Students Of Success

There are many ways to improve the way you communicate. For example, you will always start things off on the right foot by opening the conversation in a way that creates mutual respect. Using phrases such as, “If you have a minute, I’d like to talk with you about something that I think will improve the way we work together,” helps set your conversation partner at ease. It tells him or her that you have positive intentions.

It is also important to know your purpose for the conversation. Some purposes are more useful than others. A useful purpose is one you have power over. For instance, you can control your own reaction; you can share your view; learn about your partner’s view; work toward a sustainable solution.

On the other hand, examples of purposes that are NOT useful are: trying to change the other person; attempting to control their reaction; or going in with a hidden agenda.

Be Interested

Of the many ways to improve your conversation skills, one of the best is to be interested. Curiosity is one of the most useful tools in the communication toolbox. When you enter the conversation with “beginner’s mind,” you will necessarily adopt the attitude of a learner. You will not have to pretend to ask honest, open questions. They will come naturally. As you listen, you can reflect on what is being said (and not said). You will gain information and ease tension. If you can’t think of a question, you can always acknowledge what you’ve heard, or you can say: “I see, tell me more about that.”

One of the reasons we’re not curious more often is that we mentally equate curiosity with agreement. We think that if we don’t disagree immediately, our conversation partner will assume we’re okay with whatever he is saying. This is not useful thinking. It prevents you from seeing the whole picture and from learning where your partner is coming from.

The next time you find yourself in a difficult conversation, give yourself and your partner a gift by asking questions - questions to which you do not know the answer. Watch what happens. You will learn a lot, and you will feel more powerful, not less. Remember - listening does not equal agreement. It means you are a skilled and active learner, a good partner, and a conscious communicator. Live, learn, and enjoy the moment.

Good luck and good communication!

© 2005 Judy Ringer, Power & Presence Training

About the Author: Judy Ringer is the author of Unlikely Teachers: Finding the Hidden Gifts in Daily Conflict, containing stories and practices on conflict, communication and living a more purposeful life. Judy is a black belt in aikido and nationally known presenter, specializing in unique workshops on creating a more positive work environment. She is the founder of Power & Presence Training, and chief instructor of Portsmouth Aikido, Portsmouth, NH, USA. To sign up for more free tips and articles like these, visit http://www.JudyRinger.com

Note: You’re welcome to reprint this article as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the ‘about the author’ info at the end).

It is cost effectiveness that plays a major role when we buy some product. Same as before availing any loan, we judge, whether the loan is cost effective or not. But we barely find such kind of loans, as most of the loans are given on high- rate of interest and that doesn’t suit our pocket. Now with low rate secured loans, one can borrow money without burning his pocket.

Secured loans are available against any collateral. The collateral can be any worthwhile asset. It could be your home, car or you can use your saving account against low rate secured loans.

However, secured loans are bedecked with a number of advantages. With secured loans, you can get a loan of 125% of your collateral or up to £250000. The rate of interest on secured loans is comparatively low, as secured loans are obtainable against collateral. Even, you will get an option of choosing between a fixed or variable rate. Since, the rate of interest is lower on secured loans, so, you will have to pay a lesser amount as monthly installment. Besides, with secured loans, you will get an option to choose the duration of the repayment period that can be ranged from 3-25 years.

At the same time, you should keep in your mind that you can get secured loans against your property that is used as security. So before applying for secured loans just check your financial capacity. Unless, you are not able to repay, then your property will be at risk.

Generally, in secured loans the interest rate is relatively low, but it could be lower. With good credit history and dependable repayment capacity the lender will not hesitate to provide you a better interest rate. Even the worth of collateral also does matter to get a low rate secured loans. Apart from that, some efforts are necessitated to obtain low rate secured loans. Shop around, and search for various lenders such as banks and other financial institutions, who offer secured loans. You can use Internet too, as many lenders offer their quotes through online. And needless to say, comparison of these quotes is the best option to choose a low rate secured loans.

A secured loan is a personal loan, which are available against any collateral. With so many benefits and so many options it is like borrowing nothing at all and still able to pursue what we want to. So if you are thinking of borrowing a loan you know which the best is.

Aldrich Chappel has been associated with get-secured-loans, since its inception. Having completed his Masters in Finance from Lancaster University Management School, he undertook to provide useful advice through his articles that have been found very useful by the residents of the UK. To Find Secured loans, Low rate secured loans UK visit www.get-secured-loans.co.uk

Whether you are searching for something to say “Happy Birthday” or “Merry Christmas” a dog owner will agree that dog lover gifts are always among those most cherished and appreciated.

