Tag Archives: learning

Feb2

Body Positivity: Why Kids Should Learn It In School

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Body Positivity: Why Kids Should Learn It In School

In school, the overweight kid is often bullied and outcast. Their torment may last until high school ends, but the impact can endure for a lifetime. To many, bullying or being bullied may seem like a phase. But in reality, it’s more serious than that. Bullying can cause lasting trauma that time alone cannot heal.

Sadly, society normalizes heavier kids being bullied. Even the media romanticizes it. Movies and books with the overweight protagonist being bullied and losing weight in revenge are far too common. As a result, kids who struggle with weight believe that they’d never be good enough until they become skinny.

Only one thing can change this: teaching body positivity in school. Body positivity is the assertion that all people deserve to have a positive body image. Whatever their weight, height, shape, or size is, every person should feel beautiful. Likewise, persons with disabilities or deformities should also be body positive.

Thankfully, some institutions really do prize fairness, teaching equality and empathy, and being able to put yourself in the shoes of others. You need only see the Alpine Academy reviews to see how that’s the case. Teaching kids to be body positive can change an entire society or culture. Overweight or underweight kids won’t be mocked anymore and trauma can be avoided, allowing kids to thrive and be kind to others when they grow up.

Body Positivity Cures “Fatphobia”:

Fatphobia is the pop culture term for the stigma of obesity. It’s fear or hatred toward overweight or obese people. People can have it without realizing it because society has ingrained into them that being overweight is undesirable or shameful.

Fatphobia manifests itself in different ways. It can appear as though coming from a good place. For example, if you constantly remind overweight people that they’re at risk of serious diseases, that’s fatphobic. It appears as an unsolicited suggestion to lose weight.

Praising someone’s looks but commenting badly about their body is a fatphobic habit, too. Telling someone that they’re pretty but they’d look so much better if they lost weight helps no one. It implies that only skinny people can be attractive and extra pounds are automatically undesirable. This harms many children, overweight or not. Children who aren’t innately skinny will always believe that they’re unattractive, while skinny kids can develop a superiority complex.

While obesity in kids should be addressed, it should be focused on their health alone, not their looks. Schools or parents can provide healthier lunch meals for the kids without saying that it’s for weight loss. All children should feel safe gaining or losing weight, not coerced.

It Prevents Body Dysmorphia:

Poor body image can lead to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). It’s a mental health condition that causes “imagined ugliness”. A person with BDD always finds something “wrong” with their bodies and claims that they need it fixed.

In kids, BDD can cause anxiety in going to school. They feel ashamed at being seen or are scared that their flaws will show, and their classmates would laugh at it. If they do come to school, they may cover up their bodies even if it’s the middle of summer. They constantly worry about their bodies, even if you reassure them that nothing is wrong.

BDD can stem from toxic societal and cultural norms about body types. Continuously teasing or shaming overweight people can cause anxiety among children. This anxiety will create a fear of being overweight because they would be bullied.

With body positivity classes, boys and girls will learn to accept their bodies for how it is. Young boys will learn that they don’t need bulky muscles to look desirable. Young girls will realize that they don’t need to be a certain shape to be beautiful. Underweight kids will benefit from it, too. They would no longer be told that they look “anorexic” or should eat more to look prettier or more handsome.

It Removes the Stigma Toward Cosmetic Enhancements:

Body positivity can help remove the stigma toward people who get cosmetic enhancements done. After all, the core of body positivity is for everyone to have a positive body image. Therefore, those who get liposuction, non-invasive weight loss procedures, lip fillers, etc., should also feel accepted and safe in their environment.

Kids shouldn’t be taught that enhancing or changing their looks is sinful. Instead, they should be taught that they are in charge of their own bodies. As such, they can choose what to do with it. They can get tattoos, piercings, cosmetic surgery, or bold hair colors as long as it makes them feel confident. This also includes hormone replacement therapy too.

If we raise children who consider all body shapes and sizes to be beautiful, it will help improve their quality of life from the jump. Tolerance and understanding are important skills that kids are never too young to learn.

