Author name: Jenny Nicole

Parenting Tips
Child Monitoring

10 Parenting Tips That Will Help You Raise a Confident Child

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I recently came across this infographic that had some really interesting pieces of advice. On our blog, we have discussed how sometimes it is the subtlest of nuances in parenting that make all the difference. And so what I found fascinating about this infographic was that it tells the parents exactly what subtle changes they need to make in the way that they talk to or act around their kids. Because raising children to be confident is a lot more than encouraging and supporting them in whatever they do. It is also about letting them experience failure and then giving them the advice they need to start again by learning from their mistakes. It is also about giving them the independence they need to do things on their own and being comfortable with their skills. And another really important thing that the infographic highlighted was that you as a parent will need to be confident around your child yourself. You are your kid’s first role model, and they will always look up to you to figure out how to behave. It also tells you how to teach your kids to be confident in their abilities, but also realistic about the outcomes. So, without further ado, here’s the infographic I’ve been talking about. Integrating these parenting tips into your styles will help you out a ton. Recommended For You: Safety Tips for Kids Who Cannot Have Enough of Pokémon Go XNSPY Helped Me Build Trust With My Child Times When XNSPY Comes to the Rescue of a Single Father to a 16-Year-Old

Overcome Procrastination
Child Monitoring

How to Overcome Procrastination in 5 Easy Steps

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Here’s what happened yesterday. I had a ton of work to do. And by a ton, I mean I was bone deep with tasks. But the tasks didn’t have a deadline per se. Which meant that I had to manage myself and do them to my convenience. So naturally, instead of getting right to it, I decided I should Make a cup of tea first. A fresh mind is a productive mind! Make a Tchaikovsky playlist. Gotta have some inspiration to work, am I right? Watch a string of videos of Lennon whining about McCartney. Damn those two really fell out didn’t they? Text a few friends. Nothing like a good conversation to keep me going! And before I knew it, I was in for it. I couldn’t make myself stop. No matter how many times I told myself “Okay, Jen, one more video then START WORKING” I just couldn’t do it. I was in an infinite loop of procrastination and there was no taking me out. At the end of it I felt like absolute garbage, mostly because I had the most incredibly unproductive day. This is pretty ironic, since I’ve dabbled in writing about procrastination before. I know a lot of our readers are employers, and I’m telling you now, if you’ve got a few habitual slackers on your hand, they probably don’t think much of themselves either. Which is why I told myself I’ve got to stop. Employers and employees of the world, we can fight this procrastination, and we’re going to do this together. Step 1: Start Strong So I started off the next day with my head in the game. I told myself I wouldn’t fool around today at all. I didn’t stop to chat with coworkers. I didn’t take too long making coffee. I had my cup of ambition at my desk and I started working right away. And it worked because of a few reasons I was well rested I started when I had a fresh mind Because of that, I had done most of my work before lunchtime. Now I know this may not work for everyone. Some people may have specific morning rituals they need to complete before they could start working. But I’m sharing it because it worked for me pretty awesomely well. Step 2: List Down Tasks, Get Organized Another thing that helped? Listing down things I needed to do. Now there were some tasks that were routine and others that I’m given as they come by. Regardless, I made a rough schedule for everything and I made little sticky notes and stuck them all over my monitor. That’s right, not those virtual notes we make and ignore on our devices, but actual physical post ids. Getting organized was a big part of having a productive day. And I had the satisfaction of crumpling up the note and throwing it away when it was done. Step 3: Announce Your To-Do List Another reasons why I stuck post ids all over my laptop was… well, I kind of wanted everyone to know what I was doing. I told my coworkers the schedule I had for today because announcing it meant making it real. Announcing it also meant More people knew what I have to work on This increased the instance of ‘accountability’ It put pressure on me to deliver Once more, this is something that worked for me. But boy, did it work wonders. Step 4: Break Later, Break Later Habitual procrastinators have the “5 more minutes” mantra. And that’s what I wanted to get rid of on my productive day. It is quite easy to work for 20 minutes, then reward yourself with a 2 hour break. So I kept telling myself, “No break till task A is complete”. But then I’d move it to “No break till both task A and B” are complete. And that’s how I got the job done. By no break I mean long, extended, procrastination breaks. Moderated, suitable 15 minute coffee or walking breaks are fine. Step 5: Snap Out of it When you’re trying to have a productive day, falling back into your old habits is going to be the real challenge. Just remember to snap out of it right away. I know it is easier said than done, but really, stop yourself before you get in too deep. Pep talk yourself back into working. Remind yourself how horrible and useless you will feel about this later. Have another cup of coffee if you must. But for goodness sake, snap out of it. Repeat Steps When Needed Overcoming procrastination is very possible, but you’ve really got to act and make it happen. Reward yourself at the end of the day rather than after every little accomplished task. Keep yourself away from things that will distract you. Put your phone away. Don’t log into Facebook till you’ve done what needs to be done. Employers, keep your workers motivated and check in with their to-do list every day. Workers, tell yourself “Do it now” instead of later. And it’ll start happening for you.

