By C. J. Carter

Eight year olds driving? Fast?

Seriously, they do. At more than 100 drag strips around the country, kids from 8 to17 drag race. They do it in little half-scale dragsters that sit low to the ground, look like something from outer space and most often are painted with outrageous designs. More than 5,000 kids participate every year.

If you are like many people, when you think drag racing, you think about the movie "Grease" or about dangerous illegal street racing. Legal - and much safer - drag racing occurs at officially sanctioned drag strips where safety measures are paramount - which is not to say that drag racing is completely safe. lt's not. But legal drag racing leaves illegal street racing in the dust as far as safety goes.

Legal junior drag racing has a near perfect safety record. Rollovers do happen, and kids do get hurt, but not often, and sanctioning bodies require strict compliance to both manufacturing specifications for the race cars as well as to rules of racing.

Why would any parent consider letting their child get behind the wheel of a car and drive an eighth of a mile at speeds up to 85 mph? Well, says one former professional drag racer, "Kids are attracted to becoming mobile. There is a transition from tricycles and Hot Wheels to bicycles, first with training wheels and the big day when the training wheels come off. Most of us can remember wanting to be the fastest kid on the block. The notion of speed and winning comes early. By the time kids are around 7 years old, an interest in cars has begun. To think a kid could actually drive a fast car in competition would have to appeal to many children. When the drag racing sanctioning bodies introduced the category Junior Dragster, the door became wide open for kids to become interested in drag racing."

Though there has been no formal study, experts say there is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence that kids who have drag raced legally are better, safer drivers when they get their driver's licenses. They seem to have more respect for what can happen, observers say. And, many junior racers say that they feel safer on the track than on the road because when they are racing they are on the track with one other car, and, generally, they know where that other car is. On the road, there are many more variables.

One professional drag racer knows the perils of driving all too well. His two sons were killed in an automobile accident. As a result, he started an organization that teaches safe driving techniques to teenagers. Three thousand teens (and their parents) have gone through the school since 2008.

They learn about anti-lock brakes. There is a distraction course, a lane-change exercise, a wheel drop off exercise to teach the teens how to right their car if a tire drops off the shoulder of the road.

As for safety on the drag strip, this professional racer recommends the following for junior racers:

• When you're first starting, get another junior racer or a parent to come over and look at the car. They might notice, "Hey, the steering doesn't look that good or that tire doesn't look good."

• Before you race, be familiar with the car. "Sit in the car and visualize what you're going to be doing. OK, you're going to start the engine. You're going to roll through this water and spin the tires to clean them off a bit. Then you're going to stage the car and get used to how the brakes feel, how the throttle pedal feels. Visualize going down the track and what it will feel like. What are you going to do when you get to the end of the track? How do you get back to the pit area?"

Besides learning to race, this racer notes that junior racers learn about dealing with others. They learn about rules, following the rules. They might have to read the rule book and see how all of their equipment matches up to the rule book. He says there's a lot that can be learned from junior drag racing; maybe not just things that will help with drag racing, but with life in general.

By C.J. Carter

C.J. Carter is the author of "Junior Dragster Dreams: How Sam Found His Own Ride." ( http://juniordragsterdreams.com )

By Poh Weng Sin

Just like adults, kids love riding on 4 wheelers too. It provides the ultimate off-road experience to your child for a fun and entertaining activity without having to buy fuel operated vehicles that the kids may not be ready to handle.

There are various reasons to purchase one of these exciting toys for your kids. With the popularity of these four wheelers on the rise, there are even electric four wheelers that are very famous among the younger generation. Four wheelers are also commonly known as ATVs, which is the short formed for all-terrain vehicle. These practically make great gifts to your child while providing them practical ATV riding exposure that can be really exciting for the young age. These 4 wheelers are safe and age appropriate for kids, as they travel at low speeds and therefore do not impose any dangers to the young riders. Fuel operated 4 wheelers are way too large and too fast for the kids as opposed to the smaller electronic types.