Jan9

Five Ways To Progress In Your Career 

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Five Ways To Progress In Your Career 

It’s critical to continuously be looking for methods to grow professionally in order to be competitive in today’s employment market and achieve your career goals. Those that invest in their personal and professional growth generally reap the rewards of additional chances for advancement, higher wages, and greater overall job satisfaction.

Here are a few actions that can lead to new experiences and career development:

  • Taking the lead during a sales pitch
  • Pursuing a position in order to obtain information, skills, or experience
  • Using your organization’s time or resources to assist a charity
  • Attending professional training classes to gain new skill sets and qualifications
  • Managing a huge project, which requires more employees or a larger budget

Here are some steps to help you advance in your career:

Establish Clear Expectations For Yourself:

You may build practical steps to assist you to reach your goals by setting detailed, quantifiable targets. Being able to track your progress can also help you stay motivated in the long run. The following are some examples of professional development objectives:

  • Getting a college diploma
  • Obtaining accreditation in the industry
  • Become a member of a professional organization
  • Furthering your education, for example, continuing education for nurses
  • Getting acquainted with new technology
  • Increasing responsibility and tasks

Make A Step-By-Step Plan To Achieve Your Goal:

Break down your goal into a step-by-step action plan once you’ve set it. A career plan can help you achieve your objective by guiding you through a series of planned steps. Be sure to set a plausible time frame for each step to help keep yourself on track.

Be On The Lookout For Fresh Opportunities:

While education is essential for professional development, experience and chances can be equally transforming. Look for opportunities to attend conferences and classes, but also keep an eye out for projects that will stretch you and help you improve your skills. You will discover more about your potential by taking on additional duties.

Talk To A Supervisor About Your Career Objectives:

It’s critical to communicate your career goals to your boss. After all, it’s part of their duty to help you grow into a useful asset within the firm. They will begin to trust you with more duties if they see that you are eager to take on new challenges. Your supervisors can also help you find out about various training opportunities. Ask a coworker in your business if they know of any opportunities to increase your abilities or expertise if you don’t have supervision or work independently.

Keep A Record Of Your Accomplishments:

Though it’s exhilarating to progress, there may be moments when you are frustrated or doubtful. That’s why it’s crucial to keep track of your achievements and evaluate your development regularly. This also ensures that you stick to your goal and helps you to adjust your efforts if development becomes sluggish.

Remember that good things in your career take time and hard work. Use the tips above to help you continue to progress!

Featured Image By: Christin Hume on Unsplash

Jan7

Help Your Child Improve Their Mental Health And Learning Skills

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Help Your Child Improve Their Mental Health And Learning Skills

Some school age children are very interested in schoolwork, and they’re constantly striving to be the best. While other school age children might not like schoolwork at all, and it comes as a huge challenge for them. What’s going on here?

The reason for this is that school age children have different feelings about schoolwork. Some of these include: how much time is spent learning, what type of information is being given, their level of self-confidence, and whether they feel comfortable in the environment they’re learning in. Here are some ways to help your child improve if they are struggling with their school work:

Children Learn in Different Ways:

It’s important to understand that children learn differently and at different speeds. Not every child’s brain works the same or learns best in the same way. You may have heard of the ‘right-brained’ and ‘left-brained’ people out there – everyone uses both sides of the brain to an extent, but often one side is dominant over the other.

It is common for people to favor either the left side (logical, analytical) or the right side (creative, imaginative) because of school, family, or cultural influences. Do you know what this means for your child when they are learning? If they’re right-brained, they probably respond better to visual information. They might be more interested in books than in flashcards. If your child is left-brained, they may be better with auditory information.

Enrolling your child in a school with a British curriculum may help them do schoolwork, especially if their teachers are more hands-on. But helping your child to learn in the ways that they need to is still important, so here are some methods on how you can do that:

Method #1 Play “Catch-up”:

If you know that your child is playing catch up with their learning, it’s important to give them the time to focus on what they are doing. This will allow them to succeed, and you mustn’t distract them too much.