Child Monitoring

Music Festivals Are Increasingly Harboring Drug Culture

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So it’s soon going to be music festival season. For most of you, it has already begun. I like to think that they are a great cultural event where people come together and just enjoy the music. That’s what it is to a lot of people. Unfortunately, for some of the younger audience, music festivals have also become notorious for harboring a pretty intense drug culture. Do Festivals and Narcotics Go Hand in Hand? There are a few people who say that above all else, music festivals have a bad reputation. That’s all there is—a bad name more than the actual drug use. According to this camp, there isn’t anything that teenagers do at festivals that they’re not already doing elsewhere. And I suppose there is some truth to their claims. But fact is that if a teenager were to rebel and want to try a recreational drug in these festivals, it would be available to them. These events feature drugs and alcohol as a given, and no one can ignore that part, whether the reports be exaggerated or otherwise. That is the music festival lifestyle. Reports have found that around 50% festival goers like to be under the influence during their time there. Perhaps it is because it creates a sense of community and recklessness for a while. But it almost certainly leads to disaster most of the time. A Series of Overdoses Another thing that can’t be ignored? The list of reported incidents at these events. Last year, 3 people were hospitalized at an Avicii show because they overdosed on ecstasy. EDM festivals in particular are notorious for rampant drug culture, and the numbers don’t favor them either. Two Electric Zoo festival goers died from an overdose, causing the event to be but short. A similar incident occurred at Defqon in Sydney. At the Falls Festival, the body of a man was discovered, and a girl had a near-death experience in the same night, both related to drugs. 70 people were hospitalized after they took part in a mass overdose in Washington, with one man reported dead. And just recently, it was discovered that people are going to extreme lengths to smuggle drug in venues despite all of these reports. So here’s the thing. Exaggerated or otherwise, this is teenagers we are talking about. And data has shown that these festivals have led to death from overdose. Be Prepared I suppose now you, as a parent, have a pretty good idea of what you’re getting into. Especially if you’ve got teenagers at home that can’t wait to go the next music festival with a lineup of all their favorite artists. Here’s what you can do to ensure their safety. Make sure you check beforehand what kind of safety plan the venue of the festival has. Talk to your kids about the risks involved. Install a mobile tracker on their phones in case they get in trouble so you know where to pick them up Always remember to have an open line of communication with your kids so you can talk to them about these things in an impactful manner.

Child Monitoring

The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Spring Break & Easter 2015 for the Struggling Parent