Many times, a dog lover’s gift is designed with a specific breed in mind; among the various popular breeds owned include the following:

Beagles
Boston Terriers
Chihuahuas
Bulldogs
Jack Russell Terriers
Pugs
Golden Retrievers
Poodles
Dachshunds
Shih-Tzu

The type of dog an owner has often is a reflection of their personality; thus it shouldn’t be too difficult selecting a dog lover gift that is well suited for Fido and Fido’s parents.

Many owners are fans of the smaller breeds, often referred to as “toy” dogs. Among these include Pomeranians, Shih-Tzu and toy poodles. These animals are often purebreds, and owners traditionally love showing off their animals to anyone willing to admire. These dogs often are “stereotyped” in movies, hiding out in the purses of “well bred” women who are polished, coiffed and manicured. These small animals often are depicted as enjoying a trip to the salon with mom for a brush and trim. Smaller breeds of dogs are often the perfect selection for families living in smaller apartments. Some dogs are even smaller than popular breeds of cats! The Yorkshire terrier is a perfect example of a pup small enough to fit in the palm of your hand!

Many owners of specialized breeds enter their pups into competition. Many hours are spent grooming, fluffing and primping the animals for show; thus dog lover gifts might include any accessories that help complement their dog’s unique features or characteristics. Undoubtedly upon entering the house of one of these award winning animals, you will find ribbons and hundreds of pictures of the stunning champion. The ideal dog lover gifts for people owning a prize dog would be anything that highlights and helps show off puppies stunning nature and well behaved personality. Clothing and picture frames are often popular choices for this category of dog.

Still other dogs are cherished for their warm, loving personalities and “family” natures. Golden Retrievers for example, are a popular choice among families with children. These animals are generally high energy but very well behaved, making them the perfect selection for a family with many young, energetic and playful children. For these, toys woudl be very well received, as the kids can play with them, while enjoying their pet.

Adriana Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas that don’t blow the bank. You can find more Dog Lover Gift Ideas at her
site. Want regular reminders on gift-giving? Sign up for Gift News her free monthly newsletter.

Many people are experiencing the effects of employers cutting
back on benefits to save money. One of the first benefits to be
cut is the dental plan; this leaves many people without a means
to pay for a dental visit. For these people the purchase of a
discount dental plan is the only way they can afford to get a
cleaning, not to mention any other major dental work. Following
are a few tips to help you choose the right dental plan for your
situation.

1- When you are searching for a discount dental plan it is
important to establish that you are dealing with a reputable
company. You want a company that has a good reputation with
agencies such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB); you can check
the BBB website or call your local office. You will also want to
do a general search for frauds involving the plans that you are
looking at, if they are involved in any kind of a fraud, you
will be able to find the information you will need to avoid it.

2- Be sure that your dentist participates in the plan. Do not
trust what the plan is telling you are participating dentists,
it is best to call your dentist personally to ask. You will want
to ask your dentist the costs with and with out the plan to
accurately compare prices between the two.

3- Most discount dental plans boast a 60-80% cost savings over
regional prices for dental work. However, you will want to check
into any fees that may be charged, such as memberships and
deductibles for dental work and office visits. Depending upon
the fees charged, the plan may or may not be a good deal.

4- A big advantage for discount dental plans is that everyone is
accepted into the program. It does not matter if there is
unfinished work that needs to be done or if the patient has had
problem with other dental plans in the past.

5- However, there are disadvantages to these types of programs
also. For example, the choices of dentists that participate in
discount dental plans can be minimal. In many parts of the
country, this is a concept that is just starting to catch on.
Depending upon where you live, you may or may not find a dentist
in your area that participates, the chance that you will find
your dentist on the list is even smaller.

Auto sales training is definitely a constant need in any successful auto dealership, and one that you will find many dealerships not implementing properly because of lack of time. In today’s day and age, having a sharp and well trained staff is no longer a luxury; it’s an absolute necessity.

Car dealerships today are faced with the fact that the traditional auto sales training programs are “not cutting it.” These courses that they have been putting their staff through are not keeping pace with the technological advancements that are coming to the market on a daily basis. Think about it like this: One “X” brand dealership has a well trained staff; one that has a well organized auto sales training program which every single staff member completes. They train their staff the “steps-to-the-sale” and how to properly deal with prospects, customers and some advanced skills in relationship building.