It’s possible that their schoolwork isn’t meeting the same standards as others in their age group due to a lack of self-confidence, which is understandable. If they are not confident enough to approach schoolwork with confidence, how can you expect them to do a good job?

That’s why you should spend more time watching the subtle differences in your child’s behavior and mannerisms to see if they’re showing a lack of interest in school or they seem less confident than normal. Sometimes there are underlying causes that have been affecting learning without being noticed.

Method #2 Make Time for Quiet:

School age children must have time and space to be quiet. This is a great way to think and get peaceful, creative ideas into their heads. If school age children don’t have enough time for this, then schoolwork will seem even more of a burden than it already does. During this time, you should make sure that they’re not exposed to screens and loud noises as they can be a distraction.

Method #3 Take Breaks from Schoolwork:

Taking the occasional break is a great way to keep school age children productive. If you let them have time away from schoolwork, they’ll return feeling refreshed and ready to go. Incorporate snack times or play a game together to give some much needed time off. A play break can always be beneficial when a lesson is becoming overwhelming so keep preferred toys handy. As a reward for a job well done, a shopping trip might be in order for something new. Stores like Totally Toys have a wide selection to choose from including plushies, dolls, and games so your kiddo is sure to find a new and exciting treasure. Perhaps they will even want their plushie to sit in on the next lesson!

Method #4 Create an Environment for Learning:

The environment where school-age children learn can affect how well they retain schoolwork. If they feel comfortable and happy in the environment that they are learning in, then schoolwork will be more enjoyable for them. There are many ways to create this type of atmosphere at home. Make the schoolwork space look special with posters on the wall or some tidy student desks. Be sure to have excellent lighting too.

When children are learning, it’s important to keep in mind that they have different preferences for how information is presented. If your child has been struggling with schoolwork lately, then look at these methods to help them learn better and more efficiently.

Dec11

Finding Success Without Compromising Your Mental Health  

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Finding Success Without Compromising Your Mental Health  

Looking after your body is an important part of life. You exercise to make sure that your muscles are strong and your body is fit while eating a healthy diet to give yourself everything you need. Of course, though, it can be all too easy to ignore a part of your body that doesn’t need physical care to be healthy; your mind. To help you to make sure that you’re looking after your mind as well as your body, this article will be exploring some of the best ways to keep your mental health in good shape:

Research & Learning:

Many people don’t know much about mental health. Until recently, this sort of issue was rarely discussed in settings like schools, and this means that you may need to do some research to learn more. Keeping yourself happy is a good goal to aim for, and different people will find different methods that work for them. This makes it well worth taking the time to explore things like meditation, mindfulness, and even different types of mental health issues so that you know what to look out for. It can be hard, but many people can work to improve their own mental health from home.

Improving your mental health is person specific meaning that what works for your friend might not necessarily work for you. That is okay! For example, your friend might benefit from journaling as opposed to talking to a counselor. Yourself, on the other hand, might love interacting and sharing with other people. If this is the case, you could look into free services offered by ShareWell. You will be able to access peer support groups and discussions on countless different topics. Knowing that you are not alone in your struggles can make a big difference in changing your mental health for the better.

Being Mindful & Aware:

It is all too common for people to ignore mental health issues. This is rarely deliberate, but it can be easy to think that everything is alright when you are actually struggling. Being mindful can take some practice, and most people need to work on this aspect of their life before they are successful. This will be well worth the time and effort it takes. Alongside being mindful, you should also be aware of the way that you feel and act. Big changes in the way you feel can be a sign that something is wrong, and it will be worth acting on this even if you believe you are alright.

Getting Support:

Anyone can find themselves struggling with mental health. There are loads of different issues you can face, from anxiety and depression to addiction and substance abuse, making it crucial that you know where to get support if you ever experience these issues. Going to a website like https://www.sunshinebehavioralhealth.com/texas/frisco/ can be a good place to start when you want to get mental health support. Support can come in many forms, from therapy to being given advice over the phone. Telehealth appointments are also a great option to utilize, especially if it’s hard for you to get to an in person session. Finding mental health support through online platforms can give you the help you need from the comfort of your own home.