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It’s almost Easter! Which means you just have a few more days to go before the spring break ends. (https://bolivarescapes.com) And if you happen to be a parent to a teenager, trust me, we understand your pain especially during this time of the year. Because this is the time where you try to figure out what’s worse: kids staying in the house or kids staying outside the house. Fear not, struggling parent. We’ve put together the only survival guide you’re going to need to get through this Easter break unharmed. Here’s what you have to do. Plan Out Activities in Advance I’m not the biggest fan of preplanning, but if you’ve got kids that want their spring break to be eventful, it is going to be worth it. Sending your kids to spring camp? Taking the family on a tropical vacation? Stopping by the national park as always? List down all these activities and prepare a schedule. This way, you won’t have to spend your time worrying where your kids are. Keep a Log of all Festivities Happening Around You This is also that time of the year when music and spring festivals are happening all around you. All the cools kids go to these. So why wouldn’t your kids want to go? The only problem is that these festivals harbor a sort of, shall we say, drug culture. And you wouldn’t want your kids around that. So keep a log of all music and spring festivals that are happening around your area. Then use parental tracker to make sure your kids aren’t sneaking off to them. Track All Your Phones, Gadgets to Avoid Losing Them If you happen to stop by any of the local festivities as a family, install trackers in all your gadgets. It is super easy to lose your stuff in crowds like these. Especially when half your time is spent trying to get all your family in one place. It is also going to help you find your kids in case they get lost. Don’t be Tempted to Overshare on Social Media So you’re probably be visiting a lot of places with your children around the Easter time. But whatever you do, don’t be tempted to share your location any time you go to a new place. I think we’ve shared enough oversharing horror stories with you in the past. But really, we cannot emphasize this enough. Don’t overshare, but more importantly, don’t let your kids overshare. Be a Vigilant Parent You are going to have to step up your monitoring game this Easter break. Mostly because this time has a bit of a reputation for causing reckless behavior among teens, especially when it comes to underage drinking. I suppose it is the sense of freedom or a loss of inhibition that drives that. But you’re going to have to be more vigilant than usual. And pro tip, plan a quite night in for the Easter weekend. Have fun with the kids and be together as family. And hang in there, you’ll get through this! Happy Easter!

Teen Dyslexia
Child Monitoring

Teen Health: Dyslexia-What Is It?

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We have lately been posting teen health related issues and the response has been phenomenal from our readers. And so we decided to put forth another very important health related issue that can disturb your teen’s academic career if not managed and treated in the appropriate manner. What is Dyslexia? It basically is the difficulty in reading something. Other related symptoms may include trouble in memorizing spellings and solving math’s problems. The brain is responsible for receiving and interpreting impulses from all of our senses (seeing, touching, hearing, tasting, and smelling), the resulting response tells us what is going on around us. If your kid or someone else has Dyslexia then there may be certain hearing and seeing messages getting muddled up because the brain can’t process all those impulses simultaneously. Students who could have reading issues cause them to face problems in writing and spellings. They can be equally or smarter than others. Other symptoms Teens suffering from dyslexia can have a lot of trouble with processing information. They can swap letters like p and q while reading. There are many other signs like: While reading, they can skip on words or can add those which are not even there. Difficulties with writing by hand and therefore, neat writing is hard for them. When copying things off the board, they can find it difficult to do that accurately. Confusing between left and right. Mixing up letters while spelling out loud. Not able to keep their eyes on the right line. Finding it difficult to translate their thoughts into words. Diagnosing Dyslexia As a parent, you may want to take your kid to a doctor and get their vision and hearing checked up in the first place. There can be other forms of illness that can sever the reading and writing problems and may just not be dyslexia. You can also consult a psychologist who will be able to tell you how well is your kid and learning and witting things. Having issues with learning is not necessarily dyslexia if someone is genetically predisposed with slower learning ability. While other may learn things very effectively but find it difficult to read— this can possibly be dyslexia.  Get help at school for your kid If you kid is diagnosed with dyslexia, there are a few things that you, as a parent, can do to make sure that your kids are not left out on their own, getting bullied or harassed at school. There are special programs that you can work on with the school teachers to enhance the learning and writing skills of your kids like: If your kid is having issues reading things off the board, then the teacher can write those instructions down on a piece of paper. Dyslexic kids can be provided added time for their tests. They can do most of their work and tests on a computer as they may find it difficult to write down effectively. Your teacher might come up with many other ideas like taking orals test when possible. It’s possible that it may be years before you can find out about Dyslexia in your kids. Early diagnosis is possible if you are aware of your kids writing and reading abilities. (https://www.creativesystems.com) You can make sure that your kid is not facing psychological problems as a consequence. You can use a monitoring tool to assure that they are in a positive state of mind by reading their casual conversations with friends over WhatsApp, Facebook etc.

