Launched into door to door preaching and sales of religious publications at the age of 6, Jan Janzen spent 38 years as a Jehovah’s Witness!

But in 1999, she walked away from a religion she had known all her life and lost almost everything – friends, most of her family and her husband of 18 years. No longer feeling comfortable “being in the box” of the religion, she escaped the confines by literally moving to an island and cutting off all connection with her past.

Jan Janzen

Now that Jan was “out” she realized she needed to learn the very basic things most Western society take for granted, including how to celebrate her first birthday and Christmas at 40 years old and what new beliefs she needed to develop in order to function alone in an entirely new society. Everything in her life was now in question – from blood transfusions to sex.

Jan knows what it takes to sell (she purchased her first Molly Maid franchise at the age of 19) so she threw herself into business. Nominated as one of the “most influential women in business in Vancouver, in 2003, Jan began one of the fastest growing networking organizations for women.

In May 2004 she became ordained as a non-denominational minister and after completing her studies with Religious Science, she spent 8 weeks volunteering in South Africa. After a strong gift of healing showed up in 2005, Jan helped clear her business coaching clients of the emotional and limiting blocks that were holding them back in their business. Her healing business, booked solid weeks in advance, was built entirely by referral.

“You can only grow professionally as much as you are willing to grow personally.”
- Jan Janzen

Jan´s latest book, Getting Off the Merry-Go-Round: How to Create the Life You Want Without the Fear, Doubt and Guilt was released in late 2008 and chronicles Jan´s journey from almost bankrupt, homeless and divorced to the amazing life she lives in abundance today.

Getting Off The Merry-Go-Round By Jan Janzen

Jan’s story is amazing! I have learned a lot from Jan’s Book Getting Off the Merry-Go-Round. Jan’s book made me rethink my own beliefs, revisit past issues in my life and finally feel that I can make my own decision that was right for me. I finally understood some of the issues I was facing, and I am working on them each and every day thanks to Jan’s book. This is not one of those “read fast” and put it away types of self-help books, this is one you will want to keep on your bookshelf and re-read it often.

It is such an inspiration to hear other’s stories and learn from them, Jan’s story is one that I will remember for a long time to come!

Learn more about Jan, search her services, download eBooks and more by visiting her site today at http://www.janjanzen.com

Attention Entrepreneurs, Business Owners, Speakers, Coaches, Authors, and Consultants!

Do you have a product or service you want to bring to a larger audience?

Do you have a message you are bursting to deliver to enrich people’s lives?

Discover how to use radio interviews to sell more books, products, and services than you ever thought possible

….. And be viewed as an expert and celebrity at the same time!

Did you know that Jack Canfield, co- author of Chicken Soup for The Soul ® books identified “being of service to massive amounts of people” as one of his five top passions? You’ll find that on page 23 in Janet and Chris Attwood’s book, The Passion Test.

He’s built name recognition, made a fortune selling his books, products and services AND enriched people’s lives all over the world by incorporating media interviews into his marketing strategy.

He’s been a featured guest on more than 1,000 radio and television programs in nearly every major market worldwide – many of them on a repeat basis.

Are you playing too small?

If you’re serious about taking your business to the next level, adding radio interviews into your marketing plan is a no-brainer decision when you do it the right way.

Insider Tips to Shine as a Radio Guest, 5-week Mentorship program will give you the road map to launch your radio interview career. Get you message out, build credibility as an expert, and make money from the comfort of your home or office. **All calls will be recorded so you’ll never miss a thing.

Click here to find out about what you’ll learn

Look at the featured audios you’ll receive from past guest experts!