4 wheelers will give children and youths alike the chance to improve on their motor dexterity when they are young. Kids who often ride on 4 wheelers have better developed motor skills to get them ready in the future to control a normal and larger ATV. Not only will it benefit the child to use an ATV when they are older, a lot of other vehicle type has similar techniques required to operate that they may easily have control over with such a skill. These 4 wheelers for kids now come in lots of cool designs to choose from. It ranges from the most popular cartoon characters to cool monster trucks designs to attract children of any age. Apart from that, you can also easily find these 4 wheelers that resemble any other vehicle types such as monster trucks, cars, bikes and so much more. This ensures that every kid manages to find a 4 wheelers to suit their preference.

Besides increasing their motor skills for better comprehension in the future, these 4 wheelers are also a great way to keep children occupied and also keeping them proactive. Kids who often spend time with outdoor activities such as riding 4 wheelers are usually healthier and are able to socialize and interact better using fun and games. Of course, it is also vital for the parents to provide appropriate supervision and guidance to their child when handling their electric four wheelers to avoid any unfortunate events from occurring.

All in all, four wheelers are a great solution to get your kids out in the air to have some fun while reaping some useful benefits from it too.

By Jennifer Untermeyer

With a myriad of educational games on the market to do, it can be difficult to select appropriate ones for kids. This article will help you navigate the maze of options and find educational games that will be played with and enjoyed, rather than gathering dust on a game room shelf. The best educational games actively engage kids to think or do something, are fun and meet one or more of the following criteria:

· Foster learning through the development of new skills or the reinforcement of existing ones.

· Encourage creativity.

· Spark the imagination.

· Develop fine motor skills.

While games should be challenging, it is important that they not be too difficult or complex as to lead to frustration. Look at the rules for the game. If they are more than a few pages, consider if your child will be willing to learn them (or if they can be simplified). Games that are too complex to learn in a few minutes are much more likely to sit on a shelf. However, games that are quick to learn but difficult to master; such as classics like checkers, Othello and chess; are likely to be played repeatedly.

Think outside the box, especially for toddler educational games. Stacking cups, building blocks and chunky puzzles are perfect for toddlers learning grasping and other fine motor skills. The associated actions, such as knocking down the stack, will help keep toddlers entertained for longer and continue to build valuable skills.

Look for educational games in unusual places. Art stores often have complex Scratch Art, stained glass coloring pages, math pattern books and other types of media that are fun, educational and different. Work on color mixing by experimenting with homemade play dough and food coloring or learn common kitchen science with experiments using common household ingredients.

Look for fun games and activities that focus on skill development areas. For instance, you can build problem solving skills with brain-teasers that range from easy to complex. Beginning with ones that are easy builds confidence so that kids are willing to tackle the complex tasks in the harder levels.

Do not overlook the classic games in the search for something new and different. Classic games stand the test of time for a reason and are often offer the best in simple strategy games. A game does not need a 20 page instruction booklet to be educational.

Finally, look for games that you, as the purchaser, would like to play. Someone is going to be playing with the kids so it should be fun and interesting for you as well.

Family travel expert, Jenny Untermeyer, founded http://www.travelkiddy.com/ as a resource for busy families to find the perfect travel games, travel toys, activity kits and more. Visit http://www.travelkiddy.com/ today and discover everything parents need to keep kids entertained on adventures around the block or around the world.

By Jennifer Untermeyer

With a myriad of educational games on the market to do, it can be difficult to select appropriate ones for kids. This article will help you navigate the maze of options and find educational games that will be played with and enjoyed, rather than gathering dust on a game room shelf. The best educational games actively engage kids to think or do something, are fun and meet one or more of the following criteria:

· Foster learning through the development of new skills or the reinforcement of existing ones.

· Encourage creativity.

· Spark the imagination.

· Develop fine motor skills.

While games should be challenging, it is important that they not be too difficult or complex as to lead to frustration. Look at the rules for the game. If they are more than a few pages, consider if your child will be willing to learn them (or if they can be simplified). Games that are too complex to learn in a few minutes are much more likely to sit on a shelf. However, games that are quick to learn but difficult to master; such as classics like checkers, Othello and chess; are likely to be played repeatedly.

