That's interesting..

I was reading this article on Nurturing Creative Children at youngnurition.net, and I found one part of it particularly intersting.

Extract of the article Nurturing Creative Children...

Q8) Simple breathing exercises can be used to stimulate the brain to perform better. Please elaborate how this can be done, for example, to help a child think better prior to an exam?

A) Close your left nostril with your left fore-finger, take a deep breath, hold for a count of six and then breathe out from the right nostril. Feel the air coming out from your right nostril with the palm of your right hand. Now, reverse the process. Close your right nostril and breathe out rough your left and feel the air with your left palm. Do you feel any difference?

The air from one nostril will always be stronger than the other. If the air from the right nostril is stronger, it means that the left brain is dominant since the left brain controls the right side of the body and the right brain controls the left side of the body.

We could take advantage of this fact. For example, If your child is sitting for a mathematics exam, tell your child to close his/her left nostril and breathe through the right nostril. Do it for about 10 minutes or more to activate the left (logical) brain. This could improve your child's logical thinking leading to better results.

Cool huh! Have to remember this when my kids are going to school..

Multiple Intelligences?!

I knew a little about multiple intelligence. Didn't know the definition, just that it involves diffent skills. But, the best part is, I didn't know that there was up to 8 types of intelligence!

After reading an article in a magazine, I educated myself. Another step to becoming a better mummy mah ;)

I found this website which provides a guide to recognizing the various intelligences in your child. It states that the 8 key to intelligence are as the following...

• Linguistic (Word Smart)
• Logical-Mathematical (Logic Smart)
• Visual/Spatial (Picture Smart)
• Musical/Rhythmic (Music Smart)
• Bodily/Kinesthetic (Body Smart)
• Naturalistic (Nature Smart)
• Interpersonal (People Smart)
• Intrapersonal (Self Smart)

The website further says ...

Building upon these strengths gives your child the motivation to be a "specialist." This can in turn lead to increased self-esteem and encourage your child to be the best he or she can be.

From there, I understood that by recognizing my child's unique intelligence, I can nuture him to develop and maximize the his skills and potential. Hmmmm, what skills does Champion have? Let me see. Looking into each key of intelligences, I notice that Champion shows the following...

• Word Smart - for his age, I think he has a good vocab... He impresses me!
• Logic Smart - not much of this I think. But, he does count up the staircase...
• Picture Smart - good, I think. he recognizes objects very fast. Sometimes, he suprises us with his ability to name things.
• Music Smart - he loves music, but I don't think he has a good rhythm and sense of melody yet. But he loves playing the drum with his daddy. Will make sure daddy make teaches u to play well ah, Champion!
• Body Smart - ah, this wan no need to say lah. He is good at his skill. Accompanied by the music, he loves to dance. Gets daddy to dance with him too! Loves to play ball or balloon. And, he loves to exercise in the mornings.. doing it his way. Really cute wan...
• Nature Smart - hah, this also he's good. He loves his fish. He can sit in front of the aquarium all day, just watching them swim. Loves to water the plants (he tells me to do it lah). Loves to play and talk to the dogs at his taatha's house. He orders them to be quite, to eat, to sit.. just the way we order the doggies.
• People Smart - yeap, this he has. He loves to be with people. He doesn't lead yet, but he loves team work...
• Self Smart - nah, I don't think I can judge him for this yet. He is too young...

So, what do I train him in? I think I have identified 6 of 8 skills that he has interest in. Or do I have to coach him for something he hasn't discovered (the remaining 2 skills)? Or, may be I can just leave it to him first, and I shall support him as he grows...

I also noticed that a child can be judged for their future based on his or her skills or interest. Hmmm, Champion seems to have lots of skills and interest here.. What will he be? I think I should follow my boyz skills and interest closely in order to provide them the best, isn't it? No problem. I hope I have all the means to do that.

Champion and Mr. President, I shall support you both in whatever you do... Mummy is behind you both!

Read more on Multiple Intelligences at Multiple Intelligences