A good therapist should be easy to find in your local area, but you can usually go to your doctor if you are struggling. Remember that your practitioner should be someone you feel comfortable and safe with. They should also be providing evidence-driven treatment to maximize your success.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the challenge of looking after your mind just as well as you look after your body. Many people struggle with this, finding it hard to know what to do to keep their mental health in good shape. Thankfully, though, there are tons of tools and resources that can help you with this.

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Nov22

3 Ideas To Get Your Kids Interested In Nature

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3 Ideas To Get Your Kids Interested In Nature

By now, you have no doubt heard of the great mental health benefits of getting outside. But, while you might love the outdoors, your kids may still be on the fence. After all, it’s always more comfortable to sit inside, especially when the temperatures plummet. This won’t do them any favors, though, so it is important to try and get them more interested in nature. If you’re not sure where to begin, here are three ideas to help:

Show Them How Fun It Can Be:

Many kids will associate being outdoors with walking and walking far. There’s some truth to this, but it’s not the walk that makes nature fun, it’s seeing everything along the way. However, when they’re young, kids may not notice or care about this. All they see is a lot of green and brown.

You can change this attitude by considering the different ways to make nature walks enjoyable for kids, such as scavenger hunts, identifying different plants, animals, or bugs, or playing I Spy along the way. If possible, look for a trail that has a play area at the end, as this will give them something to look forward to, as long as they aren’t too tired by the time you arrive.

Bring Nature Indoors:

If your kids don’t appreciate nature as much as you’d like them to, how about bringing nature indoors? This is especially useful if you live somewhere cold and wet, making it difficult to get outside too often.

The benefits of houseplants can make them more appreciative of nature, and as you add more to your collection, they might become even more interested. You might get to the point where they want to help water them, care for them, and give them enough sunlight so they can thrive. It can be tricky to see plants grow outside, but having them inside allows your kids to see the entire lifespan.

Encourage Their Education:

While there might not be much in the school curriculum, you can still speak with their teacher and ask what they are doing to encourage a love of the outdoors in their students.

Depending on what they say, there is a range of resources they can use, including succulent classroom decor by Miss Jacobs that could be a small but inspiring module for your kids and their classmates. As it covers science, it can easily apply to a lesson, even if it’s something done to make up some time once all other lessons are finished.

As much as some people do not enjoy being outside, it’s fair to say that the majority of people can always find something to love about it. Whether it’s the positivity they feel after a long hike or the stunning views that they wouldn’t get from sitting on the sofa, your kids could experience the same shift, and soon, you won’t be able to keep them indoors at all

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Oct31

Easy Tips For Improved Cooking Skills 

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Easy Tips For Improved Cooking Skills 

Knowing how to cook is a basic, fundamental skill that we all need to have. The pandemic has been tough on everyone, but many people have gone out of their way to get creative. Some have headed outside and created a garden packed with new flowers and veggies. Others have turned their hand to DIY and revamped their entire houses.

Then, there are those who turned to cooking. With the pandemic ending and lock downs lifting, people are choosing to Google ‘bakery course near me’ to improve their cooking skills that they learned while they were unable to go out and see people. Cooking is an amazing skill to have – it’s science and a little bit of magic all rolled together. Learning to bake a beautiful loaf of bread or cook the perfect roast chicken dinner? It’s all part of the fun.

If you want to improve your cooking skills, you can, and we’ve got some tips for you below to continue building your skill set:

Shop Well:

You can’t cook delicious meals without delicious ingredients, right? Ingredients that are fresh and vibrant in taste and color can help you to make transformative foods. Even the most basic dishes can become five star meals when you choose the right ingredients, and that’s the best place to start.

Get Equipped:

Can you cook the perfect fried egg if your pans are scratched to pieces? Of course not. If you want to make cooking a hobby of yours, then you need to equip yourself with the right tools. The right pans, the best knives, new kitchen scales, and the right cutlery can ensure that your cooking becomes something better than you ever thought it could be. The best quality equipment will help you to bring those recipes out properly.

