children to deal with stress and connect with their inn...

A recent statistic from a survey revealed that the number one family time activity was watching TV. What has our culture come to that we honestly believe that watching the tube together is quality family time? There is no interaction involved, you are not getting to know your child better, you are not learning how to p...

Studies show that children from age 5 to 12 need between 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night and teenagers need between 9 to 10 hours. A well rested child has more energy, can perform better at school and concentrate better. A rested child will have a more positive attitude, be in a good mood and is more likely to stay...

Some fun and teaching activities for this summer !   Here are some fun, wholesome activities to inspire you and your children this summer. Connect with your Child - Throw a themed get-together and invite your child’s friends - Explore a new city or part of your city together to further develop the natural curiosit...

We've seen Bullying a lot in the news recently.  We read about the calamities of bullying and wonder how to protect our own children. What do we do if our own child is a victim or the perpetrator? Essentially bullying takes place because of the lack of self-confidence. At its core, bullying exists because both the bul...

Help your child dig into that fear or pain by talking it out. Get to the root of the issue. Don’t yell back if your child is yelling, but sit quietly and listen.  It is important to bring calm and understanding to the situation. Certainly, don’t allow your child to abuse you with assaults, but understand that sometimes...

Although meditation can be sitting still and quieting the intellectual mind, often by counting until your mind is very focused, we use a method of meditation called Guided Meditation. In Guided Meditation, a child is guided what to imagine. These meditations are simple because all your child has to do is listen and ima...

Sometimes we wonder why kids can be lethargic, unmotivated, learning poorly or not retaining information or just plain unhappy. Diet is a major factor in the behavior and emotions of our children, just as it is with adults. You know how bad certain foods can make you feel when you eat them, and think of the effects t...

Encouraging children and teens to express their opinion and giving them opportunities for problem solving and decision making is very beneficiary for your child’s development. It allows them to articulate what the problem is, consider different options to solve the problem, then test the option and learn from the conse...

We care about our children and want them to be healthy. The truth is it's not always easy to introduce or maintain healthy eating habits in our busy lives when we are constantly bombarded with the unhealthy. Our western society today includes a lot of daily TV programming with an abundance of unhealthy food commercials...

Sometimes we wonder why kids can be lethargic, unmotivated, learning poorly or not retaining information or just plain unhappy. Diet is a major factor in the behavior and emotions of our children, just as it is with adults. You know how bad certain foods can make you feel when you eat them, and think of the effects t...

Mainstream media would often have us think about ADHD characteristics as bothersome: not fitting in, a child who cannot sit down or sit still whose attention is all over the place.But I have found that parenting a child with ADHD has some positive and often overlooked wonderful aspects that are just screaming at you to...

Today more and more parents are craving alternatives to Ritalin, Focalin and other ADHD medication. While there is certainly a place for medicine in our world, as concerned parents, we are looking for alternative and sustainable long term solutions for ADHD. ADHD Medications such as Focalin have not been scientificall...

Does Your Child Rule the Roost? There truly are many approaches to parenting. Most of us who are raising children now grew up with authoritative parents, you know "do what I say and not what I do" and "because I said so, that's why" type of parenting. As new parents we remember those years of frustration at what we d...

Sometimes we wonder why kids can be lethargic, unmotivated, learning poorly or not retaining information or just plain unhappy. Diet is a major factor in the behavior and emotions of our children, just as it is with adults. You know how bad certain foods can make you feel when you eat them, and think of the effects t...

A teen who is being bullied is under a great deal of stress. That stress stems from being ridiculed in front of peers, being criticized, feeling bad about oneself, not knowing how to handle or deal with the situation maybe even feeling powerless about it and even the toxic self-talk that can ensue. Helping your teen d...

What if you were taught all these things as a child? Tough situations make you stronger. Happiness comes from inside you. You are talented. Use positive visualization to achieve your dreams. Always remember life is magical. You are beautiful inside and out. Gratitude is key to happiness. Mistakes ar...

We all want the best for our children. And while it's never too late to help our kids, there are some basic rules we should follow to help our children feel supported, loved and understood through the years. When we follow these basic guidelines, teens grow up and mature in a nurturing, expressive environment...

Children can experience stress in a variety of different ways. From tummy aches before school, fear of being bullied, to difficult family relationships, stress is manifested in a variety of ways. How can we truly get to the core of this problem  and truly help our children? Before we get into tools for dealing with ch...

