Untreated anxiety can devastate the life of your child…

I’m a parent, and I know there’s nothing worse than to see my child suffering with anxiety and feeling powerless to help them. I realize too that anxiety can rob my child of the life he deserve and were meant to have – one filled with joy, laughter, and fun. Experts always warn if it left untreated, our child’s anxiety can lead to problems for them at school, with friends, with their self-esteem, and with their health. Said simply, it can steal their childhood.

Without help, children with anxiety often endure severe social problems, have poor school performance, physical illnesses, or depression. Their anxiety can continue to grow to the point where they seem to be constantly worried or fearful – not having fun like children should be having.

Children who struggle with anxiety are much more prone to becoming anxious adults that may struggle their whole lives with fear. As a matter of fact, research has shown that up to 90% of adults with anxiety disorders battled anxiety as a child. Problem anxiety can also predispose your child to other mental health problems and dangerous behaviors such as cutting, drug and alcohol abuse, or even suicide.

The good news is that our child doesn’t have to suffer needlessly with anxiety any longer… I suggest you to read and learn from experts.

I hope you can free your child from anxiety and have them happy again.

Say Goodbye to Parenting Stress

This Free Webinar will Forever Change The Way You Interact With Your Kids. Say Goodbye to Parenting Stress.


If you find yourself going crazy because your kids just don't seem to listen to you, this webinar is your answer.  Author and Certified Master Hypnotist, Chris Thompson, teaches you what really drives kids' behavior and hands you powerful communication strategies to fix the problem.  Permanently.  You can Register here for FREE.

How to Raise Successful Kids

By Winsome Coutts

This can be great fun, and can make a huge difference in their lives. Goal setting for kids books, worksheets and activities will all help you to introduce this idea to your children. It doesn't matter if you are a parent, teacher, grandparent or friend, if you can encourage the children in your life to start setting goals at an early age, you can have a profound affect on their lives.

But why would you bother with this goal setting activity with kids?

You're busy enough aren't you?

• In today's information age, people are bombarded with so many choices, decisions and options. It's very easy to get sidetracked or to just "go with the flow."? Learning how to set goals at an early age will give your child the tools needed to live a purposeful life. They will be able to make decisions that get them where they want to go instead of just reacting to whatever is in front of them at that moment.

Most highly successful people are avid goal-setters. Pick up any best-selling book from personal growth gurus and there will be a section dedicated to goal setting. These coaches don't consider goal setting an option; to them it's mandatory if you want to live an amazing life.

• When you take the time to sit down and totally focus on your child, you KNOW how much they love that. This is about more than just Goal Setting, it is about saying how much you love them, and that you care enough about them and their future, that you are prepared to spend time working on it with them. You KNOW what an impact that will have with them. They will love Goal Setting, and feel so proud when they have written their first goal.

• Setting goals can lead to profound feelings of happiness, purpose, confidence and self-worth. Imagine your child being confident because they know that they have the ability to achieve whatever they want to achieve. Imagine how exciting the world would be to them!

Learn more here

Do You Play with Your Kids?

By Winsome Coutts In these busy times, when parents and children have schedules packed to the max, family closeness can fall by the wayside. Most of us have to make an effort to guarantee that work, school, sports, and chores don’t swallow up the very relationships that make those things important.

When is the last time you played or goofed around with your child? Can you remember back that far? Many parents can’t. Life has made us so serious, so focused, that we’ve lost the joy of the simple things, and play was one of the first to go.

But as any child instinctively knows, play is essential to life. It brightens the heart and lightens the spirit. For kids, who live closer than we do to nature, play is as spontaneous as breathing. Sadly, most grown-ups have lost that skill. Our children can be our refresher course.

Playing with your child brings you back to the present, reminds you of what matters, and slows you down long enough to smell the roses. It also connects you emotionally with your child, rebuilding the closeness that the fast-paced, boring routines of life are all too quick to strip away.

Playing together is even more important for your child than it is for you, because she needs to feel close to you to feel loved and happy. If you’ve neglected time together for long enough, it may appear that your child isn’t interested in your attentions. She may even tell you as much. But that’s just bluster, hiding the fear that you will disappoint her again if she lets herself wish for time alone with you. If you initiate playing together, and do it at frequent intervals, even the most aloof pre-teen will start to look forward to it and, in time, throw herself into the fun.

What kind of playing should you do? Pay attention to the activities your child engages in: his idea of enjoyment. If these things seem boring to you, try hanging out nearby, observing as he does them, with words that express your curiosity. You just may find you actually develop a genuine interest. If your child is a couch potato, take up your perch on the couch beside him, but after you’re allowed “in,” initiate some play that might be more pleasant than TV.

