Positive Parenting With Olu

I AM GRATEFUL FOR LUCY-

Did you watch the king’s coronation concert ? 

I did! And it was great. I love all the artists that performed that night. 

 Tiwa’s Savage performance was spectacular! She  represents my country Nigeria very well  and she even sang a Yoruba song which was 🔥 

I love Lionel Richie’s performance too, his song –  All Night Long…  gives me goosebumps and he knows how to get people dancing. Even King Charles, George and Charlotte were dancing lol. 😆 

I also Love when James Nesbitt mentioned my favorite food – Jollof rice in his poem Poem.

However the performance I loved most that night was that of a girl called Lucy. She played the piano. She’s fabulous.

Lucy is a 13-year-old blind and autistic, but she did not let her blindness stop her and that she performed on the biggest stage ever. This was a big deal! 

She brought tears to my eyes because she’s truly an inspiration. 

Seeing her perform at the concert with a smile makes me smile too. Because I love children, especially those with autism. 

I know that raising an autistic child can be very hard and stressful. However they’re a blessing and they’re unique and so special. 

I have worked with them and I have friends that have autistic children. 

I know for sure that all children have talents. 

All you need to do is pay attention to them and then encourage them.

As parents we must stop focusing on what our children cannot do instead let’s focus on what THEY CAN DO! 

So dear parents, what does your child like to do? 

Once you know this you can encourage them and get them a tutor to teach them how to do this better. 

You never know they may be singing on a big stage in front of queens and kings in the future just like Lucy. I’m sure Lucy’s parents are proud of her. 

I know an autistic child that’s a talented artist. This boy’s drawing is amazing. The boy’s parents have enrolled him in an art school where he is excelling.

DEAR YOUNG PEOPLE – YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE IF ONLY YOU BELIEVE.  

#coronationconcert #lucy #autismismysuperpower #yesyoucan #autisticawareness #workingwithspecialneedskids #austicchild #special

#yesyoucan

The other day I was having a conversation with my youngest son Tolu. And during our conversation he told me about some of the things he had to learn on his own because he wasn’t taught in school.

So if you have a teenager or a young adult this post is for them.

In this write up, Tolu shared some important information about MONEY MANAGEMENT and other stuffs he learned the hard way.

Although he is a 19 years old man, this young man has a lot of knowledge about investing and other money matters. I’ll be the first to confess that I know nothing about investing.

One of the things that helped him was because he is willing to learn from others and he is disciplined and determined to succeed. I am so proud of the man he is becoming.

This article will bless other teenagers and help them to prepare for adulthood.

He write this so that young people like himself can learn from his mistakes.

Happy reading. Please can you let me know your thoughts on this topic.

What would you like to add or any advice for the young man.

So here we go.

So what do you think about his first blog?

Pleased I would like to here your thoughts on this matter 👇

Thanks for reading through.

As most of you know, I work with children and lately I have been meeting lots of parents who have special needs children and I realize some of them don’t even have a clue about the kind of help they can get to support their child.

 I used to work with autistic children and I know it’s very challenging. 

So I understand the struggles of raising an autistic child. Your life is not your own anymore. You are devoted to them 24/7. Don’t get me wrong, they’re a blessing. However it’s hard work raising an autistic child. So it will be a lot of relief if you can get funding to help you with their day today activities.  To be able to employ someone else to look after them while you attend to something else or just take a break.  I’m sure you would like that. 

So if you are a parent of a special needs child and you want help or support them send me a DM today and I will put you through on how to go about it!

Check the images for more details

Happy parenting

#autismawareness #directpayments #specialneedschildren

READING IS A SKILL

If you want your toddler to know how to read you must teach them. Reading is just like swimming. You can’t just put your child in water and expect them to swim, they are going to drown.

So I don’t get it when some parents tell me that their toddlers can’t read. Have you taught them how?

Bob book set is one of the best books to help your toddler learn how to read. I use it with my 4 year olds students that are just learning to read.

If you’re serious about teaching your toddler to read, get this book today. 

So dear parents, if you want to teach your child to read, first expose them to phonics sounds and then, teach them how to blend. If you’re not sure how to you can check out my previous post on – “How to teach toddlers how to read”

Thanks for reading I hope this helps

Happy parenting

Olu

When people ask me what is the NUMBER 1 thing my child should be doing in order to pass the 11 plus exam, I will always tell them: READING. 

READING EVERY SINGLE DAY! 

Reading will help develop your child’s Vocabulary, grammar, spellings, their comprehension skills, their writing , etc, etc…

It’s also important that they practice and revise the other subjects like; VERBAL AND NON VERBAL REASONING AND MATH. 

Encouraging a love of reading in your child will help them develop literacy skills and broaden their perspective. 