~ Lori Giovannoni – Best-selling author and international speaker

~ Ilene Dillon – Seasoned show host of Full Power Living Radio

~ Suzann Rye- Bestselling author and an internationally renowned expert on voice and performance training.Plus bonus interviews from these past featured guest experts:

~ Alex Carroll – best-selling author and Radio Publicity Expert

~ Kathleen Gage – Internet marketing expert, award-winning author and speaker

~ Jackie Lapin – Award-winning media and public relations expert

~ Dianne Legro –International speaker, voice specialist and speech/presentations skills expert

~ Anita Pathik-Law – published author, coach, broadcaster and inspirational guest expert

Imagine what you’d pay to pick their brains in a private consultation. Thousands!

Insider Tips to Shine as a Radio Guest, 5-week Mentorship program begins May 27, 2009 and seats are filling NOW. Learn how to become a “knock your socks off guest” hosts LOVE to book!

Until midnight May 15, you get the entire program for $100 off the regular price. You pay only $397. After that the price goes to $497.

Register here

I had the honored priviledge to interview Dr. Doris Helge, Ph.D. again on Heal Yourself Talk Radio.

Doris has written many books such as “Joy On The Job” and “Transforming Pain Into Power” which I highly recommend to each and everyone of my listeners and visitors to Heal Yourself Talk Radio.

“Doris, made me feel so empowered! She always recognize and stresses my strengths. Doris helped me realize that I am on track with my life and that there is nothing wrong with who I am. At points in my personal and professional life I wanted to just up and walk away from all the hard work I had been doing. Doris was there to help me not only sort through my thoughts and feeling of being overwhelmed, she was also able to show me that with every new step in my professional life comes growing pains and you helped me work through them.”-Rebbekah White owner of Heal Yourself Talk Radio and Heal Yourself Magazine

On Today’s show recorded out of WBNW 1120 AM Boston Radio station you will hear “The Joy Coach,” Dr. Doris Helge, reveal secrets for transforming pain into peace & personal power. Shield yourself from negative people. Say goodbye to delight-deficiency disorder. Discover how to use change, uncertainty & challenge to your advantage. For a sneak peek, go to http://www.MoreJoyOnTheJob.com now.

Don’t forget to go to http://www.FreeJoyEbook.com to receive your FREE eBook from Doris.

Today’s show was our first AM Radio Show out of Boston MA on WBNW 1120 AM radio and I am very proud to have had Stacey Kannenburg on the show to talk about how we can become more involved in our children’s education.

We talk about several topics that are near and dear to parents hearts. Including how to be more involved in our children’s education, how to handle bullies and more. Rebbekah talks a little bit about how having  child with autism can be a struggle in the beginning but with the right contact with school administration and teachers how that can change your child’s education and make a parent feel more at ease.

Stacey is the author of Preparing for Kindergarten and Preparing for First Grade.

Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten! and Let’s Get Ready For First Grade! are winners of the Adding Wisdom Award and are taking the nation by storm, helping parents and kids prepare for Kindergarten and First Grade! Teachers at home and school love it!   It’s not a storybook or a workbook; it’s a book that covers the curriculum that children learn by reading. These books are a great resource for any parent whose child is entering school. The activities are both fun and easy so kids won’t feel like they are doing homework. In the back there are also helpful parenting and caregiver tips such as, always have paper, pencils, crayons, glue and scissors readily available. Other features include a doodling page and questions for parents to ask their children while reading. All-in-all this is a great resource for both parents and children to learn together!

Today’s show we have two time football hall of famer Vince Palko on the show talking about many different topics. From his gridiron exercises call The Super Body Blitz to how to tackle stress in the tough economy.

The interview was set up to talk about Vince’s wonderful Super Body Blitz Workout and to talk a little about his career as an ad toons artist, but it morphed into so much more! For that I am glad!  You really get to now who Vince Palko is.  I do suggest that you sign up for his newsletter found at http://www.vincepalko.com I receive it and love reading every newsletter he sends, this is not your ordinary newsletter, each one is packed full of Vince’s wit, charm and humour.

Vince had some wonderful tips on tackling stress for those who need a list like I do I am going to post them here:

#1 Get Moving-When you feel stressed or overwhelmed get up and get moving!  Exercise, get your body moving.  Vince calls the 3 E’s that happen when you do this step as Evaporate Stress, Energize the body, Enable you to see that you are still in control of you own life.