Think back to what you did as a child that was memorable, especially activities you did with your parents that stay with you still. Think about things that are free or cost little, that involve experiencing life together. Start a list of ideas as they come, and add any of the following that you resonate with:

• Raking stacks of autumn leaves, then jumping or rolling in them
• Taking a hike through the forest preserve
• Skating at the roller rink together
• Walking the dog, taking turns with the rope
• Reading comics or joke books together (or books of poetry or stories)
• Making cookies, pizza or a cake
• Building a fort out of snow or chairs and blankets
• Playing hide and seek, hide the thimble, cards or board games
• Lying on a blanket looking up at the stars
• Sitting in front of the wood stove in a dark room, telling stories
• Making shadow figures on the wall with your hands and a flashlight
• Having a treasure hunt
• Roasting marshmallows over a fire
• Watching a parade
• Going to the aquarium, zoo or museum
• Flying kites together
• Building something
• Making a scrapbook
• Making up a silly poem or song
• Watching a movie, with popcorn and no interruptions
• Playing a memory game, like “I’m going to Grandma’s house, and in my suitcase I’m going to pack …”
• Getting up early to watch the sunrise from a hill
• Playing games of pretend
• Going somewhere special, like the beach
• Having a pancake picnic in the snow

Playing together is different than finding entertaining activities for your child. Play involves you, while entertainment excuses you from the picture. If you find yourself saying, “But my schedule is too busy for any of the things on that list,” consider whether your schedule needs some pruning. After all, who’s going to remember in 20 years if you stay late at work or not next Tuesday? But will your child ever forget the Tuesday you ride the rollercoaster together?

Closeness with a child cannot be taken for granted. Like any other relationship, it will slip away unless it’s made a priority. Nothing builds trust and bonding with a child like sharing a moment of silliness and laughter. Come together for light-hearted play, and you just may find your child opens up about serious subjects. The relaxed atmosphere of play helps us let our guard down and reveal more of ourselves.

When you play together, let your child feel like the most important person in your world. Give him your undivided attention: no cell phones, no interruptions, no slipping into your own private thoughts. Be present – body, mind and spirit. Then let yourself do whatever comes naturally, with the abandon you felt when you yourself were a child. Your instincts will be your guide.

Growing closer through play is easy. It just takes dedicated moments, given on a fairly regular basis, so your child begins to count on having time with you.

Let your child re-teach you the wonderful secrets of play. You both will feel more secure and peaceful – and a whole lot happier, as the reason you do it all for, starts to come back to you.

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Winsome Coutts holds a teacher’s certificate in education and has written hundreds of articles on self-development. She has studied with Bob Proctor and John Demartini, popular teachers featured on “The Secret” DVD. She is the passion behind the www.4lifehappykids.com and is a parent and grandparent. Winsome is author of “Go for Your Goals” for kids – a set of downloadable e-books that guide your child through the joyful steps of learning visualization, goal-setting and the Law of Attraction. Simple language enhanced with beautiful illustrations and worksheets make these books appealing and motivating. To learn more, visit www.4lifehappykids.com

How Do You Raise Happy Kids?

By Winsome Coutts

As a grandmother and self-help writer, I’m often asked by readers, “How do you raise happy kids?” This is a question near and dear to every loving parent’s heart. No matter what we teach them, if we haven’t taught them how to be happy, or can’t parent in a way that makes them feel happy, it’s rather all for naught, isn’t it? So it’s a very pertinent question. 

I’ve been blessed with having two happy children and two happy grandchildren. I applied certain principles in raising my kids, and see my son and daughter-in-law apply the same in raising their adorable daughters, Klara and Stina. In this article, I’ll share two tips I’ve learned along the way. 

The first is the importance of modeling happiness. You can’t give something you don’t have. How can you teach kids happiness if you don’t have it yourself? Some parents think loving their family means living only for them, driving them everywhere, cleaning up after them, and putting their kids’ needs and desires way ahead of their own. Parenting shouldn’t turn us into a short-order restaurant or a cleaning or taxi service. It does for some parents. That teaches kids a bad lesson. 

 A child who perceives his parent as a servant, someone whose life has meaning only through catering to his whims, learns to be selfish. He comes to believe others exist to do his bidding. I have a friend who was raised like that, and she tells me when she grew up, she kept having the strange feeling, “Where are all the servants?” Being catered to was such an ingrained part of her childhood that adjusting to adulthood was difficult for her, because “the servants” were missing. 

