In this fast-paced era, we all want our children to be safe, healthy, happy and successful in whatever circumstances they find themselves. This include their participation at school, their relationships with friends, after school programmes, homelife and individual hobbies and interests. Because parents enormous role in influencing child development, it is crucial that we model the behaviour and values that we want our children to learn and assimilate into their lives.

It is also important for us to share our own stories and successes and pass on practices and tools that have worked well for you as a teacher or parent.

Research shows: 1) Every child needs at least one adult to bond with 2) Children's behaviour is primarily learned from their environment, and 3) Children do get worried about adult levels of work stress.

Some questions you may want to consider: What are you doing to help your children not just cope but be free to create? How are you encouraging them to find strength in themselves? What tools are they getting to help them be themselves in relationships? How much support do they receive in developing their emotional intelligence? Are we, the adults modelling problem solving when we are challenged or in conflict? How can HeartMath help? The child development strategies of HeartMath are twofold. One, you can better relate to and guide children when you live with greater balance and composure.

This sends a signal to children that we are ok and therefore life is ok. Two, children need to learn emotional self regulation tools and strategies to reinforce their resiliency, strengthen their character and sense of care in handling challenging situations.

How CARE translates into School and Home Environments.

Caring is a spoken or unspoken part of every interaction that takes place in the classroom, lunchroom, hallway playground, at the dinner table, in the home and in the neighbourhood.

Children are emotionally tuned to be on the lookout for caring, or a lack thereof, and they seek out and thrive in places where it is present.

Emotion drives attention which drives learning and memory. It is biologically impossible to learn anything that you're not playing attention to "Bob Sylvester, Author of "In Celebration of Neurons''. As the world speeds up, more mental and emotional ability is required to successfully navigate through the world and contribute to the well-being of our communities.

Heartmath individual and group training is available at The Coalition for the Protection of Children. The Coalition for the Protection of Children is a part of The Family Resource Network, which consists of The Physical Abuse Centre, The Institute for Child and Family Health, P.A.R.E.N.T.S. and The Father's Resource Centre. The agencies joined in 1998 to better serve the community.

By Kit Swainson HEALTH HTH