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Life Enhancing Programs for Kids

29. October 2021 Administrator Blog (0)
Life enhancing programs such as those provided by Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas help in exposing kids to essential life skills beyond academics. The programs train children to be self-sufficient, confident and resilient in the face of real life situations. They help children develop positive behaviors and leadership skills.

Listed below are the benefits of life enhancing programs for Kids:

  • Social Interaction: The programs teach children how to form positive interactions with different kinds of people. It helps them make friends and learn the value of team work when undertaking group tasks. These abilities make them confident while interacting with others and also help them understand other people’s perspectives.
  • Self-Reliance: Children are encouraged to be self-reliant at the clubs by completing tasks by themselves and taking responsibility for their actions. For example, programs like Passport to Manhood encourage young boys to participate in activities that make them more responsible and accountable for their actions.
  • Time-Management: Programs like Goals for Growth help kids learn how to complete tasks within a given time. Activities included are developing new skill sets, serving others, improving their school, self-improvement and more. They understand the value of allocating time for different activities throughout the day and completing the same within the given time.
  • Decision-Making: From an early age, it is important to guide children about the value of being able to make decisions as this will affect future decisions related to their careers and life. The programs offered help in instilling the value of decision making and teaching kids step by step how to make small decisions while progressing to bigger ones.
  • Financial Management: The best time to teach kids the basics of financial management is from the moment they can understand basics such as addition and subtraction. Through dynamic sessions, mentoring opportunities, field trips and participatory activities at the club, children are encouraged to learn the importance of budgeting and saving.
  • Resilience and Adaptability: The club offers programs like the SMART Moves program (Skills Mastery and Resilience Training) for helping members develop assertiveness, refusal skills, role playing and engaging in responsible behavior. This helps them overcome peer pressure and develop self-control when faced with situations that are not in their best interest.
  • Learn the Value of Healthy Habits: The healthy lifestyle programs offered at the club help children learn how to make healthy lifestyle choices. Interactive sessions that consist of activities and discussions that reinforce healthy habits are held. Children are given tips and lessons on physical fitness, healthy food choices, mental health, positive relationships and developing positive recreational habits.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Texas offers life enhancing programs such as good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyle programs. Details about what each program consists of can be found on the club’s website.

Promoting Active Lifestyle Among Kids

26. August 2021 Administrator Blog (0)
An active lifestyle for kids is a precursor to a happy and healthy life as adults. The best way to incorporate healthy lifestyle habits in kids is to start early, preferably in school. This can be done by enrolling your child in an after school club where a variety of activities and programs are held for the overall development of children.

Listed below are some ways with which children can be encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle along with excelling at academics:

  • Join an After-School Club: An after-school club is the best place for your child to get active under the supervision of professionals. A good club is one that provides a fulfilling experience for young children and encourages them to follow their passion. Look for a club that provides programs related to academics, character, citizenship and healthy lifestyle habits.
  • Encourage Outdoor Activities: Encourage your child to spend more time outside away from screens and activities that are sedentary in nature. Consider making a schedule wherein you allocate some time to activities like swimming, voluntary work, playing in the park and so on. If you are consistent with this, it will soon become your child’s habit and he/she will seek the outdoors more often.
  • Social Interaction with Peers: Engage your child in activities that promote peer interaction and team spirit. For example, enroll your child in a favourite sport or hobby that involves other children. If your child is passionate about the activity, he/she will be zealous when undertaking it and in the process remain active in a healthy way.
  • Provide a Safe Environment: It is very important to provide a safe environment for children to do things they love and remain active. One of the safest options is an after-school club near you that provides different activities for kids of all age-groups in a safe and secure environment. You can leave your child at the club knowing that he/she is in safe hands.
  • Be a Role Model: Children learn best by example so if you want your child to be active, model the same behavior. Teach your child the importance of discipline, time management and consistency. If there is a healthy habit that you want your child to adopt, show him/her that you can do it too. For example, if you want your child to exercise daily, make sure you do the same too.
Visit Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Texas for wide range of activities for kids. For more information, call at 254-699-5808

What Are Leadership Skills?

28. June 2021 Administrator Blog (0)
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” -John Maxwell

Leadership skills refer to skills required by a leader to manage and motivate a team towards a common goal. These skills include reliability, empathy, dependability, creativity, positivity and more. Effective leaders build strong teams, ensure projects are accomplished on time, improve employee engagement and create a supportive environment at work.