Conversely, a competitor on the other side of the city realizes that they need to stay up with the advancements in technology that seem to take place daily. They have integrated their auto sales training program with a few external trainers, so now this staff is being trained in some amazing new ways. They all individually have their own web sites…a blog…and a PDA.

They are taught how to develop a relationship with their prospects and customers in a way that the dealership ultimately benefits from 10 fold. The sales staff, through the auto sales training program, is now able to engage and utilize technology; while the dealership management has leveraged the relationships of these staff members to ultimately grow the bottom line dramatically.

Which of these two dealerships would you want to be?

I think that the choice is clear, as well as imperative. You see, it is just impossible to be great, or even good, at multiple things…as there is just not enough time in a day. Dealers and the management teams are busy buying cars, selling cars and training their staff on how to buy and sell cars. Technology is flying by us at an incredible pace…and it is proven to be true; that the dealers that have totally engaged technology are the ones that have been able to leverage their time and resources in ways only once imagined.

One really quick example I would like to give regarding leverage is this: the Credit Union sale. Dealers go to Credit Unions all the time to “joint venture” a sale to the clients of the respective Credit Union. Why do they do this? The answer is quite simple. Credit Unions have fantastic relationships with their members, and by leveraging this relationship, dealers are now able to communicate and do business with an entirely new group of individuals that they may not have previously had access to. This is the power of leverage.

Now apply this to a well trained sales staff; a staff that has engaged technology to the fullest and is using this technology to develop their relationships with their prospects and customers.

Now, think about this, while your sales staff is developing better relationships with their prospects and customers…blogs, websites, pod casts, email marketing…the dealership is the ultimate benefactor. Conversely, if the dealership itself is the one that is attempting to do the direct marketing to these potential customers, it is merely seen as MARKETING.

I hope you all see the benefit of not only empowering your sales staff with a more efficient auto sales training program, but that you see how it is ultimately in the best interests of the dealership.

Visit http://www.mindsetforsales.com to learn how you can acquire the technology to stay ahead in this game!

Yes, it really is possible to go bananas with your music! Take my word for it, because I’ve helped many musicians do so in the past and here’s your chance to do it to. One of the most important ways to sky rocket your sales, increase your fan base and music career is to start your online newsletter that keeps people updated about what’s going on in the life of an artist, which is you.

I’m quite pleased to say that the online newsletters are one of the most important mediums through which you can keep in touch with everyone, and of course, is the cheapest and cost-effective way of doing so.

There are so many newsletter providers online that can help you for free or for a small fee. The one I recommend is Constant Contact, because it lets you send unlimited emails free to up to 50 members, and then you pay a fee when it increased in number.

It’s also important to define what the newsletter will convey to your fans. Will it be about you as an artist? Will it be based around your band? Will you mention other acts or items in there? Also define its frequency. How often will you send it out? Every week? Every fortnight? Every month? It doesn’t matter what you choose, but ensuring you stick to it is important, as people tend to look out for it if they enjoy it! And they will enjoy it!

Also think about the content when planning. How much will you put in it? Will you use images, and if so, what kind? Will you store past issues in a way that people can access it? Will you feature advertisements?

The main thing for me to convey here is to keep it realistic, simple and write in a tone that is friendly and understandable. Its important to ask for feedback now and again, and perhaps feature comments from your fans now again. Give your articles some kick too!

Instead of your regular two eyes! Get four! Once you’ve written it, get someone to proofread it so that it’s to a good level. Better to have people know that you’ve put effort, and not just doing it because you have to.

Getting a newsletter done is a real simple job! Really 

If you can’t do it, or haven’t got the time, get your manager to do it. Or someone else at least, but do it! It’s really important and it builds relationships and trust with your audience.

The next important thing then is to actually have people to send your online newsletters too. Start small, and grow organically - that’s my secret! Add all your family and friends onto your newsletter list. Then wherever you go, whomever you see, wherever you perform, have a mailing list form/chart that people can fill it out should they wish to so that they can keep up to date with your work. Don’t force it, but let it flow out of you.

If you want some more help in really getting your newsletter to catching and sales quality so that you are making some passive revenue this way, get in touch with us to see how you can better your newsletter.