 Kids who are raised this way tend to feel the world owes them a living. So breaking out of the “doormat” mode, if you’re in one, is pretty central to giving your kid a chance at a smooth transition to happy adulthood. 

 When you take care of yourself, make time for yourself, and do things that make you happy, your child learns those behaviors from you. If she sees you going for your dreams and making decisions based on your inner truth, she learns that doing those things is good. On the other hand, if you model dropping everything to fulfill her latest dictate, she learns that parenting means self-denial and victimization. She may then become a self-effacing parent herself or go the other extreme and forego parenting entirely because it looks like such a sacrifice. 

 So to raise happy kids, be good to yourself. Treat yourself with respect and dignity the same as you treat your child. Don’t allow disrespect toward you any more than you’d allow someone to be rude to your kids. Make time for your creative desires and dreams. Plan in some scheduled personal time each week (or day), and make sure that you take it. 

 Let your kids see you’re doing this, and tell them the reason: “Mommy needs to have some fun, too,” or “Moms need time every day to relax.” This shows your child that you value yourself, and that personal time is important to everyone’s happiness. 

 The second tip I’ve learned for raising happy kids is the tremendous value of focused attention. The best form this can take is uninterrupted, one-on-one personal time with your child. Think back to your own childhood and some of your happiest memories. Chances are they include that hike you took with Dad, or the time you and Mom went to the restaurant for a dessert. 

 When we set aside an hour or two to be with our child, away from distractions and interruptions, we tell him he is important and loved. Giving focused attention is much more powerful than the diffused attention kids get while we cook dinner, drive them somewhere, or break up conversations to take calls on our cell phone. 

 Children thrive on loving, focused, personal attention the way plants thrive on sunshine. Structure in some focused attention every day, even if it’s only for five or ten minutes. Look at your child when he talks to you, so he knows you’re completely with him. In love, it’s the subtle things that count. 

 Giving focused attention teaches self-worth: your child knows she’s valuable because you value her, enough to carve out time for you and her, uninterrupted by the world, for those moments. That spells love, and when she knows you love her, by your actions not your words, that brings security and heart fulfillment, essential foundations of happiness. 

 In this busy world where parents work two jobs and where kids’ social calendars can rival those of debutants, it isn’t easy to make time to take care of yourself and uninterrupted time for you and your child. But for happiness, nothing could be more important. Think about your schedule, what is nonessential that you can cut out, or wasted moments that you can eliminate. Use that harvested time to be good to you and your kid. Your child’s happiness, and yours, depend on it.

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Winsome Coutts holds a teacher’s certificate in education and has written hundreds of articles on self-development. She has studied with Bob Proctor and John Demartini, popular teachers featured on “The Secret” DVD. She is the passion behind the www.4lifehappykids.com and is a parent and grandparent. 

Winsome is author of “Go for Your Goals” for kids – a set of downloadable e-books that guide your child through the joyful steps of learning visualization, goal-setting and the Law of Attraction. Simple language enhanced with beautiful illustrations and worksheets make these books appealing and motivating. To learn more, visit www.4lifehappykids.com

Check for the Children's Sake!

Most parents drive their children around everywhere they go. Has your child ever told you to 'just drop them off here?' Most parents assume that their kids are too cool to be dropped off at the front door, or to be seen with their parents. It's one of those things we roll our eyes at and get over. However, what if your child is visiting somewhere he shouldn't be visiting. You just never know what kind of people your child can end up hanging around with. Next time you are asked to drop your child off in front of a house rather than walking him or her in, or next time your child wants you to drop him or her off down the block with no explanation, you may want to take note of the address. Here's why. 

 Your child could be visiting someone very dangerous or be placing himself in a terrible situation. You don't want to invade your child's privacy, however you don't want your child to become injured or hurt. As a good parent, you have to make sure that your child is safe and that you are doing all that you can in order to ensure that. If you would like to do this without making your child hate you, do it secretly! You can find out by visiting a website that provide  information about place an address or a phone number in the text box. You will instantly receive reports about who owns the house or the phone and what kind of person they are. 

 In fact, you can find out if they have ever been charged of a felony or a misdemeanor, you can have access to their criminal and civil court records and much more. You will instantly be able to tell whether your child is in danger or not from the people who live here. Your child will never know that you have checked, and neither will the people that you search for. Many times, parents have no idea how to check and make sure that their children are safe. This is one resource that watchful parents just can't live without. 