#2 Find a hobby that you enjoy, that you can get lost in, that will help you get lost in and forget your worries.  We also touched on a little bit about taking your hobby and turning it into a profession.

#3 Set up the vision-see what it is you want and see it, visualize it, draw it, write about it, surround yourself with people and places that are what you want.

For instance Vince gives several instances in his life that he used as a kid in school to visualize him on the college pro line…when you read Vince’s bio below you will see he achieved that and much more…

So before I write about the whole interview I will stop and let you click on the player button and listen to this fascinating man and what he has accomplished in his life just by knowing who he wanted to be, know what he wanted to do, and had a plan and a vision.

This show is so much more than about his exercise program The Super Body Blitz, you have to listen to the show.

More about Vince Palko:

Ever since Vince was a young boy he has been fascinated with fitness information and techniques to improve his skill as an athlete.

In the summers growing up, Vince organized group neighborhood runs to prepare for the upcoming football seasons.

This dedication and discipline in his fitness and conditioning carried forward into high school. Vince helped his football team win its first State Title in over 15 years. He caught the eye of several coaches from Div. I Colleges and choose to attend Bowling Green State University on a full scholarship. He started all four years at linebacker and was elected captain two years in a row. He helped his team win two MAC championships and win two Bowl Games. Sidenote: Vince is a Hall of Fame member of both his High School and college, Bowling Green State University.

After college, Vince traveled overseas to play professional football in Hamburg, Germany where he lead the Blue Devils to three German and Eurobowl Championships.

He learned from some of the best strength and conditioning coaches all over the world in Europe and the NCAA DI college he attended.

Whether it was college and pro coaches giving him the secrets to increase his endurance through 180 minutes of intense gridiron battles– Vince has seen it all. And applied it all. The application of this knowledge has lead to improving his life physically, mentally, and emotionally. He now shares his knowledge with a global community of newsletter subscribers.

He in an information entrepreneur running Triple Your Endurance, Success Visuals, AdToons, Done4YouOnline all out of his spare room in the basement.

Vince has three daughters under the age of 6.

Vince’s sites are http://www.vincepalko.com and http://www.adtoons.com

I am excited to introduce Amie Jo Greer The Voice of Las Vegas. Amie Jo started out on the internet and now has her own broadcast radio show daily in Las Vegas. Today we will be talking about her Non Profit organization Corner4Success Girls Club. Which teaches at risk girls the life skills needed to make a better life.

Amie Jo Greer started out online with her business like so many of us moms do. Amie Jo did interviews and wrote articles on famous people and the successes they had in their lives.  Amie Jo shares with us about her first marriage, her children, the successes and set backs in her life.  How it is ok to make mistakes as long as we learn from them and how by making those mistakes we are learning a life lesson that we can pass on to others.

Amie Jo is an inspiration to me as she is doing what I dream of one day doing run a real radio show on AM/FM radio.  Her story is so much like mine talking to Amie Jo today gave me renewed hope in my dreams once again.

For more information on Amie Jo’s daily radio show and her Corner4Success for at risk girls go to her website at  http://www.corner4success.com/home

You can listen to Amie Jo’s shows everyday streaming from http://www.klav1230am.com from Noon to 1 pm pst.

To make a contribution either of services or money to the Corners4Success Girls club go to http://www.corner4success.com and click on the contact button.  Someone from the office will get back in touch with you, or feel free to call in to 702-220-8625 and speak to Vicky.

There isn’t a topic that comes up more frequently in coaching work than the subject of boundaries.

Years ago the mention of boundaries generally referred to property lines or dividing lines between states or between countries. Not now. Now boundaries relate to something much more personal. Boundaries refer to the lines in the sand we draw about how people treat us, about what we decide is acceptable or not, what behaviors we are willing to tolerate and how we want to be treated or spoken to. A sure sign we aren’t setting boundaries for ourselves is continually feeling we are victimized and recurring resentments towards others.

