How to build more confidence in kids : Develop Self-Esteem

Self-esteem or feelings of self-worth are linked to success in life, and play an important role in the development of children’s social, physical and academic abilities. Research shows that low self-esteem is associated with increased risk for loneliness, resentment, irritability, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

As a parent, you, more than anyone else, can play an important role in promoting your children’s self-esteem and helping them feel better about themselves. As a parent, you are in THE prime position to mirror back to kids how they should see themselves. You do this through your messages, your expectations and how you treat your child.

Self-esteem is a term used in psychology to reflect a person’s overall evaluation of his or her own worth. If you have good self-esteem, it means that you like yourself and believe that you are as good as everyone else. If you have poor self-esteem, it means that you believe that you are inferior to others.

Confidence is more about risk-taking and trying new activities. Confident kids are more likely to make the most of their potential as they’ll extend themselves both socially and learningwise. Fears and anxieties, while present, don’t stop them from trying new activities.

 Here are 10 ways to build confidence in your kids so they can take their place in the world:

• Model confident mindsets: Kids pick up your thinking as well as your language so teach kids how to approach tricky or new situations confidently by doing so yourself. That means, don’t put yourself down if you make a mistake.
• Encourage kids to look on the bright side: Optimism is catching and helps kids overcome their fears. Help kids set their antennae to look for the good, something positive or a learning in any situation.
• Help them understand self-talk: That little voice inside their heads can talk them up or talk them down. Kids who are low on confidence use a great deal of negative self-talk. Get kids to listen to their self-talk and help them work out alternative messages that help them rather than hold them back.
• Recognise effort & improvement: Low risk-takers and perfectionists appreciate parents who focus more on the processes of what they do, rather than results. Effort, improvement and enjoyment are examples of processes that you can comment on.
• Focus on strength and assets: Fault-finding can become an obsession for some parents, particularly fathers. Step back and look at supposed faults through a different lens (i.e. stubbornness can be rebadged as determination, which is handy in many contexts). Let your kids know what their strengths are so they know what they are good at!
• Accept errors as part of learning: Don’t over react when kids don’t get the perfect score or make mistakes. Errors are part of learning, ask any golfer.
• Give them real responsibility at home: Giving responsibility is a demonstration of faith. It fosters self-belief and also provides growth opportunities for kids. Confidence and responsibility go hand in hand.
• Develop self-help skills from an early age: Confidence is linked to competence. You can praise a child until the cows come home, but unless he or she can do something they won’t feel confident. Basic self-help skills are inextricably linked to selfesteem.
• Spend regular time teaching & training: Parents are children’s first teachers. They educate them in everything from how to do up their shoelaces as pre-schoolers to how to fill out a tax form as late adolescents. Look for teachable moments where you can help your kids. They are everywhere!
• Build scaffolds to success and independence: Look for ways to make it easy for your child to be successful. That may mean that you break down complex activities into bitesized chunks so they can experience success or even cope with stressful situations so they can overcome their fears.

Children with good self-esteem have a sense of security, assume responsibility, act independently, take personal pride in accomplishments, tolerate frustration, accept mistakes and failure, have a sense of self-discipline and self-control, handle peer pressure appropriately, attempt new tasks and challenges, handle positive and negative feelings, and offer assistance to others.

While it is normal to have ups and downs in life, and children’s sense of self-esteem can vary from one situation to the next, constant poor or low self-esteem can be a symptom of a mental health disorder or emotional disturbance requiring medical attention.

A Note on Chlamydia

Chlamydia (kle mí dee ah) is the most widespread bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Like other STDs, chlamydia is more common in some communities than in others.

Chlamydia is a common STD that can infect both men and women. It can cause serious, permanent damage to a woman's reproductive system, making it difficult or impossible for her to get pregnant later on. Chlamydia can also cause a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy that occurs outside the womb).

Once chlamydia is diagnosed, it is easy to treat and cure. But often, people who have chlamydia have no symptoms, so they don’t know they have it. Left untreated, this disease can increase your risk for HIV infection, make you infertile, or harm your pregnancy. 

How is chlamydia spread?

You can get chlamydia by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has chlamydia.
If your sex partner is male you can still get chlamydia even if he does not ejaculate (cum).

If you’ve had chlamydia and were treated in the past, you can still get infected again if you have unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia.

If you are pregnant, you can give chlamydia to your baby during childbirth.

For women who do have symptoms, these may include painful inflammation of the cervix or an unusual vaginal discharge. For men, chlamydia may cause painful urination.

If you are a woman, you are at increased risk for chlamydia if you have other risk factors for STDs or you are 25 or younger.

If you are at increased risk, you should be tested regularly even if you have no symptoms.

If you are a man, you may want to be tested, too. Since you can have chlamydia without knowing it, you may pass it to your sex partner without knowing.

If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, you should encourage your partner to see his or her doctor for testing, too.

Can chlamydia be cured?

