Here are some practical parenting tips you can consider to raise smart and brilliant kids.

Set an example to your child - Example don’t eat in front of the television, wash your hands before and after eating, have a healthy diet, etc

Discipline - Teach what is ‘Good’ and what is ‘not Good’, from early age.

Reduce junk food – concentrate on healthy meals for your child and for entire family.

Encourage physical activity – Encourage at least one hour of outdoor physical activity everyday.

Does your child have a learning disability? Learn the types of learning disabilities. Learning disorder is a disorder found in Students who has an average or above intelligence but has difficulty in processing information, ie who have difficulties in learning specific skills

There are many types of learning disabilities,that manifests as a weakness in the ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematics in one or more of the following categories.

• Spoken language — listening and speaking.
• Written language — reading, writing, and spelling.
• Arithmetic — calculation
• Reasoning— ideas and thoughts.

Neurobehavioral researchers at Rush University Medical Center(RNBC) in Chicago have found three key factors in a child’s behavior that can lead to social rejection.

According to the study, a child who experiences social rejection ( some form of rejection by their peers like getting bullied and snubbed by peers) is likely suffer from academic failure, drop out of school, experience depression or anxiety, and experiment with drugs.

Findings from the pair of studies indicate that the ability to pick up on non-verbal cues and social cues in social interaction as well as recognize the meaning and respond appropriately to them are key to helping children develop skills to maintain friendships and avoid a host of problems in later life.

A national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that young people( especially minority youth) from 8 to 18 year old spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes a day with smart phone, computer, television or other electronic devices. This is more than 53 hours a week.

Also, the study found that heavy media use is associated with several negatives, including behavior problems and lower grades.

The study surveyed more than 2,000 students in grades 3 to 12 between October 2008 and May 2009. The report says that the heaviest media users are black and Hispanic youths and pre-teens (ages 11 to 14).

Photo courtesy of sxc.hu

CircusFit is a fitness program from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

This program combines the fun of circus skills with stretching, strength building and aerobic exercise to encourage Kids to lead healthy, active lifestyle. It is a fun way for kids to learn a little bit about the circus and stay active and healthy.

These lessons and program materials have been written specifically for youth in grades 2-5 ( can be used by Children Of All Ages). Circus Fit has many downloadable materials you can print out .