If that sounds like you, tune in for our program on Setting Personal Boundaries: Learning to Draw Lines in the Sand with Women’s Life Coach, Donna Karson.

Topics discussed:

Rebbekah discusses feelings of anger, and feeling taken advantage of by family members who seem to feel that her house is theres to come and go as they please.

A caller calls in about setting boundaries with her mother about smoking in her house….

I was a participant in Marilyn’s program last year called “I Create My Body.” Here is what I wrote for a testimonal for her class:

When I first approached Marilyn about her I Create My Body Program I was overweight and depressed. It was coming into summer and I so dreaded getting into that swimsuit for our annual 4th of July family get together. I had no motivation, didn’t even want to pop in another exercise video and try to lose the 15 pounds I wanted to lose in order to feel good for that gathering.

I signed up for Marilyn’s class and within a few days had talked my hubby into getting me a bike so that I could get off my chair and get moving. Marilyn suggested I do something I really love…I love to bike ride but had been putting off getting a new one for ages…well, with Marilyn’s suggestion I went out and got one.

Not only was I seeing a change in my body as the weeks went by but also a change in my hubby’s attention, the self confidence I was gaining back, and the way I felt after bike riding.

During that first month and a half I lost 10 pounds just by changing the way I thought about losing weight thanks to Marilyn’s program and support.

If you have struggled with the “not another diet program” blues, then this program is for YOU! It is not another one of those dreaded diets that make you feel like you are depriving yourself. This is a total body makeover from the inside out!

Thank you Marilyn.

Rebekah White
Owner of Heal Yourself Talk Radio
http://www.healyourselftalk.com

The I Create My Body Program is a unique lesson and mentoring experience that is based on a mental technique for losing weight that prosperity mentor Marilyn Jenett discovered many years ago from a great New Thought teacher. She used the technique over the decades to maintain her own perfect weight.

The wonderful testimonials from students of the program prove its effectiveness and now YOU will understand how you can lose weight in a natural, effortless way – by gently shifting the subconscious dominant thought. The name I Create My Body is appropriate because the program eliminates the concepts of “dieting, weight, losing weight, etc.” and instead refocuses all attention, consciously and subconsciously, on the desired result – a fit, healthy body.

By applying techniques to instill new seed thoughts in the subconscious, you create a new set of core beliefs, and those beliefs in turn create healing and a new physical condition. Any changes in your habits or routine are inspired from the inside out…naturally…not from any will power or forced action.

Marilyn is the founder and creator of the renowned Feel Free to Prosper program and adapted her teachings to include this “body prosperity.” Click here for details about the upcoming I Create My Body live teleclass:

Start your journey to successful weight loss today join the I Create My Body Network Today Click Here!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  (This applies to work, relationships and family)

Let’s examine the possibility of a simple attitude adjustment in how we look at  improvement in living as the way to move forward rather than change.  Why?  Change implies bringing all the baggage of the past along.  That means allowing for the “we cannot know what we do not know” we explored before in Ho’oponopono.  This often includes letting go of “stuff”, such as the voices of your youth; of the you cannot do that; should not do that; are you kidding me”, and negative thoughts of others, that fill our psyche with negative energy.  We end up fighting not just the desire to change but the voices that have haunted for years as to why we can’t.   So change becomes an exhausting endeavor?  And when humans are exhausted they are prone to give up and believe they have failed.

Thinking deeper; when you decide to select improvement in living you bring forward yourself and the “definite intent” of your being front and center.  You leave the other “stuff” behind because all of us strive to improve and are happy when we do.

Defending this prognosis:  Change has two responses either reactive or response.

First, reactive meaning looking for what’s wrong.  Second ,response meaning looking for what’s right. See the difference!  Subtle change, major shift towards moving forward with hope which now flows as a quiet stream as we move through our day. 