© Kavit Haria, The Musicians’ Coach

Kavit Haria is The Musicians’ Coach. Kavit is the director of
InnerRhythm, a company that prides on providing success solutions for
musicians worldwide. Kavit sends out a musician development newsletter to
over 2000 musicians in 16 countries every fortnight to help them achieve
their desired results. Sign up now and experience the huge benefits from
www.innerrhythm.org

Dear Daughter,

I love you so much. I wish that I could always protect you from all dangers, but I know that I can’t. You are growing up and you will have to face dangers and make some decisions on your own. However, I am always here and I can always be a pretty good coach. Please talk to me anytime about any problem you may have, even if you have messed up. I have messed up a few times myself.

I was thinking about my last letter on dating. I would like to continue those thoughts. As I think about the potential dangers to avoid, drugs and alcohol are at the top of the list.

The moment you learn that a boyfriend is using any type of illegal drug, begin choosing the location for the break up. Never let the relationship continue thinking that he will give up the drugs for you. I know this sounds cruel, but it is true. People who are using drugs will look you in the eye and convincingly lie about the drug use. The drug use actually alters their personality. They will lie and do things that they wouldn’t normally do.

When you break up with someone over drug use, it’s a little different situation. As described before, choose a semi-private but public location, such as a restaurant. Take your own transportation and enough one dollar bills to pay for whatever you order, if you are meeting in a restaurant.

Get straight to the issue. If you like him, tell him so. If he has some good points, compliment him. Then tell him that you cannot continue dating him because he uses drugs. Tell him that this is something you decided long ago and that you are sticking to it. If it is true, tell him that you still consider him to be a friend, but you will not date him.

He will try to minimize the drug use. He may say that he doesn’t use drugs that often, and that it’s no big deal, everyone does it. He may say that he can quit anytime he wants to quit. He may try to make you feel guilty for treating him so badly. Don’t believe any of this. Tell him that only he can decide what he wants to do, you wish him the best and that you hope, for his sake, he does decide to give up the drugs. Get up and leave.

In about a week or so he may call to tell you that he is off all drugs and doing great. Congratulate him and tell him that you will not consider dating him until he has been drug free for at least a year. He will then try to make you feel bad for being so unreasonable. He may even try to make you feel guilty for not helping him stay off drugs by continuing the relationship. Without you he may start using drugs again. Don’t buy any of this. Tell him that it is up to him to quit the drugs, not you. You are not responsible for his behavior. By the way, if you are thinking that everyone does some drugs so there is no one left to date, you are hanging around the wrong people.

While we are on the subject, do we need to talk about drug use? I don’t think that we do, but if we do, please, please, let’s talk. You need to know that there is a lot of false information out there, most of which comes from the people who are using the drugs. They make it sound really good. It’s not. I have seen many people lose their family, friends, their productive lifestyle, and sometimes their life, because the drug became number one in their life.

Do you know what upsets me the most? Not a single one of those people set out to destroy their life. I am certain that if these people had known what destruction lay ahead, they would have never taken that first drug that seemed so harmless. In reality, the most dangerous illegal drug is the first one taken. It seems so harmless in the beginning.

In spite of the seriousness of drug use there is a simple solution; simply don’t do it. Don’t take that first drug. No matter how harmless it may seem or how good other people make it sound, don’t do it. Make that decision now, before you find yourself faced with “friends” who are encouraging you to “just try it.” Make the decision now so that you will not have to decide when under pressure. There comes a time when you have to make some decisions about yourself. Make good decisions.

By the way, what would you do if you were with a group of friends and suddenly alcohol or an illegal drug turns up? You may be thinking “Don’t take it.” That’s a good answer, but you must do more in this situation. You must leave the group immediately. If the individual with the drugs or alcohol is caught and arrested, the whole group will be arrested. It is important that you choose wisely when it comes to friends. I will have more to say about this in a future letter.

Let me also mention a few things about alcohol. Alcohol is probably the most dangerous drug available in terms of destruction to individuals and families. The reason it is so destructive is because it is legal, socially accepted and readily available.

For those who have trouble with alcohol, the onset of problems is slow and not even noticeable to the victim. Victims of both drug and alcohol dependence often have their world falling apart all around them, and they are in total denial of the problem and the consequences.

You are under age. It is illegal for you to drink alcohol. This makes my advice simple for now. Don’t do it. It’s that simple. No doubt you will find yourself at a party and there will be alcohol present. Don’t do it, leave immediately. It’s illegal and you could be arrested.