Management Practices
Employee Monitoring

Unorthodox Management Practices That Have Resulted In Success

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It’s all about the shift in management and structural styles. It almost seems like people have figured that being uptight and controlled hurts creativity. Which is why you see more and more companies adopt more liberating workspaces, or why organizations are more focused on giving their employees a certain lifestyle rather than just a desk and a chair. And you know what? It seems that the more unorthodox your management style is, the more likely you are to succeed. It’s probably because: It gets your company noticed It makes a statement, which starts a conversation It attracts more people to work for you It inspires your employees It breaks the bounds of thought and creativity It defines you as a leader Finding your stride as a manager is quite clearly a challenge. But if you’re forgoing what’s in your gut for something that is more ‘professional’ or more polished, you’re making a mistake. You are letting go of something extraordinary and settling for mediocrity. Take a look at what NeoMam Studios has found out about 7 leaders with very unconventional management quirks… You don’t have to dress up like the pope in your next meeting, although you’ve got to admit—it does make for quite an entrance. And I’m going to confess, I have the same notebook principle as Mark Parker. You’ve just got to find something that works for you. Here are a few ideas to help you out: For your next brainstorm session, step out of the office. Take your team to a café or a park, and conduct your meeting there. Being in a different environment will force them to think differently. Have more casual meetings. I know of a place where the boss conducts meetings where everyone is sat and tosses out a stuffed Minion indicating when it is someone’s time to speak. It gamifies the meeting, keeps it tongue and cheek and encourages people to speak up when they become the… Minion bearers. Divide your team in groups of two and have them compete against each other in a silly game. It becomes an office event and gives the employees something to look forward to other than just work. What you’re going for is giving your company a personality. Something that makes it stand out and what gets people talking about you.

Causal Office Environment
Employee Monitoring

How to Be a Pro Even in a Business Casual Environment

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The rise of the Silicon Valley tech companies has completely reiterated what it means to dress for success. These days everyone’s dream job seems to favor a business casual culture. Even traditional companies are shedding the corporate culture—the ones with crisp suits and ties and formal meetings and artificial etiquette. But the problem with these companies is that it gets very easy for the line between ‘businesses and ‘casual’ to get blurred. So if you find yourself in a workplace with an open environment, here are a few things you need to know. Remember, it’s Casual for Productivity The first thing you’ve got to know is that is a company harbors a casual environment, it is to provide ease to the workers so they’ll be more productive. People generally assume that a freer workplace means lesser work. It’s quite easy to believe that the folks at Google swing around on the fireman’s pole, slide between floors and nap in those pods to kill time. But the reason the employer has provided all these comforts is allow maximum productivity in their employees. Uniformed desks and cubicles have proven to limit creativity, haven’t they? So a relaxed culture attempts to break those bounds. Just keep reminding yourself that even though the environment is lax, you’re still expected to perform to the best of your ability. Dressing the Part Here’s the confusing bit about business casual. Because the definitions can vary from tech companies that fancy a t shirt and sandals combo to offices that give up ties but still want that button up. Business Insider has offered some help on the matter, saying that it is always better to dress smarter than you think you ought to. Here’s an example: If you want to work your way up the ranks, you’ve got to look the part. As superficial as that sounds, even in the most casual of environments, your attire shows how invested you are in the job. It shows the amount of effort you’re putting in. Throwing on that college sweatshirt might be convenient, but it isn’t always the best idea. Managers and employers struggle with this point the hardest. But remember, the way you dress is going to set the example. it will be the reference point according to which other people will show up to work. Be Prepared to Work Hard To the outsider, a casual work environment seems like something out of a book. And well, it can be. But the truth is, you’re hired to do a job, and you might not always have the time to goof off playing ping pong. Scratch that, you might never have the time to goof off and uphold the ‘easygoing’ culture. More often than not, you’ll be stretched and worked hard. It’s just that you’ll be doing it on a laptop sat on a bean bag rather than in an aloof cubicle. So don’t assume that because a company seems like a fun, inspiring place to work in, you’re not going to be working late hours, or be under pressure. Casual Environment, Professional Attitude Here’s the thing. Even though you’re working in a lax office, it does not give you the space to be unprofessional. You are still expected to show up on time, or complete your work hours, to be respectful to your colleagues and to remember your civilities. Yes, these companies have shed artificial courtesies, but they still expect you to be a pro. Business casual has thrown up many a people, but if you’re vary of a few things, you’re going to fit right in!

