What Activities Encourage Grit in Children?

This is a topic we invariably come back to time and again – grit. I’m not going to talk about why it’s important because I think we can all agree that having a bit of grit is always beneficial. The question on the minds of most parents is probably this: how do we encourage grit

Lighting the Fire the Drives Motivation in Children

There is a scene in the movie Battleship that comes to mind whenever I think about motivation: Admiral Shane: [Reprimands Alex Hopper] What is wrong with you? You’ve got skills, but I have never, EVER seen a man waste them like you. Keep the ship out of the surf and spray… Alex Hopper: [interrupts Admiral Shane] …

Developing a Growth Mindset: Permission to Fail

I remember the first time my SIL told me about the Growth Mindset. She had read that telling kids they were smart could ruin them. I also remember the skeptical look I gave her. It was such a radical thought that I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. Until I dug a little deeper… The

Competition – Why Kids Need to Play to Win

The performance-enhancing effects of competition and teams do not apply only at elite levels such as the Olympics or in physical match-ups. Competitions held in classrooms and lunch rooms across the country also push kids to do better. – KQED Some time back, I was at a children’s party. The adults were milling around half

How to Instill a Love for Reading in Your Child

On Tuesday, I was invited to speak at the Popular Bookfest 2017 at the KLCC Convention Center with Michelled Lim-Chua, author of The Mindful Mom, on the topic: How to Instill a Love for Reading in Your Child These are some of the highlights from our discussion. Why Reading? “A nation that does not read much

Blue Whales and 13 Reasons for Teenage Suicides

We had a parent workshop at school recently about the TV series 13 Reasons Why based on the book by the same name, written by Jay Asher. Although I had heard of the series, I had no idea what it was about. It came onto the school radar when teachers discovered that kids were watching the

The Power of Adversity in Developing Grit

Gattaca is a movie that has inspired me since the day I first watched it. It is a movie about achieving your dreams even when nobody else believes you can – or should – achieve those dreams. If you’ve never seen it, you can read the plot summary below and click the link to the

Preventing Cyberbullying “Right from the Start”

Bullying, in particular, cyberbullying, has become the new nightmare of many a parent living in the digital age. What is it and what can we do about it? Developing Media Literacy When we talk about the development of media literacy, there is one particularly important aspect that we must not forget – the education of

Mental Toughness and Resilience

Mental toughness and resilience are two qualities that are often on my mind when I think of the kind of attributes I would like my children to develop. So when personal life coach, Clive Leach, came to GIS to talk about Mental Toughness, I knew I couldn’t miss this one… Mental Toughness – What is it? Do

Adversity – Why Children Need It

Adversity is the mother of progress. – Mahatma Gandhi There is a breed of parents called the “snowplow” parents who are said to be different from the helicopter parent. Where helicopter parents are known to hover over their children, snowplow parents are better known for attempting to smooth the road for their children. Helicopter parents hover and micro-manage out of fear. They observe every