Here are some tips to encourage your child to read: 

1. Start early; introduce books to your child as early as possible . Even if they can’t read yet. Reading to them will instill the love of stories to them. (Remember – you get what you put in when it comes to children’s learning, if you want your child to do well in school you must help them at home regularly)  
2. Make Reading fun: Get them books that are engaging and age appropriate. Take them to the library and let them choose their own books. If you have a space in your house, you can create a small reading corner (put 2 or more soft cushions on the floor or on the carpets with a basket full of books, you get the gist)
3. Be a role model. Children often emulate their parents behavior, so if they see you reading they are more likely to do the same.
4. Limit screen time
5. Create a reading routine. Set a specific time each day for  reading. This can be before bedtime or anytime that suits your family schedules. 

I hope this helps – Please remember the key to encouraging your child to read is to make it fun. 

 By doing so, you can help your child develop a love for reading that will last for a lifetime. 

Best of luck to all the children sitting for the 11 plus exam in September !

Here is a poem I wrote about strong willed children.

(I have few parents that are not sure how to raise a child that’s society label “stubborn child”

So today I want to share a poem that I wrote about this beautiful future leaders. I hope as you read this you will find a space in your heart to be more patient with them and stop taking things personally

Thanks for reading

Olu

Lots of parents tell me how they struggle to get their children to do 11+ practice at home. You’re not alone!. Trust me, I know the battle very well, from the experience of my son a few years ago.

Here are some tips to get your kids to get into the habit of revising.

1. Set up a quiet place where they can study (get a desk and chair. (You can get cheap and beautiful table and chair less than £50 in Ikea)
2. Establish a routine: Set up a specific time each day for your child to revise, and they must stick to this time. This will help them a lot. 
3. Break up study sessions. Encourage your child to take breaks. (Maybe they can take a 10 minutes breaks after an hour study) 
4. Use incentives: Offer your child some reward for completing their revision, such as favorite snake or any activities they like. 
5. Make it interactive: Find a way to make the revision process interactive and engaging, such as using flashcards, apps, educational videos and games.
6. Be supportive: Encourage your child and offer them positive feedback. Help them with any topics they may be struggling with.  

I hope this helps

We all have an inner critic. 

If you have a daughter that always says negative things about herself, you can get her to write 5 or more things she likes about herself. If she can’t think of anything you tell her what you like about her. 

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Another way to help your child Minimize negative self talk is by replacing with positive self talk in form of a positive affirmation 

Ask your child to think about 5 amazing things about themselves and then get a Mirror

Ask her to Write down the 5 amazing things on the mirror’s frame with a permanent marker. For best results, use lots of fun colors. Have your child write their facts on the frame as well.

Hang the mirror at eye-level either in your child’s room or somewhere that they can access the mirror daily by themselves.

And keep doing this with her and before you know it she will have self confidence in herself.

I hope this helps 🥰❤️

Olu

Ms Olu, when should I allow my daughter to have a phone and a social media account? All her friends are on snap chat and Instagram, and she feels like she is missing out. We have talked about buying her a phone during summer break before she goes to secondary school. She is 11 years old and a very responsible girl.

I get messages like this all the time! 

Let me start by saying that I’m not a cyber expert. However, having worked with children and teens for over a decade, technology  is a topic that I can’t avoid. It’s a part of all of our worlds. And it has come to stay whether we like it or not. 

In today’s post I want to address some cyber safety basics that I recommend for all families who have teens who are keen to get their own social accounts.

The right age to give kids their first mobile phone is really up to you. Age isn’t as important as your kid’s maturity level, ability to follow rules at home and school. 

It’s up to you to decide if your child is ready for a mobile phone or not. 

In addition, It is so easy to say “yes” to Instagram, TikTok or SnapChat when our children are tweens, but in a few more years you may wish that your “yes” came with a lot more conditions that are now hard to implement. 

 So, I want you to take a moment now to stop and think. 

The issue of monitoring your daughter online is a serious one, especially in the primary and secondary school years. 

Too often children receive their first mobile phone with little or no guidance leaving them exposed to an adult world.

Here are some tips you can think on before you decide: 

1. TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE RISK! 

We can’t stop the risks, but we can reduce them.  Pornography, sexting, body image, cyberbullying are just some of the issues that have the potential to trip our daughters up, regardless of their age.  We should never expect our daughters to be the first person to bring up these issues. We have to be the ones who are brave enough to start the conversation.  

A tween or teenager’s online life comes with a range of new risks, some which parents understand and some which parents don’t understand and that is why as parents we  need to keep educating ourselves.

Within seconds young people can be interacting with unsafe people or content without their parents knowing.

2. Keep tabs—but don’t spy

Some parents, especially when their tweens and teens are new to social media, choose to follow their accounts.  Whatever you do, don’t spy on them secretly. It  really hurts trust. If something goes wrong, they’re not going to come to you for help. 

So, the bottom line is that please don’t be naive.

 Educate yourself and stay in the game.  This is one area of your child’s life where you need to be the parent. 

And please install safety software on their devices regardless of whether they have their own device or use a family one. 

3. Don’t let anyone rush you to give your child a smartphone at a young age. If your child gets a mobile phone at 14, he’ll catch up really fast. 

When we know better we must do better! 

Thanks for reading through and have blessed day 🥰❤️❤️

Olu ❤️