When you become an adult and are living on your own, you will have to decide what you will do about alcohol. Some people can drink socially and never have a problem with alcohol abuse or dependence. Other people begin with social drinking and the use slowly increases until it becomes abuse with the entire range of social, and eventually, physical problems. Which group are you in? I don’t know either.

I want you to know that there is a danger involved. To avoid the danger, the best thing to do is choose to not drink alcohol. This is the safest route and the one that I recommend to you.

As far as dating someone who is using alcohol, it is similar to the drug issue. You are under age. If your date brings alcohol around you, he is putting you in danger. You could be arrested. He is being irresponsible and this is your cue to plan the break up. What if he is older and is of legal age to use alcohol? It doesn’t matter. He is still endangering you. Plan the break up.

What will you do later on, when you are of legal age to drink alcohol, and your boyfriend drinks alcohol? This is not a black and white situation. If you have chosen the safe route and you do not drink alcohol, you may have decided that you will only date people who, like you, do not drink alcohol. If so, this simplifies things.

On the other hand, if you wish to continue dating the person, there may or may not be danger. As discussed earlier, some people have trouble with alcohol and some don’t. If the relationship becomes serious, discuss your concerns with him. If you have a good relationship, an in-depth discussion should not be a problem. Remember that you always have access to professional drug and alcohol counselors who can help you evaluate your situation. Be sure you are comfortable with the situation up front rather than after the marriage.

Alan Yarbrough, Ed. D. is a retired psychologist. Letters to my Daughter is a series of heart-touching letters written by a Christian psychologist to his teenage daughter. These letters deliver what most parents want to say, but rarely do. Available at www.pricelessebooks.com or www.amazon.com

Yes… and no! Curriculum is nothing more than a roadmap. Seasoned travelers often
can get to a destination without a map; however, less experienced travelers might
get lost trying to make a trip without a map. It’s the same way with curriculum.
So, you might think that your many years of teaching a Bible study negates the need
for curriculum. Not so fast! How many years you’ve been teaching doesn’t affect
your need for curriculum; it has to do with study skills.

How you study and prepare is more important than your teaching history. If you
don’t have good inductive skills, you really ought to think twice about “flying by the
seat of your pants.”

Every Scripture passage has a context in which it originally was set. Yet, in an effort
to prove our points, we often twist Scripture and make it say things it doesn’t say.
Curriculum publishers use this strategy when trying to make Scripture support their
agendas. That’s why some Bible studies jump around and skip verses or passages.
In a presentation about a stewardship campaign, a representative of the fund-
raising company was discussing the biblical mandate to give. To legitimize his
point, he said, “We should give because God gave. The Bible says, ‘God so loved the
world that He gave!’” I watched as heads nodded and the teaching corps collectively
agreed with his statement. It is true that God did give, but the context of John 3:16
has nothing to do with raising money; it has everything to do with God’s providing a
Savior.

Be wary of the following when selecting your curriculum:

Publishers with agendas. When the agenda becomes more important than
the Scripture, the tendency is toward propaganda, not education.

Publishers with no educational direction. If you check the educational
qualifications of the staffs of some curriculum publishers, you might be surprised to
discover that no one on the staff is trained in adult education. That should be a
concern!

One-issue wonders. Everyone has a pet issue and some curriculum
publishers seem to make every Bible study come back around to their pet issues. If
you find yourself teaching on the same topics over and over, you probably have
found your curriculum publisher’s pet issue. If you keep using that curriculum you’ll
keep teaching that issue!

Studies of non-biblical content. Certainly there have been many great
things written by many great people, but Bible study is Bible study, not “what
someone said about what the Bible says” study!

Plug-n-play studies. If adults want to watch TV, they’ll stay at home.
Technology should be used to enhance the study of God’s Word, not replace it.
Because of the relational aspect of adult education, the attrition rate of “sit and
watch” studies exceeds 50%. This means that more than half of those who start a
study quit before the study ends.

Scripted studies. These are easy to find. If the material has leadership
material, take a look at how many times the instructions give you a statement to
make. Teaching is more than parroting the thoughts of someone else.

Quick fix options. OK, so Saturday was busy and you never got around to
preparing to teach your class. Aren’t you glad you have curriculum that tells you to
grab an item from your kitchen cabinet, read a few verses of Scripture, and consider
yourself to have taught a lesson? James 3:1 warns against taking your teaching
responsibility lightly. It’s unfortunate that curriculum publishers put profit above
educational integrity. The best thing you can do is commit yourself to preparation…
and leave the quick fix solutions stacked in the warehouses of the publishers!