Prepare Beforehand:

Be prepared. You need to get yourself set up by weighing and measuring all of your ingredients before you even get started. Warm up the oven early, and get into the habit of preparing your ingredients before you do anything else. This will make the whole process easier on you when you want to improve the current skills you have.

And, remember, part of the prep work before making anything involves reading the recipe thoroughly! When you are just beginning to take cooking more seriously inspect the recipe carefully no matter how easy it might seem. From pasta sauce to a diet-friendly edibles recipe, you don’t want to realize you don’t have some necessary ingredients halfway through the process!

Have A Tasting Spoon:

When you cook, you need to taste. You’ll see the best chefs tasting as they go and they do this for a good reason. Tasting will help you to tell whether you have seasoned enough and it can help you to avoid plating up a dish that really doesn’t taste great. Of course, you need to keep this spoon separate from the rest of the cooking utensils you use!

Use the tips above to make the next meal you prepare even better. Happy cooking!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Oct21

One Year Duolingo Streak!

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One Year Duolingo Streak!

Hi! This has been a year of very exciting milestones for yours truly. I recently achieved a 1,000 day streak of writing in a row on lifewithlilred and, today, I have reached one full year of daily practice on Duolingo! Every day, I have been working on my French, Spanish, Italian, Czech, and German and I am amazed at the progress that I have made in all of them. If you can’t tell, I am a woman who thrives with a routine and it is so exciting to see my hard work continue to pay off.

Because I have six years of experience of being taught French in high school and college, it will always be my best language in terms of speaking, reading, and comprehension. Unfortunately, I’m not really sure how speaking my other four languages would go because I haven’t had the opportunity to interact with anyone who speaks them – especially in COVID times because Johnny and I haven’t been able to travel for our honeymoon like we wanted.

That’s not to say that I haven’t noticed big improvements, though. I am always tickled when Johnny and I are watching a TV show or movie and one of my five languages is being spoken. More often than not, I can get the basic gist of what is being said and it makes me feel very proud of myself. Now, the next challenge will be figuring out which language to start learning next!

For the longest time, I have answered the “What would your super power be?” question with being fluent in every language. It has been a time consuming task to achieve this without being bitten by a radioactive spider but learning on Duolingo every day brings me one step closer to that dream. 🙂

Which language should I learn next? Which languages can you speak? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun10

Handy Skills In Life We Really Oughta Know!

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Handy Skills In Life We Really Oughta Know!

There are a lot of skills in life our parents had in spades, but we don’t have in the slightest! There are many essential skills that every human should have because these days there is a higher likelihood of emergencies in the home and outside than our parents ever had to contend with! So, here are a few things that everybody should know:

How to Turn Off the Water:

A burst pipe in your property is one of the worst things that can happen. You may be living in a rental or your own home, but would you know what to do if there was flooding? The first thing to do is to turn off the water at the mains!

Change a Tire:

If you are in the middle of nowhere and get a flat while on a trip, you need to learn how to change a tire. Changing a tire is not difficult, and can only take a couple of minutes. It’s also worth knowing how to jump-start a car.

Know How to Manage Your Personal Finances:

Financial management is something that a lot of people lack, but learning how to create a budget, saving money, and learning to invest in the right things in life will reap dividends in the long run. So many people are in debt these days, and learning how to manage your finances properly can make a significant difference to your quality of life.

Know How to Read a Map:

These days, we rely so much on Google Maps that if we were without our phones, we would be lost, literally and figuratively! If you ever find yourself lost and your GPS fails on you, do you know how to find the north star and which way is east or west?

Know the Basics of Repairing a Car:

This can save us a lot of money over time! Learning how to fix the basics in our car and keeping it maintained by topping up the oil and the water can make our car go much longer before it needs to head to the repair shop.

Know How to Sew:

Skills like sewing a button onto a coat is going to be a lifesaver, especially as it’s something that happens all too regularly. The basic sewing skills are easy enough to pick up but there are plenty of other benefits to sewing, such as teaching focus and building your confidence.

