Balance is the key to a long life. Passion is the key to a happy life. This article reminds us how to give our children the tools to prosper.
Customers at Brain Waves Educational Toys frequently ask me what they should get young children for Christmas. I always show them several different educational toys, some more science, some more active and some more creative. Then I tell them to ensure there is a healthy balance in the child's life. Everyday we read about new claims of certain foods preventing this disease or that. Recently we are reading about foods once thought to be healthy, such as margarine with trans fat to be a very harmful alternative to natural butter. Even strenuous exercise has been found to be less effective in prolonging life than good old walking. In the end, the only safe recommendation any doctor or nutritionist can provide is to eat a balanced diet and exercise in moderation.
As they say, what's good for the body is good for the mind. While researchers study the learning process and theorize about how the mind works, the only point we can all agree on is that for the mind to reach its full potential, it must be exercised just like your body.
A golfer swings his club from the same side repeatly, strengthening a certain group of muscles on one side of his or her body. That golfer must do exercises to strengthen his core muscles and those on the opposite side to prevent injury and provide balance.
Even though his passion is golf, an elite golfer recognizes that developing this balance allows him to excell at his craft. And so it goes with the development of the mind's of children. Young children all have a dream of what they want to "be" when they grow up. This is the "passion" that is so important in life, the fuel, the raison d'etre.
It could be their career, it could be a sport, a hobby or their family. But keep in mind that just as we go through phases in our lives, we also develop new passions along the way.
Providing a balance in your children's lives will allow them to develop their passion from a wide spectrum. Take a moment to quantify the time spent on reading, sports, arts,math, science and educational toys to ensure that they'll be driving straight into the future.
Ted Moryto is an engineer, father and owner of Brain Waves Educational Toys Canada. Visit http://www.brainwavestoys.com to see hundreds of fascinating and educational toys, games and science kits.