 If you have questions about where your child is going or who they are calling, all you need is the address or the phone number. All you have to do is type in either one and you don't have to know the name of the people who you are searching for. You can find out if they have ever been charged with a crime, you can see their marriage and death certificates and you can find out if they are a danger to your child. In this day and age, we can't afford to assume that our children are safe – we simply have to make sure. Utilize the tips and advice above along with this site or another site that allows you to search in this way, so that you can rest assured that your child is safe.

Educating The Heart

Let's learn from

Martha Stevens Mother of Five

The Greatest Parenting Secret in History Revealed 

Dear Mom and Dad,

If I can help you to avoid some of the stumbling blocks and pitfalls it will not only help you, but also your children who will be able to grow up with the kind of coaching and mentoring they need from you in order to blossom to their fullest potential. You will also grow into your fullest potential as the wonderful parent you want to be.

So, just what is the Secret?

It was only after my children had grown that in looking back I could clearly see the twists and turns, the difficulties and the obstacles that children experience in the process of growing up. It also became clear what it was that they really, really needed to navigate through those years without crashing.

So I began writing these thoughts down, not intending to write a book, however, having once put pen to paper I just kept writing.

But, I won't keep you in suspense.

The secret is...

Educating the HEART!

Surprised? So much emphasis is placed on educating the intellect — the BRAIN — that the heart is simply overlooked.

The brain gives one knowledge, but the heart gives it ... Direction ... and enriches life in a way that logic alone cannot.

In the end, it's not GENIUS (the brain) but WISDOM (the heart) that wins out and makes your life fulfilling

One can grow up and be a super genius, but without the emotional balance and steadiness that comes from an educated heart, a person's life may not run as smoothly as they would like, and even wind up being wasted or wrecked. No one wants that for their children.

Educating the heart is done by teaching Life's Lessons — the overriding principles that govern our lives — and the matching Life Skills that make it work.

Educating the heart develops good character qualities and includes such things as . . .

• Honesty • Kindness • Integrity • Unselfishness • Being a willing and diligent worker • Doing chores without being told • Reaching out and helping others • Learning conversational skills • Making and keeping friends

There is much more . . .

They need to know the purpose of Rules (creates order out of chaos), and why they have to follow them.

How to boost your child's grades in 3 easy steps!

By Liz Jones

Do you think that parents can influence their kid's grades at school? 

 Some parents leave the "education side" of things to the school. But, when you see your own child struggling, you want to do something and quick. There's nothing harder than being a parent and not being able to help your kids when they need it is there? 

 We all know the pressure our kids are under to perform, society seems to have gone education crazy. We are embarrassed if our kids are not getting the grades at school. There's so much competition, getting them in the best schools, monitoring the league tables, eventually turns into an obsession. I know people who have uprooted their entire family to move into a "catchment area" of a good school. 

Well, listen to this true story- my own son was struggling with school work, he hated it. Homework time was a nightmare in our house, bribes, threats, throwing books across the room, all regular occurrences. He wouldn't read, wouldn't learn his spellings, parent days were embarrassing! 

However, after the last parent day I was so shocked at the teacher's comments I took matters into my own hands. I came across an article in the local paper about how a well known supplement can increase concentration levels in kids. I jumped on the internet and ordered a batch quickly. The article told of a study that took a group of school aged kids and gave them this supplement every day for 60 days. They tested them at the beginning of the study and again at the end. The results, ASTOUNDING!!! 

But get this, the most improved group of all were the kids who were labeled "slow" or "bit dim". It seems that this "brain food" works best on kids whose concentration levels are low. 

 Very basically this is how it works, the brain cells are linked by pathways, essential fatty acids strengthen the pathways making them stronger and healthier thus enabling the cells to work together more efficiently. 

 More importantly our bodies cannot manufacture these acids, we have to obtain them from our diet. Unfortunately a typical western diet contains very little of these acids and it is estimated that the typical American is 95-99% deficient. It may be of little surprise then compared to other cultures we do not do well in intelligence tests. 

 This marked the beginning of our journey, this was step one! Every day with breakfast my son had an Omega 3 & 6 supplement. We called it "the clever pill". 

I explained why we were taking it and that it would help him pay attention in class and concentrate for longer periods. I am convinced that this made a huge difference to his concentration levels. 

His teacher reported only a few weeks later that he can stay focused for longer periods now and seems to listen more in class. 

The results, well, we thought we had some other kid's report! he jumped 2 whole grades.