Think outside the box, especially for toddler educational games. Stacking cups, building blocks and chunky puzzles are perfect for toddlers learning grasping and other fine motor skills. The associated actions, such as knocking down the stack, will help keep toddlers entertained for longer and continue to build valuable skills.

Look for educational games in unusual places. Art stores often have complex Scratch Art, stained glass coloring pages, math pattern books and other types of media that are fun, educational and different. Work on color mixing by experimenting with homemade play dough and food coloring or learn common kitchen science with experiments using common household ingredients.

Look for fun games and activities that focus on skill development areas. For instance, you can build problem solving skills with brain-teasers that range from easy to complex. Beginning with ones that are easy builds confidence so that kids are willing to tackle the complex tasks in the harder levels.

Do not overlook the classic games in the search for something new and different. Classic games stand the test of time for a reason and are often offer the best in simple strategy games. A game does not need a 20 page instruction booklet to be educational.

Finally, look for games that you, as the purchaser, would like to play. Someone is going to be playing with the kids so it should be fun and interesting for you as well.

Family travel expert, Jenny Untermeyer, founded http://www.travelkiddy.com/ as a resource for busy families to find the perfect travel games, travel toys, activity kits and more. Visit http://www.travelkiddy.com/ today and discover everything parents need to keep kids entertained on adventures around the block or around the world.

By Tommy O Coffler

The food industry is always changing. It is an industry that is subject to tendencies, one that has to adjust to the wants and needs of its consumers, who on their part often dictate the direction in which the industry will go. Among the major consumers that are quite influential are children. New food trends for kids are things that can make or break companies. In the last decade, two major new food trends have emerged. These were direct effects of scientific studies and the economy.

Recent scientific studies and medical findings have encouraged a wave of healthy eating all over the world. This is the first major change of the past decade. Parents have started to buy healthy food for their homes as well as educate their children about the choices they make while at school or whenever they find themselves outside of the home.

To meet the need, companies and restaurants have began revamping their products and changing their menus. Formerly unhealthy products are turning over a healthy leaf, adding vitamins, minerals and other good things for kids in the mix. Cheerios are a good example. Similarly, many restaurants have started to feature healthy kids meals along with gluten-free and allergy conscious meals, geared towards showing their customers that they too care about their health.

Another popular movement restaurants have adopted is that of creating their meals from locally sourced ingredients or even hyper-local ingredients, which means ingredients that are produced by the restaurant. This allows the establishments to guarantee freshness, which is something customers love. However, it is also directly related to the other of the major new food trends, that which was an effect of the economy.

By sourcing local ingredients, restaurants can support local businesses. This really helps the economy during these trying times. Local ingredients also often means cheaper prices, which encourages families that have chosen to eat in to eat out more often. This also helps address the other trend of feeding children instant foods, like pancake mix, frozen pizzas, and mac and cheese, all of which aren't entirely healthy options. Due to hard economic times, some parents have taken to feeding their kids these quick easy meals that the kids themselves can prepare while parents focus on other things. Locally sourced ingredients, however, can change all that.

Undoubtedly, there are many more changes set to happen in the food industry. These two new movements really look like they are here to stay, though, as they have taken root in both developed and developing countries.

To learn more about food for your child, what your child should be eating and how to get them to eat it, check out KidsFoodSecrets today.

By Manju Jose

Kids and Internet- Security Tips

The Internet educates, positively influences and provides a creative outlet for today's kids. But the internet can be a confusing and dangerous place too. Internet stalkers and predators are taking advantage of families that are not aware of basic internet safety rules. With the right precautions we can safeguard our kids. The following tips will guide parent's to provide a safe browsing world for our kids.

I. Create separate user accounts
a) Create limited access User Accounts for Kids.
b) Never give administrator privilege for kids.

