The way you measure a society’s soul is by the way that it treats its children.
Nelson Mandela
Issue No. 115 – 14 February 2012
Welcome to Kidz Newz especially to all new subscribers. And welcome back to Kidz Newz. This is the first for 2012. I wish you all a wonderful year. It is really shaping up to be huge. Kidz Newz is a regular newsletter with information and teaching tips for anyone involved with young children. You are receiving this because you have attended one of my workshops, purchased a book, or you have requested to be on the mailing list. Thank you. Please forward this to anyone you feel it may be of interest to. Feedback is welcome. Don’t forget to stay in touch on our Facebook Page.
E-book
Many of you were quick enough to get the free download last Christmas. If you missed out and would like to be inspired, you can always purchase it from the website. Here’s what one kind person wrote in her thank you:
“Thanks Marlene, your trials and tribulations are so inspirational. Congratulations!
Regards,
Sally Dodds”
New Years’ Resolutions – Why Don’t They Work?
Early in the year many people think about, if not write down, what they’d like to achieve in the coming year (and invariably beat themselves up if they don’t achieve these goals). This can be anything from quitting smoking, losing weight, travelling, writing a book, learning a new language or any other goal. Invariably though, by the time the holiday break has ended and life and routine have returned to ‘normal’, all the best intentions in the world have somehow got swallowed up. It is not because we are weak-willed that this happens, but rather that the goal wasn’t big enough, it wasn’t part of the bigger picture of our lives so it didn’t have enough importance for us to stick with it. We are all time poor so for us to get our heads around a new regime of eating or living, or to reorganise our lives to fit in learning a new language or writing a book, is just too hard. What we need to look at, instead, is the purpose behind why we want to achieve that goal. Individual goals have to fit into the grander scheme of our lives. For example, if our doctor has advised that we are likely to have a heart attack any tick of the clock if we don’t lose weight and start an exercise regime, then we are far more inclined to focus on our diet and exercise and put that first and foremost in our minds and lives, that is, if we want to keep living. If you have children, grandchildren, or some grand vision you want to achieve, then staying alive is pretty important so you’ll do whatever it takes. If, on the other hand, we’d like to lose a few kilos because our clothes are a little uncomfortable, the reality is we are more likely to just buy a new set of clothes in a slightly bigger size. This is far easier and we justify it by saying to ourselves that everyone gains a little weight as they age, or after they’ve had children … in other words, the goal wasn’t all that important to us after all. It was something we would quite like to have but we weren’t prepared to do all that it takes to achieve it.
As teachers, we do have a mission or purpose and all our goals in life should enhance that mission in some way. I don’t want to sound blunt, but if you don’t feel that mission, and despite changing to different schools or applications within education you still don’t feel it, then for your soul and your sanity – get out! There are plenty of things to do in life. Choose something that fulfills you. I recently came across an article by self-help guru Dr John Demartini (www.drdemartini.com) in which he explains the difference between goals and purpose and why purpose is so vital. My favourite part is the reference to things on the inside (your doubts and fears etc.) that prevent you achieving your mission. So often we blame outside factors (parents, partners, security etc.) when instead we need to look inside. I reproduce part of the article here –
Are my goals the same thing as my purpose?
A purpose isn’t something you accomplish, it’s something you live, and there’s no end to it. A goal may be within your life; a purpose is through or beyond it. Fulfilling goals along the journey of your purpose will encourage you, and an inspiring purpose will give meaning to your achievements.
The greater your purpose, the greater the power you can bring to bear upon your goals. A great purpose keeps your goals in perspective, and they seem much easier to achieve when measured against an immortal challenge.
A person with a mission has a message, and when you find that message, your business, your wealth, and your life will boom. When you can’t wait to share your message with people, they can’t wait to hear you. You’ll face trials and tribulations along the road to your dreams, but what else will you do with your life? Unless you work on what’s in your heart, you’ll break it. Don’t let anything on the inside or the outside keep you from your dream, because your dream is your life-your spiritual calling brought into physical reality. The higher the calling, the greater the worldly rewards for bringing it here. That dream is heaven for you, and it’s here now.
Scarf Magic Book, DVD and Scarf Set
Finally! More stocks arrived in January and are available for purchase via the online store at www.kidzfizbiz.com. Although written primarily for parents and carers, I feel teachers and therapists will also benefit from the information. The children are very cute and funny too.
This pack includes:
* 40 page illustrated Scarf Magic Book
* 35 minute DVD
* 2 x beautiful, brightly-coloured scarves
This pack retails for $55.00 including GST. The DVD is available separately and costs $27.50 including GST.
Quotes of the Week
“Always do what you are afraid to do.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“When the voice and the vision on the inside are louder than all the opinions on the outside, you have mastered your life.” ~ Dr John Demartini
Entertainment
Sometimes our goals seem counter-productive:
Your new diet really doesn’t seem to be working out
You pulled a muscle when you tried to exercise
Feedback (Scarf Magic)
“I found ‘Scarf Magic’ to be a lovely resource to use with my 22 month old daughter. It’s easy to use and engaging and is a great way to encourage her imagination. She loves the colourful scarves and we both benefit from the time we spend together on the activities. I would certainly recommend this book to any parent.”
~ Jessica Helm, Perth
“My 16 month old daughter and 4 year old son did the activities in the book and watched the DVD – we all thought your book and DVD were FANTASTIC! I couldn’t believe how my children responded to the activities, especially considering the age difference. Doing these activities regularly has really brought out a creative side in both of my kids. I loved it too!! I never knew how much fun learning could be! Where were you when my 16 year old was little! I can’t rave about your product enough. It is simply amazing and a god-send. We will use this book and DVD for play for many years to come! Thank you!”
~ Debra Barber, Perth
About The Author
Marlene Rattigan B.A., Dip. Ed. (ECS), CELTA
Marlene Rattigan is an Early Childhood teacher, a teacher of English as a Second Language, and from 1987-2000 was a nationally accredited fitness leader. Her background is in music education. A keen interest in motor development in children led to the creation of Kidz-Fiz-Biz which she taught successfully for 13 years. Marlene also conducts workshops for children, teachers and parents at schools, in the community and at festivals. She has produced teaching manuals complete with audio CDs which are an extension of her ‘Kidz-Fiz-Biz’ program.
Kidz-Fiz-Biz
PO Box 6894, East Perth WA 6892, Australia
T: +61 8 9325 1204 M: +61 (0) 410 64 2781 E: info@kidzfizbiz.com
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Until next time … continue being a legend in your classroom.
Marlene Rattigan, Editor
Kidz Newz
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