Yes, chlamydia can be cured with the right treatment. It is important that you take all of the medication your doctor prescribes to cure your infection. When taken properly it will stop the infection and could decrease your chances of having complications later on. Medication for chlamydia should not be shared with anyone.

Repeat infection with chlamydia is common. You should be tested again about three months after you are treated, even if your sex partner(s) was treated.

You should not have sex again until you and your sex partner(s) have completed treatment. If your doctor prescribes a single dose of medication, you should wait seven days after taking the medicine before having sex. If your doctor prescribes a medicine for you to take for seven days, you should wait until you have taken all of the doses before having sex.

 

Making Smart Choices About Sexual and Reproductive Health

This article offers information about sexually transmitted diseases and birth control. There are also tips for women about getting enough folic acid during pregnancy and what to expect from menopause.

Sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia, HIV infection, herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, and hepatitis B, are passed easily from one person to another during sex.
Sexually transmitted diseases may cause serious health problems. For example, HIV causes AIDS. Hepatitis B can cause liver damage, including liver cancer. Many STDs can harm a pregnancy and the health of the baby. Some, such as chlamydia, can lead to infertility.

If you have sex, you may be at risk for a sexually transmitted disease. Your risk is increased if:

• You or your partner has or had other sexual partners.
• You do not always use condoms consistently and correctly.
• Your partner has a sexually transmitted disease.
• You use injection drugs.
• You exchange sex for money or drugs.
• You live in an area where a particular sexually transmitted disease is common.
• You are a man and have sex with other men.

If you are at increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases, talk to your doctor about whether you should be tested. This is especially important because some diseases, such as chlamydia, may have no symptoms. Serious health problems may develop before you realize you have a disease.
You can greatly lower your risk for sexually transmitted diseases by using a male latex condom every time you have sex. If you are allergic to latex, use a polyurethane (soft plastic) or synthetic condom.

If you have sex and are not ready to have a child, you and your partner may want to use some form of birth control. Many birth control methods are available for men and women. Each has advantages and disadvantages.
The condom is the only birth control method that protects against most STDs, including HIV/AIDS. Use a latex condom. If you are allergic to latex, use a polyurethane (soft plastic) or synthetic condom.
Whichever birth control method you choose, remember that, for it to work, you must use it all the time and use it correctly.

Staying Healthy - How To Take Charge of Your Health

You may ask yourself,“How do I begin to improve my health habits?” A good way to start is to set small goals instead of large ones that you won’t be able to meet. For example, instead of setting a goal of losing 15 pounds in the next year, set some smaller goals for eating better and being more active. You may decide to trade your morning donut for a bowl of cereal or start taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work.

For people who are at high risk for heart disease,taking aspirin every day or every other day can help reduce that risk.
For most people, taking aspirin is safe. But for some, aspirin increases the chance of bleeding in the stomach or intestines. And there is a small chance that aspirin will increase your risk for some kinds of stroke.
Talk to your doctor or nurse to find out if taking aspirin is right for you.

Being overweight increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Your doctor can tell you what you should weigh for your height.
To stay at a healthy weight, you need to balance the number of calories you eat with the number you burn off by your activities. You can get to your healthy weight and stay there by doing two things: eating right and being physically active.

Eating the right foods and the right amounts can help you live a longer, healthier life. Many illnesses and conditions—such as heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes—can be prevented or controlled by eating right. A healthy diet also provides the vitamins and minerals you need.
It is never too late to start eating right. Here are some helpful tips.

Eat a variety of foods, including:

• Vegetables, especially dark-green leafy and deep-yellow vegetables, such as spinach or carrots.
• Fruits, such as melons, berries, and citrus fruits, or juices, such as orange or grapefruit.
• Meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and dried beans (for example, navy, kidney, or black), especially products low in fat, such as lean meat and poultry prepared without skin.
• Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, especially low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
• Grains, especially whole grains, and legumes, such as lima beans or green peas.

Limit calories and saturated fat.
Foods high in saturated fats are high in calories, so they can cause weight gain. They also increase your cholesterol levels. Try to limit:

• High-fat dairy products such as ice cream, butter, cheese, cream, and whole milk.
• Meats high in fat.
• Palm and coconut oils and lard.

Unsaturated fats do not raise cholesterol levels. Foods with unsaturated fat include vegetable oils, fish, avocados, and many nuts.

Physical activity can help prevent heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis (thinning bones), and mental health problems such as depression. Physical activity helps you feel better overall.

All kinds of physical activity will help you stay healthy, whether it is moderate or vigorous. It’s a good idea to aim for at least moderate activity— such as brisk walking, raking leaves, house cleaning, or playing with children—for 20 to 30 minutes most days of the week. Generally, the more active you are, the healthier you will become.

If you have not been active, start slowly.
Choose something that fits into your daily life.
Choose an activity you like, or try a new one.
Activities such as dancing, swimming, or biking canbe fun.