II. Use age appropriate browsers
a) Use Kid browsers like KidZui, Buddy browser etc.
b) Adjust web browser security settings

III. Block/filter contents - Age wise
a) Use parental control feature in Windows 7, Vista & XP
b) Use software's like Windows Live Family Safety, K9 Kid protection etc

IV. Set download Limit for kids
a) Use router with QoS capability
b) Use software's like KidsWatch, PC Time Limit etc.

V. Use antivirus & antispyware
a) Use antivirus software's like Avast, AVG etc.
 

VI. Limit Chat Room Access for Kids

VII. Use Mobile Internet Security
a) Use Security Software's like Norton Mobile Security, F-Secure

VIII. Get alerted
a) Set alerts using software's like Action Alert if anything suspicious occurs; review the activity
b) Log Keystroke, chat and email using software's like Refog, Actual, Home Keylogger

IX. Create a set of rules with your child that clearly establish your expectations relating to both safety and ethics
a) Keep the computer in the common room
b) Should never give out personal information on the internet
c) Children should always alert parents when they come across anything uncomfortable
d) Do not respond or open emails and messages from strangers
e) Should never arrange a face to face meeting with someone met online
f) Respect the privacy of other users on the internet, just as you expect your privacy to be respected
g) Don't steal copyrighted software's by downloading from the internet. It is a crime.
h) Protect your reputation. Nothing is private online
i) Be a good Cybercitizen

X. If you suspect any online exploitation of your child, report it to local law enforcement agency immediately.

Parents must establish and teach good habits before your child begins communicating online. The more we become involved with our children online, the less likely we will have to deal with dangerous issues involving our kids.

Apply your "Real World" parenting skills to the "Virtual World".

By Preeti Sunil

Parents are at their wit's end trying to teach children lessons in hygiene only to find them indulging in their favorite hobby, yet again! Dirty, mud covered clothes and bodies are symbolic of childhood. However, new research suggests that this is an evolutionary instinct, which must not be curbed for reasons described in this article.

It is no secret that most children have an insatiable urge to grab the dirtiest looking things and put them into their mouth. Even a child who is less than a year old, hardly able to do much except drink milk and sleep all day, experiences a personality change the moment it is put down on the ground, out in the open. The exploration begins and everything including dirt, mud and even poop finds its way into the tiny mouths. This continues for a while and most mothers are clueless about why their babies find the taste of dirt so irresistible, when mashed veggies, formula food in various flavors and other food prepared with the labor of love just do not seem to appeal to them! Well, relax everyone! You're not bad cooks, bad parents or bad caregivers. Your darling kids are just being very natural and their actions are driven by instinct.

Positive Effect On Our Immune System
Recent research suggests that children splattered in mud are acting on instinct that gives them an evolutionary advantage. The immune system that is still in the developmental stages in children, is exposed to a variety of bacteria, viruses and worms through all the dirt and filth. This exposure prepares suitable immune responses to counter the possible ill effects caused by the entry of these pathogens into the body. This early exposure to pathogens is so effective that scientific research claims it is instrumental in preventing allergies and other autoimmune disorders later in the life of these children.

Exposure to dirt and filth is akin to a "warm-up" exercise for the immune system to enable it to get ready for nastier bugs. Isn't that a good reason why dirt is good for kids? Among all the research published, the book by Dr. Mary Ruebush, Why Dirt Is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends is worth mentioning here. Through her book, the immunologist strongly advocates that the western civilization's obsession with antibacterial soaps and the quest to be 'always clean' is actually making our children more sick.

A Case Against Hyper-cleanliness
Diseases involving immune dysregulation, autoimmunity or chronic inflammation have been increasingly reported as becoming common in developed countries. Experts believe that this is mainly due to the destruction of our 'personal ecosystems' caused by our attempts to over sanitize our living spaces and our bodies to make them "germ-free". A whole range of modern diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, Graves' disease, ulcerative colitis, type I diabetes, asthma, allergy, coeliac disease, and Sjögren's syndrome are more common than ever before, and experts believe that our excessive sanitization of our environment is one of the primary causes.