Child Monitoring

10 Tips for Being Superb at Long Distance Parenting

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Being away from your kid with any degree of permanence is difficult. You could’ve relocated because of work, you could be deployed, your child could be studying abroad, or worst case scenario—you could be separated from your partner. But knowing that you’re probably going to miss out on many important moments in your kid’s life… now that’s the tough part. Except we’re in 2015, which means it doesn’t have to be that tough anymore. Long distance parenting is snazzier than before. So whatever your reason is for being away from your child (whether temporarily or permanently), you still can be a pretty good parent. Just follow these tips. 1.      Schedule Regular Talks The first thing you’ve got to do when you’re a few miles away from your child is to communicate regularly. And by regularly, I mean having a proper schedule that you abide by no matter how busy you are in your separate lives. Sure it’s easier to find common time when you’re all living under the same roof. But as the parent, you’ve got to take initiative to step up and be the one that makes the telephone call, or has a Skype conversation or gets on Viber. 2.      Have Meaning Conversations Here’s the other aspect of this communication thing. It’s got to be about more than just you asking them if they’re feeling okay or if they’ve done their homework. It’s got to be more meaningful so that you’re still connected to them. If you saw Linklator’s “Boyhood” recently (the film that took 12 years to make), there was a really interesting scene where the dad (played by Ethan Hawke) picks up his kids from their mom’s house and forces a conversation out of them. To me, this scene gave a pretty smart perspective on what makes a long distant parent versus what makes an estranged parent. 3.      Stand Your Ground with Rules Just because you’re away, doesn’t mean you have to slack off with the rules. At the end of the day, you’re still a parent. You’ve got to set rules, create boundaries and make sure your children stick by them. A lot of long-distance parents go easier on the kids to appear more likeable to them. But honestly, don’t get into that headspace where you think your distance will be played against you. What would go against you is when you slack off when it is truly the time to parent. 4.      Parent Digitally Like I said earlier, there are way more tools for long distance parents now than there were before. You can discipline and monitor your child in a similar way to if you were with them in person. Parental controls will help you watch over their internet activates, communication, and locations. You can set alerts so you always know if they’re doing something troublesome. And you could keep up with their lives as well. It provides a constant link between you and you kid that makes the distance easier to deal with. 5.      Communicate With Co-parent If you’re away from your kids because of a separation or divorce from your partner, chances are you’ll be doing quite a bit of co-parenting. So keep in mind that you’ve divorced your partner, not your children’s parent. You need to keep on communicating with them, because they’re the ones living with your kids, and they might know a few things about them you don’t. 6.      Snail Mail Whenever Possible Sending a handwritten note or putting together a thoughtful care package every once in a while is a good idea. It’s probably going to be harder than communicating online, but the tangible quality of snail mail speaks volumes and is bound to make your kids feel special. 7.      Plan Online Activities Together A lot of parents struggle with virtual visitation. Does it turn into a Ethan Hawke in Boyhood situation we mentioned above? Does it only consist of your lecturing them? Which is why it’s good to plan online activities together. Watch a show together, or play a two-player game, or look up some fun stuff together. Find something you both enjoy. 8.      Keep Up With Their Peers Another great thing about parental controls is that it helps you keep up with your child’s friends, teammates, or other significant people in their lives. They might have relationships with schoolmates that trouble them, but they won’t be able to voice their concern. So it helps if you’ve already found a way to keep up with them. 9.      Keep Up With Their School Contact their teachers every now and then and get reports on how they’re doing in school. You can learn a lot about their behavior, performance, or troubles by speaking to their teachers. And at the end of the day, it will let you help them out in a useful way. 10. Be Present Even When You’re Not The most important thing about being a long distant parent is to ensure the kid that you’re a constant presence in their lives, even though you’ve moved away. Your kids need to know that they can still talk to you when something goes wrong, or just because they want to. They need to know that you’re still going to be a part of their life, even when you don’t live under the same roof. If you’ve done that part, then hey, you’ve  succeeded at long distance parenting! Recommended For You: Safety Tips for Kids Who Cannot Have Enough of Pokémon Go XNSPY Helped Me Build Trust With My Child Times When XNSPY Comes to the Rescue of a Single Father to a 16-Year-Old