Knowing How to Be in Your Own Company:

We all rely on the internet and social media to be our friends, but if we took the opportunity to learn to thrive in our own company we would learn so much about ourselves. We shouldn’t rely on others to entertain ourselves. When we start to look after ourselves we display signs of resilience.

While you may be able to look after your health well enough how many of these do you really know how to do? No better time than the present to learn!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Apr19

175 Day Duolingo Streak!

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175 Day Duolingo Streak!

Hello! The last time I gave an update on my Duolingo progress, I had just achieved a one hundred day streak and I finally received my badge for adding seventy-five more days to it. I am so pleased with my progress and am proud of myself for continuing to practice five different languages every day for close to half a year. I am leaving previous goals in the dust and I feel like my skills in French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Czech are improving tenfold.

Thanks to Johnny gifting me Duolingo Plus for Christmas, practicing every day has become an exciting thing rather than an inconvenience because Plus gives you unlimited life. This is so handy on especially tough lessons and I don’t think I would have made it to a one hundred seventy-five day streak without it. I will most definitely be renewing my Plus subscription at the end of the year and highly recommend it.

Other than writing, learning languages is my favorite hobby and I feel good about committing myself even more to it. Similarly to how I feel after I finish a blog post for the day, I feel accomplished every time I complete my language lessons and it has really helped me shake away the pandemic boredom blahs. It’s hard to feel like there is “nothing” to do when I can go on Duolingo and learn brand new words and phrases in multiple different languages!

While I am over the moon with my one seventy-five day streak, I am nowhere close to being done yet because I will not be satisfied until I have a full year’s worth of days on my streak counter. I am almost halfway there and cannot wait to see the results of my hard work after one full year of practicing five languages. Great success!

Have you made progress on your pandemic hobbies? What is your favorite hobby? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar12

Projects To Work On As A Family

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Projects To Work On As A Family

A project that you work on as a family is a wonderful bonding experience that encourages team work and improving communication skills. Projects can bring siblings closer together and help teach new things to your children. In this post, we are going to look at a few projects both big and small that will create lasting memories with your loved ones. Let’s get started:

Make Something Grow:

Now is the perfect time to start thinking about a family gardening project. It will get you out into the sunshine after a long winter indoors and you will get to enjoy the fruits (and veggies!) of your labor all spring and summer long. If you can’t all agree on what should get planted or not, each family member could be assigned with their own plot of the garden to grow what they would like.

Build A Home:

One of the ultimate family projects would have to be building a home. It is not only an exciting project but will be a great exercise in learning how to compromise when planning out each room because everyone is going to have an opinion. Have family meetings to determine the “must haves” and “nice to haves”. You can also look for inspiration together. Browse on Pinterest, binge watch HGTV, or even enter a search for “home builder in cincinnati” (or your local area) to see completed projects. You never know where you will find exactly what you are looking for!

When you have a solid idea of what you want your build to turn out like as well as your budget, consult with Toronto home builders or the experts in your area to turn your dream home into a reality.

Plan A Trip:

When it’s safer to travel again, a vacation or weekend getaway will be like the light at the end of the tunnel of this pandemic for your family. Once you agree on a location, things like restaurants and activities will have to be determined. Have each of your family members plan their ideal vacation day and do your best to make it happen. With ample time to plan, you can book your airport transportation in advance as well as find the best restaurants, activities, and local hot spots to make it the best trip ever.

Art Projects:

You don’t have to be good at art to have fun doing it and a family paint or craft night will help get you in touch with your creative sides. Paint along with Bob Ross or look for inspiration for canvas art on Pinterest. Or, maybe you could all learn a skill together like macrame, woodworking, or pottery. Creating some artwork as a family could even turn into a home decorating project next!

Learn A New Language:

Learning a different language is so beneficial and it’s a cool project to work on as a family because you will always have someone to practice with. Sign up for some classes at the library or your local community center. You can also practice on Duolingo together. Foreign film movie nights and trying to cook some of the food that is traditional to the language you are learning is a must too.

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet and the ideas above will give you something exciting and meaningful to do together as a family. Have fun!