So, what’s left? Honestly, not much! Even when publishers introduce “new”
curriculum, it’s often nothing more than the repackaging of old ideas. In
Teaching for a Change, we show teachers how to prepare to teach, how to
study the Bible, and how to use supplemental resources. There also are lessons to
help teachers deal with bad lessons in the curriculum they use. Teaching for a
Change is the first teacher training elearning course on the market. Because
each lesson takes less than 20 minutes to complete, your time isn’t wasted!

You can download a free copy of the Session Preparation Guide or
enroll in Teaching for a Change at our website. You might not need
curriculum, but you do need a plan! Think about it!

Dr. Terry Hadaway is an author, motivational speaker, university professor, and
conference leader who is recognized as a leading authority on elearning,
decision-making, and adult education. For more information on Rapid Fire Learning,
visit http://www.rapidfirelearning.com.

The first few days home from the hospital are important for both baby and parents. As parents you will have gone through intense birth process that is unlike anything else you have ever experienced. As a new mother you will be drained - both emotionally and physically. The father can often have feelings of being overwhelmed by the huge responsibility he now faces. There probably is not much anyone can say or do to help you to fully prepare for what you are about to experience.

During your first days at home it may be wise to limit the amount of visitors that you welcome into your home because you’ll need a lot of time to recover from the birth process. Other than your immediate family and good friends you might want to ask other friends to wait a week or two before they descend on you with gifts and wanting to hold the new baby.

New mothers will want to pay attention to the way that they feel so that those “baby blues” don’t creep up and surprise you unexpectedly. It is normal to feel a bit out of sorts and sad for the first couple of weeks after giving birth. Your body is going through some major physical changes after the birth of your baby. Your hormones will be changing and you likely will be feeling a lack of sleep. It is important to remember that this is natural and to allow yourself a good amount of time to recover from this. If you find yourself feeling more and more depressed it is advised that you should discuss it with your doctor to see if you are suffering from “postpartum depression”. Symptoms of postpartum depression include:

Overwhelming feelings of sadness and depression accompanied by crying.

Having little or no energy.

Feelings of guilt and worthlessness.

Having no interest in your baby or being overly concerned and worried about your baby.

Weight gain accompanied with overeating or Weight loss accompanied by not eating.

Insomnia or oversleeping.

If you do have postpartum depression then there are a few ways that you can try to beat it:
Try and get as much rest and relaxation as possible. When the baby is asleep use this quiet time to get some rest yourself.

Be more understanding with yourself and do not put yourself under too much pressure to “get back to normal”. Ensure that your family is aware that you need help with housework and so on.

Try to limit the time that you spend just alone - keep your mind and body relatively active (for example by taking short pleasant walks).

Get professional help if the depression seems to be ongoing.

Discuss with other mothers their experiences after birth. You may find that your friends and family members also went through the same issues as you.

During the first few days at home your family will be adjusting to the additional member of your family. If you have other children at home you may be dealing with feelings of jealousy as the new baby takes centre stage. Make sure that you include your other children in the day-to-day activities that are part of the new baby’s routine. Remember that you are trying to adjust to some huge changes in your life so allow yourself the understanding and care that you would give to family and friends in your situation.

Keziah Engineer is the author of the best selling ebook “THE BABY CARE BOOK” - a resource that teaches new parents absolutely everything they need to know about their newborn babies: http://www.global-ebooks.com/babybook.htm