Employee Monitoring

4 Cheat Sheets for the Aspiring Best Boss Ever

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There’s been a lot of talk about employee engagement and empowerment on our blog lately, hasn’t there? I’ve realized the focus has been on the worker, so we’re going to shift gear a little bit. Let’s talk about you! Because you’re the boss. You determine whether your business will fail or flourish. You choose who you hire, and you chose the strategies you ultimately take. It is entirely your duty to steer your workforce in the right direction so everyone is working towards to same goals. But you can’t do it in an overbearing way, either. It’s confusing, but we’ve got a few cheat sheets for you that will put you on the fast-track to becoming the best boss ever. Here we go. Good Bosses Lead by Example When your business is still relatively small, and you don’t have a lot of employees around, you’ll have a more visible role. You’re not just going to be the boss-man that no one has ever seen. People will look up to you for direction and instruction. So, if you expect your employee to work a certain way, or show certain behaviors, you’re going to have to lead by example. Here’s an infographic from Clarius that should provide food for thought. Good Bosses Provide Feedback Your workers are not machines. They are social beings in a very social setting. Which means if they’re providing you with their services, they expect feedback. Especially if they’ve done something nice for the team, or gone out of their job descriptions to help achieve a goal. You need to keep track of how each employee is working. There’s lots of employee monitoring tools that help you do that. Here are a few pointers from Talk Desk on what sorts of feedback you need to provide. Good Bosses are Inspiring The most important element of your job is keeping your workforce inspired. Your employees need someone to look up to, so simply being good at your business won’t be good enough. No matter what kind of boss you are, or what business culture you sit on top of, you need to develop certain qualities that inspire and enthuse your team. Entrepreneur has some very useful words of advice. Good Bosses Reward Employees Good performance should reap good rewards. It’s all part of positive reinforcement, isn’t it? (cozumelparks.com) But it’s more about giving your employees something to work toward. It’s about keeping them refreshed and happy at their jobs, and telling them their good performance doesn’t go unnoticed. And OfficeVibe says rewards doesn’t even mean money. So it’s not that hard to be a good boss, after all. If you’ve got some pointers or advice of your own, feel free to share with us!

Child Monitoring

This Psychiatrist is Encouraging More Parents to Say ‘No’

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Robin Berman is a psychiatrist, MD, and a parenting group leader. She’s also a published author of the book “Permission to Parent”, which has been noted for its rather polarizing concept of the hierarchy of family. But essentially, what she says in the book is that more parents need to tell their children ‘no’. What Berman has noticed about parenting styles in the recent past is that parents have given up their roles as leaders. In an attempt to be loving parents, or to correct the narrative of their own childhood demons, they let their kids assume the dominant role. And when the hierarchy is infiltrated, the ‘nutrients’ a child would need to become a well-balanced, well adapted adult is gone. Here’s Berman explaining her stance in her own words. Berman thinks parents these days are too protective, too soft with their children. Which means these kids have no coping mechanism when they finally get out in the real world. They are thrust into competitive sports, or school, or work. But because they never learnt to take a ‘No’ at home, they don’t take well to a No offered by employers, teachers, even their peers. Previously, we’ve talked of how excessive praising causes narcissism in children. And I think Berman is talking about the same principle. She wants parents to parent. To step up and create limits, but do it in a fashion that is constructive rather than oppressive. Because as she points out, the way you talk to your children becomes the way they talk to themselves. You don’t want their self-narration to be derogatory and harmful. These are a few takeaways from her parenting style: Learn to tell them “No” to teach them resilience. Appreciate them when they have put in hard work, or done a selfless deed Allow your children to become problem solvers They may not always succeed, but that is part of the process Let them take responsibility, even if they have to experience failure Sure, this parenting style is more headstrong than others. But it is useful if you want to nurture your children into becoming practical, emotionally equipped young adults. It is in every parent’s instinct to treat their child like they are the most special person in the world. And that’s a wonderful thing… but it mustn’t be all words and smoke. The best you can do is give them the tools to try, know that they will fail, but get back up and try harder. That’s what will truly make them special.

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