Knowing how to communicate with your child and support him is one of the most important aspects of building a child’s self esteem. In order to improve your child self esteem and confidence, it is fundamental that you make sure to dedicate enough time each day to simply communicate with your child in an uninterrupted en...

What if you were taught all these things as a child? Tough situations make you stronger. Happiness comes from inside you. You are talented. Use positive visualization to achieve your dreams. Always remember life is magical. You are beautiful inside and out. Gratitude is key to happiness. Mistakes ar...

There are two sides to every story, two ways of looking at everything.  There is literally a silver lining, no matter how obscure, to every cloud in your sky. But kids have to be taught to look for that silver lining. It comes naturally to some, and to some, it's extremely difficult. But any loving parent, or a specia...

Guided Imagery and Kids Relaxation is a wonderful way to help children deal with stress.  With a CD or your own voice, you can help children relax but also give them tools to deal with stress and difficulties. One deep breathing technique is called the balloon breath. This breath is a basic yoga breath but taught thro...

A recent study by the American Psychological Association found that Children can experience as much stress as adults do, and they are often not equipped to deal with everyday stresses of social pressures, peer pressure, school and home life. We can easily help our children deal with stress and connect with their inner ...

Meditation helps children in a variety of ways. It helps reduce stress, strengthens the immune system, can improve relationships at home & at school, decreases aggressiveness and anxieties, improves behavior and attitude, improves focus, memory & concentration and promotes inner peace. Kids' meditation has al...

ShambalaKids Stress Free Meditation Script:  You have permission to copy the following Shambalakids guided imagery and meditation script to print out for your own personal or classroom use. You may also reprint/use it on your own website as long as credit and a link are given.(Once your child is lying down and comforta...

Meditation with Children is easy and boosts numerous positive results. In only ten minutes a day, you can help your child achieve more calm and peace in life, get better grades, improve concentration, and heighten self-esteem.  It requires no more dedication than a routine fairytale read before bedtime. Meditating wit...

Question - I have a daughter who is 8 years old and she lacks at lot of confidence within herself, she does have a lot of tantrums when she gets frustrated (it is a wonder you can't hear her!!). She has told me she wants to be a popular girl at school which I am trying to help her in by building up her confidence but s...

Our Cds have been used very successfully with Autistic children at home and in the classroom setting.   Listen to what some teachers and parents are saying.....   Highly recommend!  What a gift! I was urgently searching for something that would help my middle school age special needs students (autistic, intellec...

In a society that focuses on bodily charms more than soulful interaction, today’s parents have to be especially attentive to their daughter’s body image. Young girls are especially prone to the influences at school even from a relatively young age. Some seem more susceptible than others, but in general many girls stru...

Children diagnosed with ADHD or ADD who are naturally very active have more difficulties in integrating the school environment. The class size does not allow much room for participation and individual interaction between student and teacher. Back in 1969, Edgar Dale developed what became the “Cone of Learning” and we bel...

Guided Imagery offers immediate benefits to children who show characteristics of ADHD, hyperactivity or simply for "busy Kids":  Helps focus and concentrate  Teaches kids how to calm themselves and stay calm when needed  Helps channel abundant energy in creative, positive ways  Helps focus and concentrate  Encou...

Sitting still and being calm enough to read a good book for a while might seem contrary to what ADHD is all about. However, fluent reading is an amazing gift for the ADHD child. Reading takes a child away to adventure, fun, excitement and wonder. The imagination is encouraged to go wild on an adventure of the mind. Wha...

The teenage years are transitional. We sit back and watch the volatility as our teens come to terms with growing up. Hormones and emotions run high. From a teen perspective, your child is trying to make sense out of all he has learned. He seems to be searching for himself and perhaps trying on many different 'selves' a...

Body image is simply the concept one holds about one's body. Self esteem is the concept one holds about oneself. These two pillars of self concept go hand and hand and are key components of your teens happiness. By the age of 12, girls have seen around 77,500 ads according to one study done by the Dove Corporation. Ne...

Guided imagery is fun for people of all ages. It is the setting out on a journey of the mind. Relaxation sets in and there is no confinement by standards or rules. The only limit with guided imagery is the limit placed on your own imagination. When we were young we were taught not to daydream. Daydreaming is a waste o...