Designing Your Kid’s Room is Child’s Play! By BatSheva Vaknin

Would your child’s room benefit from some fresh design ideas and
reorganization? Most could, but it can be hard to know where to
begin and what concepts to use. Obviously, the age and
personality of your child, not to mention your budget, will
dictate much of the design concept. But where and how to begin?
With these easy-to-follow tips, you will be ready to dive right
in and decorate. A room with a viewpoint Every piece of
furniture, wall-hanging and accessory in a child’s room
contributes to an overall feeling conveyed by the room. A sports
theme conveys excitement, while soft white clouds against a
light blue sky add a relaxing, inspirational touch. Choose the
design that is right for your child by having a conversation
with each object and piece of furniture before you place it in
the room, asking what it could contribute and where it would
like to be placed. Ask the room what color it would like to be
painted, or the walls what they would like hanging on them. Stay
open-minded and you will realize the answer to each question is
within you. Give your child the room of his or her dreams -
literally Did you know that children sleep for up to sixteen
hours a day and sometimes more, depending on their age? For
child development, sleep is as vital for health and well-being
as food. So your first consideration when designing your child’s
bedroom should be to create a space that feels comfortable, warm
and safe. Keep this in mind when planning to decorate, since
creating an atmosphere where your child can sleep peacefully is
more important than adapting the latest hot design trend.
Minimize distractions, maximize peace of mind Messy, cluttered
rooms add a subtle layer of stress to the inhabitant, and can
inhibit proper relaxation. Keep your child’s room
well-organized, with as few distractions as possible. Before you
begin to decorate your child’s room, remove all furniture, toys,
clothes, and wall-hangings. Clean the entire room, using natural
cleaners that won’t irritate your child’s sensitive nostrils and
lungs. Color me beautiful Paint can transform an ordinary room
into a world of your child’s own. Color will influence how your
child feels, so choose shades or combinations that promote
relaxation, security, happiness and love. Green, blue, pink,
pastel orange, and beige are all good choices. Let your child
help pick the color, but stay away from bright reds and yellows
which can be overly vibrant, making it hard for your child to
relax, and from dreary grays, browns or black, which can be
depressing and may affect your child’s mood. Paint should be
freshened every two to four years, and should provide a nice
backdrop for the rest of the room.

Bed sheets, blankets and bumpers should also be soothing to the
eye, so steer clear of bright, dominant colors. Pastels of any
color work fine here, as does plain white or cream. When it
comes to room accents, you can be creative with colors. A
child’s chair or step stool can be painted in bright primary
colors, eliciting feelings of excitement, while a large soft
teddy bear or rug can be light blue or pink, enveloping your
child in comfort and love. Clear that clutter! Once the paint is
dry, bring back in the bed. Place the bed in its ideal location,
then one by one, fill out the room with the other furniture
pieces (see Feng Shui Tips, below). If the room starts to look
cluttered, do not feel you must fit in everything. Trade the
chest of drawers for a closet organizer, wire or wood systems.

Clothes that no longer fit should be donated, passed to a friend
in need, or stored in waterproof storage boxes in a garage or
storage space, along with clothes that are out of season. (Make
sure if you are storing these clothes to clearly mark the
outside of the boxes for easy identification.) Limit toys and
books to those the child makes use of daily and weekly. Give
away unused toys, or store them in waterproof boxes in a garage
or storage space. The more clothes and toys you get rid of, the
more room you will have for future fashions and fun activities.
Feng Shui tips You may have heard or read about Feng Shui, the
ancient Chinese art of object and furniture placement. Feng Shui
explains that each area of a room attracts a different type of
energy from the other areas. Implementing Feng Shui in your
child’s bedroom design can maximize the effectiveness of the
furniture and art you are already planning to use. For example,
Feng Shui teaches that a bed should be placed in the corner of
the room farthest from the door. Your child’s head should be at
the end of the bed where the door can be easily viewed, and
there is no chance of getting startled by an unexpected visitor.

The northern section of your child’s room promotes stillness, so
this would be an example of an ideal placement for the bed. The
desk should be placed far from the door, in the Northeast part
of the room if possible, since this is the Knowledge/Education
Sector. This area is also a great place for educational posters,
such as letters of the alphabet or a picture of Einstein. Select
artwork carefully, taking time to notice any hidden messages.
Each image gives off a specific vibration, so only choose the
most positive pictures for the walls.

Of all the activities your child will do in his or her room -
including grooming, relaxing, studying, and playing - in mind
that sleep is most important and must be supported by the design
of the room. Take your child’s personality into consideration,
as well as his or her hobbies and special interests. Still, keep
all décor in check so that it does not overwhelm or clutter the
space. And finally, have fun! The energy, love and care you
bring to this project will permeate every object’s placement,
adding an invisible yet invaluable element to whatever design
you choose to implement.

Please find the original article and more information about this
subject at
http://www.homeandliving.com/DesignAdvice.aspx?Category=KidsRoom

If you would like to publish this article on your own site,
please feel free to do so. Please let us know the url of the
posted article by emailing the url to
batsheva@homeandliving.com. All we ask is that you include the
whole article, without changes, including the link to the
original article location, author information, this disclaimer
and the following link.

Find great home furniture online at www.homeandliving.com.