Word to the wise:  Make time for cherishing each other.  

Hint:  Knowledge is a result.  Going backward is a result.  Incomplete is a result.  Begin every task with the “intent to finish”.  Why?  So you do not get caught in the circle of repeat.

These principles called mastering the art of living are aligned with the laws of attraction and the art of forgiveness called Ho’oponopono.  “Attitude is everything, there is nothing else!”  Nani

Katherine Reschke of The Passion Project interviewed me on her show about finding passion for your work at home business-doing what you love and love what you are doing

I have a passion for helping others, I brought this passion to me by starting a podcast called Heal Yourself Talk Radio on August 10, 2006.  By doing what you love and also have a passion for, you will be successful.  I know many times people tell you that you cannot have passion in order to have a successful business, that is not true.

Think about it Donald Trump has a passion for what he does, Einstein and Henry Ford all had their passions and their passions became very successful businesses…listen to the show here

Being a parent who’s son is bullied at school I know the heartache, the fear and the feeling of total helplessness when it comes to this topic. Today Katherine Reschke is on helping us with tips on how we as parents can help our children learn how to deal with bullies and in the process help us feel more in control of the situation.

Katherine Reschke is a life and business coach. She was born in England, UK and originally trained as an elementary school teacher. She left the teaching profession to become a full time mom and has 3 children. She came to the States in 1999 and worked as a substitute teacher before training as a coach and setting up a home business. She is very passionate about parenting and also about passion so she coaches both on parenting and helping people to find their passion. Her websites are www.betterparentingcoach.com and www.passionsthatpay.com .

What is the perceived value of working from a home office?

Have you ever been told that because you work from home or at home that you should be able to charge less than any other professional in your industry?

I haven’t yet, but there will come a day!

While reading through some other posts and after having listened to some of the shows here at blog talk radio, I’ve seen and heard of the perceptions attached to work at home moms or even work at home professionals.

Let me bring up some questions for you.

Have you invested time in researching your products, and your market?

Have you invested money in your equipment and tools?

Have you spent time building up contacts and learning what they want?

Have you worked hard to give your customer the best products that they can get?

If the answer is no, then you need to all of those things or get out of the business of being in business!

If  the answer is yes, then what difference does it make that you work out of your home?

You still have to pay the bills to keep the lights and electricity on, right? You have to have a way to run your printer that makes your printed products, and the mixer that makes your bath and body products, and the computer that helps you keep in contact with your customers and suppliers. Right?

Those are all the same things that any other professional in your industry has to do!

Now, for the most important question…..

How do YOU perceive your business?

What can a Dentist Teach you about Business, Life, and Success…with Dr. Capista

What would you do if you could achieve the life of your dreams?

A life filled with purpose, contribution and spirit. 

Well, you can! 

Dr. Capista reveals insights into the very thought processes and systems that took him from being an average student growing up in an average blue-collar neighborhood to becoming a multi-millionaire and one of the most successful business owners in his industry.

Post your comments or questions for Dr. Joe Capista below, please allow all guest speakers 48-72 hours to answer any questions or comments posted on HYTR.  Thank you.

About Dr. Joe Capista:

For over three decades, Dr. Joe Capista has dedicated himself to the study of the power and impact of the mind and spirit in creating your reality. Putting into practice these teachings, Dr. Capista has built a multi-million dollar dental practice located in Broomall, Pennsylvania. Williamsburg Dental is recognized as one of the most successful dental practices in the entire United States.

Dr. Capista’s success philosophy is simple; combine your deepest passion, develop solid business principles while striving for balance in all areas of your life.

For more information about Dr. Capista please visit his site.

with Doris Helge, Ph.D.

• :50 introduction-What’s heart centered management and what does it have to
   do with our listeners heart?