In modern medicine, this theory is called the hygiene hypothesis. The hypothesis states that humans have always coexisted with several varieties of microbes (lactobacilli, various mycobacteria, and certain helminths) including parasites forming our personal ecosystem. The exposure has resulted in human beings becoming less susceptible to allergies. But in today's extremely clean environment, the lack of exposure to these microbes has resulted in children growing up with an underdeveloped immune system. The lazy immune systems are now developing allergic reactions instead of focusing on fighting infection (which never occurs due lack of exposure to microbes, thanks to vaccination, hand washes, airtight windows, etc.). In addition, antibiotics are making things easier for the already relaxed state of our immune system. On the contrary, the microbes are now fighting back to resist these artificial responses, resulting in "super bugs" that seem to be resistant to even antibiotic treatment.

Is it Time to Shed our Clean Image?
So should we go to the prehistoric lifestyle of humans and stop all vaccinations and cover our children in filth and dirt? Should we just stop bothering if the child catches a mild cold or fever, hoping his/her immune system will rise up to the challenge? Certainly not! We definitely should not ignore life-threatening food allergies or encourage our children to be less hygienic in the hope of developing resistance to germs. What we need to do is stop obsessing over cleanliness and understand why playing in the dirt is good for kids.

Let your kid play freely when he/she is out in the open. Let environmental interactions be normal and playful. Stop fretting every time your child touches mud on the ground. Do not count the several times he/she touches his/her sweaty playmate! It is useless to lose sleep over that little scratch on his/her elbow. Stop carrying the hand sanitizer looking for an opportunity to use it on your child.

Go and get that vaccination done now, if your child has been bruised by a rusted metal thing. Ask your child to wash his/her hands before a meal and to always keep the nails clean. Ordinary soap is fine for maintaining hygiene. Avoid using antibacterial soaps on a regular basis. A balanced diet and normal exposure to the environment are essential for children. You're not being a protective parent by obsessing over your child's hygiene when outdoors. Just let the child be. Find that essential balance between caution and obsession. Let your children go barefoot into the mud and befriend some of those germs! Mother Earth will surely protect them.

My work experience spans content development, knowledge management and organizational social learning activities. One of my favorite subjects, relating closely with my career background, is the study of social media tools and social learning strategies within huge organizations and their potential benefits in facilitating real time exchange of ideas and knowledge transfer.

By Carolyn Whitley

Teaching kids good habits, like recycling, is best done when they are still young and more receptive to new ideas. Making them aware from the very beginning of the benefits of recycling is the most effective approach. It needs to be an integral part of their lives. As they grow older and become more aware of how they can contribute towards preserving the environment, they can make an even greater impact on our environment. Many school children starting from Kindergarten are already actively involved in reducing, reusing and recycling. Hopefully, we will see a generation of recyclers after us, if we begin with the kids - now!

Kids can be taught how to properly recycle, how to make new things from materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash. They will have to learn that recycling, or making new things from recycled materials, costs a lot less money, consumes much less energy and saves a lot of the Earth's natural resources, thereby helping the environment.

Instead of indiscriminately throwing things into the trash bin, recycling for kids programs can start with creative ways of teaching children how to make new and useful items from refuse coming out of the home and the classrooms in the school. There are currently websites in the Internet that are dedicated to such recycling for kids initiatives. They provide creative ideas on how to teach kids good recycling habits and ideas. Both at home and at school we can begin by initiating recycling games or recycling contests, making use of very common items like soda cans, toilet rolls, milk cartons and whatever other materials that are very familiar to children instead of just throwing these items away. Parents and Teachers can work together on what items can be recycled when at home, at school or out in the community. We need to actively encourage our kids to think about what can be recycled, so that it becomes second nature to them.

Pictures of landfills can be shown in class to make kids realize how much space can be saved through recycling. They can be taught that instead of garbage being thrown away and taking up space and possibly damaging the environment, it is a lot better and more environmentally friendly, to recycle things. Soda cans, paper and cardboard, as well as glass bottles can be recycled. Plastics of all kinds can also be recycled. Parents and Teachers can make recycling games out of "how long before.... (item) disintegrates and goes back to earth?" It can be surprising to learn how many years it will take for a plastic water bottle to break down and become part of the Earth. The energy saved by recycling also results in less pollution and children will become aware how damaging pollution is to our environment. Think about the natural resources that are saved by recycling materials from old products that would otherwise have been thrown away. A trip to a recycling center can be part of a recycling for kids program so that they can actually see what happens after an item is recycled.