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About the author : Liz Jones is a qualified trainer and manager in the financial services industry. She is married and has 2 children and lives in England. See her website here: http://www.lazykidsway.com

Goal Setting for Kids

How to Raise Successful Kids

By Winsome Coutts

Ever thought about Goal Setting for Kids? Goal setting is one of the most important skills that a person can learn, and the earlier this skill is learned, the more chances there are for successful outcomes in a person’s life. Adults know that goal setting is all about planning, making progress with that plan and reaching final goals or achievements. Once a child learns how to do this, they can use this tool for more success in school and at home.

Goal setting for kids will help your children to do well on their school tests and in activities such as sports, music programs or outside academic or arts programs - even at home, and with their personal finances. Teaching your child how to be a goal setter will give them a sense that they are capable of whatever they want to do. That’s valuable!

To learn more about Goal Setting for Kids, go to:
Go For Your Goals site here www.4lifehappykids.com

How to help your child be a goal setting child

Goal setting for children is basically the same as for adults, with a few caveats. Because they are young, and not as emotionally or cognitively developed, goals should be smaller and more tangible. The idea with goal setting for kids is to get them started in the life-long frame of mind for thinking, planning and taking action to achieve results. The basic premises of goal setting remain the same. You can help your child learn to set goals by working through these steps with him:

Ask, “What do you want to achieve?” – Help your child describe in specific terms something he would like to do that will take some work/planning (getting an A on his next math test, earning money to purchase a certain kind of bicycle).

Ask, “How will you get there?” – Help him plan out the steps to take and the mini-goals to reach on his way to the ultimate goal.

Establish accountability – Have your child write down what he wants to achieve and what his plan for getting there is. He can read it each day to help him with personal accountability, and he can share it with you, or another trusted adult to help him stay motivated, inspired and on-track.

Achieve – Achievement is not only for the final outcome, but also for the small goals that are met along the way.

Review plan/goals/outcomes – Throughout the process and at the end as well, review with your child the plan and how it is going. Do adjustments need to be made? How does he feel about his progress and where it is leading? How was the goal setting experience for him?

If your child does not reach his ultimate goal, talk to him about what he learned on the way. He still has learned valuable lessons about planning and goal setting, and he’s probably learned about himself. Encourage him to not give up on dreams that are important to him, but that if one plan doesn’t work, he has to revise the plan and try again.

Teaching your child to be a goal-setting child is one of the best things you can do.

You will be giving him or her, a valuable gift that they will use for their entire lives, empowering them to achieve wonderful things in every area of life. Goal setting for kids is a skill that will be built on throughout an entire lifetime. For a fantastic resource about Goal Setting for kids, go to
Go For Your Goals site here www.4lifehappykids.com

This can be great fun, and can make a huge difference in their lives. Goal setting for kids books, worksheets and activities will all help you to introduce this idea to your children. It doesn't matter if you are a parent, teacher, grandparent or friend, if you can encourage the children in your life to start setting goals at an early age, you can have a profound affect on their lives.

But why would you bother with this goal setting activity with kids?

You're busy enough aren't you?

• In today's information age, people are bombarded with so many choices, decisions and options. It's very easy to get sidetracked or to just "go with the flow."? Learning how to set goals at an early age will give your child the tools needed to live a purposeful life. They will be able to make decisions that get them where they want to go instead of just reacting to whatever is in front of them at that moment.
• Most highly successful people are avid goal-setters. Pick up any best-selling book from personal growth gurus and there will be a section dedicated to goal setting. These coaches don't consider goal setting an option; to them it's mandatory if you want to live an amazing life.
• When you take the time to sit down and totally focus on your child, you KNOW how much they love that. This is about more than just Goal Setting, it is about saying how much you love them, and that you care enough about them and their future, that you are prepared to spend time working on it with them. You KNOW what an impact that will have with them. They will love Goal Setting, and feel so proud when they have written their first goal.
• Setting goals can lead to profound feelings of happiness, purpose, confidence and self-worth. Imagine your child being confident because they know that they have the ability to achieve whatever they want to achieve. Imagine how exciting the world would be to them!

Winsome Coutts holds a teacher’s certificate in education and has written hundreds of articles on self-development. She has studied with Bob Proctor and John Demartini, popular teachers featured on “The Secret” DVD. She is the passion behind the www.4lifehappykids.com and is a parent and grandparent.

Winsome is author of “Go for Your Goals” for kids – a set of downloadable e-books that guide your child through the joyful steps of learning visualization, goal-setting and the Law of Attraction. Simple language enhanced with beautiful illustrations and worksheets make these books appealing and motivating. To learn more, visit www.4lifehappykids.com