• Can a business or a manager be heart driven and still
   successful

• 2:45 Example of a heart driven business

• 5:40 By being a heart driven business this does help
   employers protect the health or their employees and managers

• 6:30 How does non-heart centered management hurt the
   health of the employees and managers

• 7:00 Example of a job I had that was heart centered

• 10:35 Solutions for businesses to be more heart centered

• 11:45 How does a heart centered business help reduce
   stress for managers

• 13:20 Are we assuming all bosses  have a heart? Many
   times upper management tends to support a “bad boss”, some bosses just don’t
   seem to have a heart…

•  20:00 More about Joy on the Job-The 1st step to
   helping managers and companies create a more productive heart based company

• 21:45 How can our listeners get more Joy on the Job?

• 23:35 Special offer for our listeners

• 26:60 Why I started HYTR

About the Speaker and Author

“Everyone who listens to Doris or reads her work gets charged and
re-charged. After attending Doris’ seminar, I got a promotion I’d wanted for a
long time. Now, each day at work is more exciting.”

…Jeanette Geiman, CPS, Office Manager, Shell Oil, Houston, TX
——————————————————————————–

Original and dynamic, Doris Helge, Ph.D., has uplifted, educated, and motivated
audiences from coast to coast. She combines solid academic credentials with a
wealth of practical work experiences including directing two national human
service organizations. Her content is based on a ten-year quest to discover the
best ways to create joy on the job. In over 1,800 presentations across America
and Canada, people have laughed with and learned from this master teacher and
speaker. (Google.com lists thousands of Doris’ presentations and publications.)
Doris previously taught at the University of Texas, Western Washington
University, and Murray State University .

Her most recent books are:

Joy on the Job

– Over 365 Ways to Create the Joy and Fulfillment You Desire

Transforming Pain Into Power

– Making the Most of Your Emotions

Doris is currently Executive Director of New Paradigm Seminars. She is a
frequent guest on television and radio programs such as CNN, The Today Show, and
NPR. In addition to keynoting conferences, Doris provides employee seminars and
corporate consulting. Due to her unique abilities to help both employees and
organizations create dynamic, joyful work situations, her work has helped
hundreds of thousands of employees and organizations discover happiness at work.

Preparing for Kindergarten and First Grade

• 1:00 Introduction
• 5:35 7 things your child needs to know before kindergarten
• 7:00 Statewide Testing-is it really good?
• 10:00 Asperger’s Syndrome-Different ways of learning-Every child learns differently
• 15:00 Is your child having trouble holding a pen? Easy exercise to teach him or her.
• 17:10 Engaging your child in a converstation
• 19:55 More about “Let’s Get Ready for First Grade”-What your child needs to know…
• 26:00 Learning needs to be fun
• 28:30 Stacey’s passion for helping her children learn lead her to a successful home business
• 30:00 Parents, kids and teachers need to join together in education
• 33:50 5 things you need to know before a Parent-Teacher conference-working together as a team
• 38:15 No Child Left Behind-Does it really work?
• 41:25 How to Purchase “Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten” and “Let’s Get Ready for First Grade

Order the books at:

http://www.cedarvalleypublishing.com

More about Stacey:

Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten! and Let’s Get Ready For First Grade! Are both award winning books receiving national acclaim with winning the:

Voted 2006 Best Educational Book of the Year Award by the AWA, a Silver Addy for illustrations from the American Advertising Awards and was selected by Orca Communications as one of the top new products for kids in their Fall/Spring Media’s Best Guide.

Let’s Get Ready For First Grade is the winner of the 2007 Teacher’s Choice Award for the Family.

Most parents want to be involved in the educational process for their kids. Unfortunately, many do not know what to do. Some will be shocked at how advanced the Kindergarten curriculum has become and unfortunately, a few will realize that they should have been working with their children at home before they entered Kindergarten! Parents, kids, and teachers help has arrived!