Great recycling games for kid's, would be to trace the progress of an aluminium soda can from the time it is mined from the Earth. The amount of energy and the man hours needed to produce a soda can, the can's journey as it gets filled with soda, gets bought from the grocery store and is cooled in the refrigerator at home, then placed in the child's lunch bag, and then thrown away. The same idea can be done with a glass bottle or the daily newspaper. Create fun ways for kids to explore the best ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, preserving the environment for themselves and future generations.

This article has been written by Carolyn Whitley. If you found this article helpful, please visit my site http://www.squidoo.com/recycling-for-kids for more ideas.

As parents, understanding our child's disease is the first step. Communicating with your child is the second step. They need to understand the implications of their diet. You need to explain to them the importance of the foods that they are allowed to have as well as the foods that they need to stay away from. This will develop a one-on-one relationship and will also help to enable them to come to you about anything.

This might be hard to do depending on their age. If this is the case, you need to think of ways to break it down for them. One way that people have done this is by using pictures, if they are very young. This means show them the foods that they cannot have. Whatever it takes they need know for themselves if it has gluten in it. The amount of information or what sort of discussion you have depends on the child's maturity. They may have many questions, depending on their age. It's our job to have the answers.

Below I have listed some ideas for those who have to cook for children with gluten intolerance as well as some tips for those who have to deal with this when they might not have all the facts, a babysitter for instance. Making them foods that taste good is the best way to start. There are a great number of tasty alternatives you can make that are gluten-free and taste great, this will help them to feel normal. Another thing to remember is that when children are around their family and friends no matter where it be, they want to eat the same thing. This is why if you are making something for a special dinner with guests, you need to include them in it. Find a way to make it gluten free so that they can eat the same thing.

So, what foods can you give your child to achieve a transition to this sort of eating? There are foods that are known to make kids happy and be their food of choice that you can easily make.

Most kids enjoy cereal for breakfast. Cream of Wheat is out, so are Cheerios and Frosted Flakes. Corn and rice based cereals are ok, but be sure and check the label for malt (made from barley). There are numerous breakfast cereals that are made gluten-free, Doves Farms and Nature's Path make some very good ones. You can always opt for eggs and gluten-free toast. Or get really healthy and try yogurt and fruits. Check the label on any flavored yogurt though.

Marshmallows, hard candies, and gum drops are ways to satisfy their sweet tooth. For birthday parties check with a local bakery as many now make gluten free cakes if you request them in advance.

Pasta's are gone, so spaghetti, shells, and macaroni are all no-no's. There are several companies that make gluten-free pastas for that child that just has to have spaghetti or macaroni and cheese. Or think rice noodles.

Meats and fish are fine, as long as you don't coat them with a bread product. Many of the popular buffalo wings have coating that contain gluten.

And the list goes on, you can always find an acceptable alternative to most "traditional" meals. You just have to arm yourself with knowledge.

As you can see, there are numerous ways to go about helping children deal with their disease, especially when it concerns their diet. This will help them with the transition. It can be very difficult depending on the child's age as they struggle with being different from other kids their age. There are many ways of preparing and assisting their unique lifestyle, this will help your child feel more at ease. If you help your child truly understand their condition this will go a long way toward making their live easier.

See the new guide that takes the mystery away Get more information about how CD and gluten sensitivity can influence your child by visiting here http://www.wix.com/ksmedic/glutenfree.

More generic information about celiac disease can be found here http://www.squidoo.com/tips-on-celiac-disease.

By Craig Sowards

To say that a parent's attachment to his or her kids is strong may be a negative statement. Attachment is described as secure and insecure, so it is possible to have a strong attachment that is insecure. Insecure attachment descriptors reflect parental styles associated with the types of attachment: secure attachment with parental flexibility and stability, avoidant attachment with dismissive parenting, ambivalent attachment with preoccupied parents, and disorganized attachment with overwhelmed parents. Parental capacity is important to consider. Children build their nervous system and learn how to balance emotions, thoughts, and behavior through attachment. Parental capacity to attach to children can also change over time.

