Optimize Life Coaching

11/11/2021

What is something you can achieve and be proud of? Create the action plan to get there.

08/12/2021

Love Asked and Answered. Consistency is the Key. Puts an end to child nagging.

Instead of repeating yourself or jumping into a lecture, avoid child nagging, asking the same thing over and over…but can I just…by getting eye to eye and follow the process below:

Step One:
Ask,“Have you ever heard of ‘Asked and Answered’?” (He’ll probably say no.)

Step Two:
Ask, “Did you ask me a question about …..?”(He’ll say yes.)

Step Three:
Ask, “Did I answer it?” (He’ll probably say, “Yes, but, I really ….”)

Step Four:
Ask,“Do I look like the kind of mom/dad/teacher who will change her/his mind if you ask me the same thing over and over?” (Chances are Daniel will walk away, maybe with a frustrated grunt, and engage in something else.)

Step Five:
If Daniel asks again, simply say, “Asked and Answered.”(No other words are necessary!)
Once this technique has been established, these are the only words you need to say to address nagging questions.

Once you decide to use “Asked and Answered” with your nagging child, be sure to stick to it. If the questioning continues even after you’ve responded with “Asked and Answered,” simply walk away. Once your child sees you won’t even engage in the discussion, they will learn very quickly that nagging isn’t an effective behavior to achieve their goals.

07/01/2021

Great advice Dr Maggie:

A lot of students insist that they feel just fine running on 6 or 7 hours of sleep.

But numerous studies have clearly shown that sleeping just 6-7 hours a night has negative impacts on cognitive performance, mental health, and physical well-being.

The problem is that most of us are not consciously aware any of this is happening.

When we get 6 or 7 hours of sleep every night instead of 8, we don’t feel impaired. We feel perfectly normal.

But our biology says otherwise.

With online school and families working from home over the past year, sleep schedules have been more disrupted than ever.

While summers can be busy and easier to stay up late, it can also serve as a great time for your teen to get back into a healthy sleep routine that gives their bodies the energy they need to feel and perform at their best before heading back to school in person this fall.

04/23/2021

04/14/2021

Get Away From the Most Common Study Methods and Try This!

Active study methods are more effective than traditional “put you to sleep” and “you think you know more than you actually do” strategies. Rereading, highlighting, nodding your head that the info is all familiar is not going to help you recall information on a test.
Try:

*Taking a practice test or quiz from your teacher, textbook, or a website online
*Practicing definitions or formulas with flashcards or Quizlet
*Teaching the material out loud to a friend or family member (without looking at notes)
*Making up your own test questions, and practicing answering them from memory

Take ownership of your education. Envision yourself earning a high score and do what it takes to get there!

02/24/2021

Some great tips when you hear your child getting frustrated with his/her math work...

Sometimes it’s just not knowing how to get started or feeling confused by tricky wording. Here are some questions you can ask when your child needs extra help.

1. Are there any words in the directions that you don’t understand?
Have them re-read aloud slowly and then go back and underline or circle any words or numbers that they think they’ll need to solve it.

2. Where do you think you could start?
If there are multiple steps involved, break it into bite-sized pieces. One step at a time.

3. Does this remind you of a problem you’ve solved in the past?
Math skills build on each other. Remembering similar concepts helps your child use their prior knowledge to work through new problems.

4. How is this like what you did in class today?
Math homework is typically a review of a recent lesson. Have your child look back at their notes or their teacher's online resources for help.

Have your child do their work close enough that you can check in before frustration builds and stress causes them to completely shut down. Have a healthy snack nearby and set a timer so breaks are only taken when it goes off. This way, the work won’t drag on for too long. A white board, pencil and scratch paper are important to have even when your child is working online.

06/08/2020

A guarantee in life is that nothing will happen when you do nothing.
- great image

06/08/2020

This absolutely applies to working with students!

It’s easy to get bogged down in “what” and “how.”

03/21/2020

I love fun facts...
Are you surprised by this one?

03/18/2020

Navigating through virtual learning can be tricky waters. Try answering these questions:
1)If you could design your ideal school day, what would it look like?
2)If you had an extra hour in your day to do something fascinating, meaningful, or fulfilling, what would you spend it on?
3)What skills or abilities are you going to improve for you as a result of this transition to online learning?
4)What strengths or character traits do you already have that will help you succeed in this new learning environment?
Create a schedule for yourself and adjust it as needed so you can stick to it. Allow yourself some creative time to do something you never have time to do. Keep in close communication with your teachers and create daily checklists. Finally, start your day with 1 absolute and make your bed. You’ll achieve 1 thing before even leaving your room and come back to a nice looking space.

02/07/2020

Helping your tween or teen evaluate priorities and set up systems will relieve the parent of the heavy lifting and stress. The follow through is a critical part until it becomes a routine. There are steps to do this and achieve successful results. It must be student driven and committed to starting as an experiment. The reflection piece will motivate the continued practice.
Photo credit: Dr Maggie Ray, Ph.D.