Listed below are the top leadership skills that kids should develop:

  • Decision-Making Skills: A good leader is one who can make quick and effective decisions. The decisions can be made on the basis of reasoning or intuition depending on the facts of the situation. Decision making requires a leader to analyze and interpret a situation properly, evaluate options, anticipate outcomes and navigate risks.
  • Team-Building: A leader knows how to work with others individually and as a team. Delegation of duties to members of a team as per their competence and skill- level is an important part of leadership. It is important for kids to develop team building skills as this helps them grow and excel in academic and professional setup in future.
  • Dependability: A dependable leader is one who can be trusted and relied upon by other team members. The basis for developing a high level of dependability is to keep promises and follow through with plans. A leader who can be depended upon lays the foundation for a resilient team that can wade through challenges with ease.
  • Problem-Solving: Problems are the building blocks for success in every industry. The key to solving any problem is to learn from it and formulate strategies for managing it. Good leaders know how to stay strong in the face of problems in any situation and work towards combating the same effectively.
  • Integrity: Integrity is an invaluable leadership skill; a good leader is truthful and honest in all dealings. He has strong values and is concerned about the welfare of everyone. Kids with leadership skills such as integrity make ethical choices.
  • Communication Skills: Leaders possess communication skills that make them effective speakers and assertive individuals. They are quick to build rapport with others and are likely to develop lasting relationships. Other important components of communication skills are persuasion skills, transactional skills and the ability to influence others.
  • Planning Skills: Leaders need planning skills to ensure tasks and projects are accomplished on time. Important aspects of planning skills are organizing skills, project management skills, action planning, project planning and risk management.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas organize activities to help kids develop leadership skills in Killeen, TX.  To know more about leadership skills among kids, visit 703 N. 8th Street, Killeen, TX - 76541. You can also call at (254) 699 – 5808.

Self-Expression: Key To Child Development

27. May 2021 Administrator Blog (0)
Self-expression can be defined as expressing one’s thoughts and feelings, and these expressions can be accomplished through words, choices or actions. Encouraging children to express themselves from an early age is vital for their overall development and self-confidence. Self-expression fosters feelings of independence, self-advocacy and creativity. There are three types of self-expression i.e. playful, building and artistic expression.

Here are some ways with which children can be encouraged to express themselves:

  • Writing: Children could be encouraged to write about their day, feelings, thoughts, ideas, etc. This form of expression may help them understand themselves and sort out their thoughts. This can be done in the form of journaling, blogging, maintaining a diary, etc.
  • Conversation: Teach your child about the art of conversation by initiating topics of discussion, asking questions, making eye contact, controlling awkward body movements, conversing about things that are not routine-based, teaching them to ask for favors when necessary and how to do so, etc.
  • Clothing: Your child’s way of dressing is also a form of self-expression that should not be limited to societal trends and norms. Encourage your child’s style of clothing, choice of colors, etc. and refrain from imposing your choices.
  • Choice: Support your child’s choices when it comes to things like sports, hobbies, after-school activities, books, voluntary work and more. This is the foundation for a well-developed and confident personality. The possibility of having a choice boosts self-confidence and is an intrinsic part of self-expression.
  • Art: Artistic expression provides children with an outlet for strong emotions and feelings that are difficult to put into words. Examples of artistic expressions are painting, sketching, drawing, coloring, etc. For maximum benefits, allow your child to express his artistic side without any boundaries and rules.
  • Play: Playing is one of the best forms of self-expression for kids. When children play with other children, they learn the art of cooperation, the value of respect and important inter-personal skills. After school clubs such as Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas offer a safe place for to play within reasonable rules and boundaries.
  • Building Objects: The construction of objects such as dollhouses, stacks of wooden bricks (Jenga), model cars, LEGO, etc., helps in fostering creativity and self-expression. Children learn the importance of using creativity under a set of instructions and boundaries to produce the end result.
Conclusion: Apart from self-expression, the above-mentioned activities help children become problem solvers and develop socio-emotional skills, positive mental health, fine motor skills and more. Other forms of self-expression are dancing, story-telling, music, playing with dough, etc.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas organize an array of after-school activities to help kids develop self-expression in Killeen, TX.  To know more about importance of self-expression among kids, visit 703 N. 8th Street, Killeen, TX - 76541. You can also call at (254) 699 – 5808.