Stacey Kannenberg is on a grass-roots mission to help teachers educate parents. “I believe parents are responsible for getting their kids ready for that first day of school! It’s not just knowing your name, address, phone number, and tying your shoes, it?s about taking an active role in learning. These books are helping parents get involved in education at the core!! Never fear, it’s never to late to start. These books are working inside homes and schools across the nation.” 10% of all profits are donated to literacy programs!!!

Lorraine Cohen is CEO and founder of Powerfull Living; an organization dedicated to enhancing business development, leadership proficiency, and personal enrichment. She brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counselling, and sales to thousands of business owners, entrepreneurs, managers and executives. Recognized as a cutting-edge expert in her field, Lorraine’s intuition and counselling background heighten her ability to get to the heart of the matter quickly, helping clients to achieve greater career success and personal happiness in their life. An expert in breaking through fear and removing barriers to success, she shows people how to get unstuck; to break through the confusion and roadblocks so that they move forward in all areas of their life.

Lorraine hosts her own weekly Internet radio show called Powerfull Living Radio – compelling conversations for business and personal success at:  http://www.internetvoiceradio.com

with Lynn Colwell

I have known Lynn for a long time through a networking group I am on.  Lynn takes time to explain what life and business coaching is. 

What the difference is and how she decided to go into this business.  How is coaching different from therapy?  What are some of the main issues Lynn’s clients bring to her and so much more.

I really enjoyed my interview with Lynn this week, it was another great “girl talk” chat.

If you are looking for a coach for either business or life balance listen to this show, Lynn goes into details of what to look for in a coach and the differences between each coaching profession.

When there are so many activities on offer, and each one looks as good as
the next, how do you gauge the worth and effectiveness of these
activities? Sure, you want an activity that junior enjoys. But, we really
cannot afford to waste time on pleasure for pleasure’s sake, do we? There
needs to be a grain of gold somewhere in there. Given below is a list of
characteristics that any good after school activity must possess.

Clarity in objectives and goals is the first important thing. What does
the course offer? How does it propose to achieve the results? How many
kids make up a batch? Ask questions. After all, when you are dishing out
the dough, you really need to understand what you are getting in return.

A good after school activity will provide lots of opportunities for the
young to increase their level of understanding of complex concepts. This
is true of recreational activities too. Learning to pitch a ball, or dance
to a tune – regardless of the activity involved, the child should be
encouraged to grapple with and conquer new concepts. This not only keeps
boredom at bay by challenging the child, but also builds up his
self-confidence. Development of academic, personal and social skills is
one of the prime aims of an after school activity. As the skills develop,
the child’s self-esteem also increases.

After school activities are all about boosting a child’s sense of
competence. Good and effective after school activities promotes the
resilience of youth and encourages them to grow stronger, be it mentally,
emotionally or physically.

Safety is one of the first requirements of an after school activity. The
staff should be qualified, adequate and alert. Never put your child in a
program where safety is a matter of accident instead of a matter of
priority. The staff should be friendly and should have a positive
relationship with the child. Therefore, the program should have
professional and trained staff that loves to interact with children. The
program should maintain a cooperative and supportive attitude and a
structured environment. Participation and collaboration as opposed to
competition and antagonism must be encouraged.

Some programs involve the children in planning activities and making
decisions. Adults often forget to get the opinion of their children. By
giving the children an opportunity to voice their opinion, programs become
fun activities that children are motivated to participate in. Young people
thrive when they are listened to, respected and allowed to contribute
their mite.

Routine evaluations are an important part of after school programs. If the
child does not benefit from a class, don’t waste time being
over-optimistic. Try something new.

You are now ready to look for the perfect after school activity for your
child. But don’t let us forget that having fun is also an important part
of growing up. The child deserves a few hours of pure delight. Remember,
all work and no play, ……

Children grow up in a society that demands expertise in everything. You
really cannot sit back and decide that learning from textbooks is enough
for the overall development of your child. It’s the age of specialization
and your child cannot afford to miss out on this window of opportunity.
So, scour your locality for the most advantageous programs and enroll them
for the ones you think are the best.