Ask a friend to exercise with you, or join a group.
Make time in your day for physical activity.
If the weather is bad, try an exercise show on TV,watch an exercise tape, walk in the mall, or workaround the house.

Always be sure you know everything about a medicine before you take it. This information will help you get the full benefits from your medicine. It will also help you avoid taking too much or too little of a medicine. Taking medicine in the wrong way can make you worse instead of better.

How to feel comfortable talking with your doctors and nurses.

Ask questions. If you don’t understand what your doctors or nurses say, ask them to explain. Always
ask about any medicines or tests they say you need. If you don’t ask, they may think you have all the
information you want.

Let your doctors and nurses know if you need more time to ask questions about your health. If the doctor doesn’t have time that day, you may be able to talk to another doctor or nurse, schedule another appointment, or find out when you can call later to speak to someone.

Some doctors and health plans have call-in lines. If you call, you can speak to an advice nurse.

Tell your health history. Tell your doctors and nurses about your health history. For example, tell them about any major diseases or operations you have had. Be sure to mention family history of diseasesand conditions. For example, if high blood pressure runs in your family, let your doctor know.

Tell your health now. Only you know how you feel and whether you feel differently than you did before. Tell your doctors and nurses. Also tell them what medicines you take. Don’t hesitate to report personal information. Feel free to talk about yourbeliefs and concerns. You don’t need to wait to be asked.

Be sure to tell your doctors and nurses if you have any allergies or reactions to medicines.

Basic Techniques for creating color schemes

The color wheel or color circle is the basic tool for combining colors. The first circular color diagram was designed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666. The color wheel is designed so that virtually any colors you pick from it will look good together. Over the years, many variations of the basic design have been made, but the most common version is a wheel of 12 colors based on the RYB (or artistic) color model. Traditionally, there are a number of color combinations that are considered especially pleasing. These are called color harmonies or color chords and they consist of two or more colors with a fixed relation in the color wheel.

Below are shown the basic color chords based on the color wheel.

Complementary color scheme

Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel are considered to be complementary colors (example: red and green).

Analogous color scheme

This color schemes use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. They usually match well and create serene and comfortable designs.

Triadic color scheme

It uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel.

Split-Complementary color scheme

It is a variation of the complementary color scheme. In addition to the base color, it uses the two colors adjacent to its complement.

Rectangle (tetradic) color scheme

This color scheme uses four colors arranged into two complementary pairs. This rich color scheme offers plenty of possibilities for variation.

Square color scheme

It is similar to the rectangle, but with all four colors spaced evenly around the color circle.

Mixing Colors

Natural light contains all the colors of the stectrum. By breaking light down into its component parts, or spectral colors, it is possible to combine and mix the individual colors to form new ones. Additive color is the process of mixing colored light. The most common application of this can be found in theater lighting. For example, a red light overlapping a green light produces a yellow light. Colored pigments, however, behave very differently than colored light when combined or mixed. The primary colors of light are red, green, and blue; the primary colors of pigments are red, yellow, and blue. When all three primary colors of light are combined, they form white light, and, when two colors of light are added together they always produce a color of lighter value.
The principles of additive color are most critical in theater or other dramatic lighting. For the purposes of interior color design, it is important to understand the effect of artificial lighting on the perception of color. For example, incandescent light brings out the warm colors of an interior while fluorescent light emphasizes the cool colors.
Subtractive color is the result of mixing pigments, dyes, or other colorants. The apparent color of a surface is based on what part of the visible spectrum of light is absorbed versus what portion is reflected back to the viewer. Since the main concern is the color of interior finishes, an d not lighting, the focus will be on substractive color, rather then additive color.
The primary subtractive color are red, yellow, and blue. These are called primary colors because all other colors are derived from some combination of these three. When all three primary colors are combined in equal amounts the resulting color is a deep, blackish brown. Note that the primary colors are spaced exactly equidistant from one another on the color wheel. Midway between each primary color is what is called a secondary color.
When two adjacent primary colors are mixed together they form the secondary color found between them on the color wheel. For example, yellow and blue paint mixed together makes green. The other secondary colors are orange and purple. When adjacent primary and secondary colors are mixed, they form tertiary colors. Between each of the six primary and secondary colors are the tertiary colors i.e. red-orange, orange-yellow, yellow-green, green-blue, blue-purple, and purple-red.
When a very consistent, fine pattern of two distinct colors is viewed from a slight distance, the eye tends to mix the colors optically and derive a third color. This is called partitive color.
A commonly used example of partitive color is the post impressionist painting technique of pointillism, where small dots or points of different colors are placed on the canvas to create an extremely rich, vibrant color. In architectural color, the greatest richness and depth is achieved with partitive color mixing, such as in glazing or in the stippling techniques of decorative painting. The subtle, multicolor effects of stone or wood are examples of partitive color used in natural materials. When granite is viewed very closely, numerous shades of gray are apparent, yet when viewed from a distance, all the little specks of color blend to form a complex, rich gray which would be unachievable with a uniformly colored surface.