Avoidant attachment is reinforced from parental messages that emotions are not important in a child's self-identity and in making decisions. Thus, the child (and as an adult) may feel like he or she does not really matter. An avoidant person may even believe that emotions steer one into danger or disaster and are not to be trusted. So emotions are left out of daily interactions. It may be hard to comfort or connect with an avoidant person. A second type of avoidant attachment seeks to please a significant other and downgrade one's own needs because one can only accept emotions if they are not opposed by the significant other. This is a co-dependent relationship.

Ambivalent attachment patterns are derived from close connections that are not stable. The parent could be hot or cold. When cold, the parent may be preoccupied; it does not mean that the parent's love wavers. So fear may develop associated with closeness and connection, because closeness and connection could be lost. The child or adult in this case may crave intimacy but not want to ask for it. If intimacy does happen, this person may eventually find it stifling. The child or adult may then experience anger and would distance from the significant other, but then fear would overtake from being feeling alone. The pattern then becomes hot pursuit, but then cold distancing.

Disorganized or dysregulated attachment patterns stem from parents who are ruled by the "fight or flight" autonomic nervous system. Parents tend to be aggressive or controlling, stemming from fear. On the other hand, parents could be overwhelmed or a victim, again stemming from fear.

Secure attachments are stable patterns but do not have to be perfect. They stem from a parent's capacity at a particular place and time to recognize and value the emotions of a child, or to connect with what the child is doing. When the child comes to the parent, the parent in effect says to the child that the child is okay even when the child or parent is having negative emotions. The child is allowed to be separate from the parent, with the child's own set of valid emotions and self-confidence.

The author Dan Blair, LMFT, LCPC, NCPC is a marriage and family therapist, counselor, and divorce mediator with Blair Counseling and Mediation in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

We offer free articles on peaceful ways to resolve relationship issues to support life-long marriage and mimimize the harm from divorce through divorce mediation. We also address family and personal issues associated with depression, anxiety, anger management, and addiction. Call today to talk with a Christian counselor.

By Dan Blair

Many parents hesitate on enrolling their kids on speed learning program to learn different techniques because they are afraid that these techniques will be too sophisticated for young children. This is highly understandable. But then again, once you understand the basics of speed learning, you will find out that these types of techniques are actually more effective. You see, speed learning techniques are oftentimes easy. In fact, it may be that your kids (or even you) are already using it.

Here are some examples of the most common, effective but overlooked techniques for kids:

1. Use Images

There are many different learning personalities, eight in fact. Now, most kids have not discovered or developed their learning personality yet. But most kids respond well to images and sounds. One of the first speed learning techniques for kids you should try is to incorporate images or visual aids into your child's studying regime. When I say images, I don't always or necessarily mean photos. You can make use of mind maps or flow charts.

2. Use Sounds

As I mentioned earlier, children respond well to sounds. For this particular technique for kids, you have several options. First, you can play some music on the background. Now, do not think that you can play any type of music, it's better if you stick with classical music. Mozart songs are perfect.

Now, another option is to listen to audio books or recordings. You can also record your voice or your kid's voice and let your children listen to it during study time. This will keep them interested, for sure.

3. Use Flashcards

For many, many years, flashcards is one of the most used speed learning techniques for kids. It is a fun way to memorize or remember things. It also has a sense of fun or a feel of it being a game. And you know kids, right? They like games. When you use flashcards, not only are your kids learning, they're having fun too.

4. Use Books

Now, this particular speed learning technique for kids would work best if you do it before bed time. You don't even have to monitor how fast or slow your children reads. Before going to sleep, just have your child read a textbook or whatever book you want. During this time, the subconscious mind is starting to open and this increases a person's ability to remember whatever it is that they are reading.

Learn more about Speed Learning Techniques for Kids by visiting my Speed Learning Techniques for Kids website at http://www.superspeedlearning.com/forkids/.