After school programs are basically designed to develop a talent or a
skill that is ignored by regular schools. These programs could be
educational or recreational in nature. Whatever type they are, they
basically aim to keep the child active and interested.

The most important advantage of a good after school program is that it
widens your child’s area of interests. He or she is introduced to new
things, sometimes interesting, sometimes challenging. Mastering a new art
form or a new skill increases the child’s self-esteem. It also allows you
to introduce your child to new career options. A child attending a music
class may decide that she likes it so much that she wants to make a career
out of it in the long run.

Socialization is another great advantage of after school programs.
Children get to meet others who share their interests and make new
friendships. An acting class or a soccer class can be lots of fun. Many of
these programs coach children for performances or matches. Performing on
stage or playing a match can be a great experience for a young child.

After school programs keep your teenager busy. He or she thus has some
amount of protection from destructive habits like drugs and alcohol.
Surveys indicate that children who are kept busy through diverse absorbing
activities are less prone to abuse, depression and burnout. Significant
increase in achievement and attendance and a reduction in drop out rates
are other advantages of a good after school programs.

Most after school programs have children interacting with one or more
adult. This allows them to benefit from positive relationships with
adults. Children often find it difficult to confide in parents and
teachers, but may open up with other adults.

Many children are put into recreational after school programs so that they
reduce weight and remain healthy. A newly emerging trend shows that about
15% children below the age of 16 are obese. Parents who cannot put their
children on a strict diet resort to sports and games to burn fat. With
cases of child diabetes on the increase, this has become a prime focus of
many after school programs.

A good after school program has many benefits. It keeps the child
entertained as well as busy, and thus prevents children from becoming
addicted to TVs and PCs. By giving them ways to burn up their excess energy
and explore their creativity, after school programs help to shape the
overall personality of the child.

A recent report by several independent researchers concludes that
participating in the arts nurtures the development of social, personal and
cognitive skills. Programs based on Arts can improve academic achievement
and decrease the tendency towards delinquency. It helps youth form
positive attitudes about themselves and build self-esteem.

Arts programs involve communication, interpretation and understanding of
complex symbols, much like mathematics and languages. Thus it fosters
higher-order analytical skills and skills of evaluation and synthesis.
Many of the programs make the child regularly use multiple skills thus
making him dynamic and versatile.

Development of imagination, judgment and philosophy are fringe benefits of
an arts-based activity. As opposed to the short 45-minute duration of the
art classes at school, the extra time allowed in after school activities
allows the child to get more involved. This results in more satisfactory
opportunities for development of latent capabilities in the child. In
turn, the child learns to set high standards of achievement. He
understands what sustained focus is and learns that regular practice is
the way to excellence.

In the shy or the withdrawn child, theatre, speech or drama lessons may be
an outlet for pent up emotions. As drama entails getting into the ‘skin’
of another person, the child learns to verbalize emotions and express
thoughts. These reasons account for the popularity of arts-based
activities.

For millions of parents around the world, the day does not end with the school bell. There are still pictures to be painted, songs to be sung and games to be played. This all adds up to keeping children happy, safe and out of trouble. But, parents have to steer away from going overboard.

After school is not baby-sitting:
After school activities thrive only if it is backed by sufficient parental involvement. What would a soccer match be without parents cheering their little heroes from the sidelines?.

Research and choose:
Instead of convenience being the decisive factor, find out things that will interest your child. Once you select a program, get the fine print and find out what you have to contribute.

Free time:
Many children attend piano classes, followed by ballet and squeeze in some time for play dates in between just before they rush home in time for bed. This rigor is too much for a child. So, go slow.

When to quit:
Often, parents enroll their child in an activity to discover that he may not be the prodigy they thought he would be. This is the time to let go. Your child may not become the next wonder-kid. But, let him cultivate an interest that he enjoys. Remember, happiness and fulfillment are all that matter.