The act of setting goals for our children can be a double-edged sword. Drawing from our last post we understand that aligning goals with a child's highest priorities/values is not just beneficial; it's essential for fostering their self-belief and ensuring a path towards success and fulfillment. However, when goals are imposed without considering the child's values, it can lead to the opposite effect, diminishing their self-esteem and motivation. Understanding Your Child's Highest Values As outlined in our previous post, the cornerstone of this philosophy is the importance ..read more

At Life Skills Academy, we're dedicated to empowering your children with the tools they need to help them walk their own path and expand into their own unique potential. This commitment has led us to explore innovative approaches to understanding individual values, drawing on the groundbreaking work of Dr. John Demartini. Unlike traditional methods that advocate for a standard set of values, Dr. Demartini's approach recognizes the unique value system inherent in each child, akin to a personal compass guiding their journey through life. In this newsletter, we'll share insights into identi ..read more

There are 4 main types of motivation as identified by researches Richard Ryan and Edward Deci in their book entitled 'Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behaviour'. These 4 types of motivation begin with external motivating factors (extrinsic motivation) and move inwards towards internal motivating factors (intrinsic motivation). The researches say a person’s desire and will to pursue a given task increases as we move inwards from externally factors to internal ones. Briefly, here are the 4 types of motivation beginning with the external and progressively moving inward. Exte ..read more

Another no fuss option! Recipe and how to put it all together, detailed below. Children from the ages of 7 to 14 made this treat during our Summer 2018 Excellence Camp. Enjoy! Makes about 30! Ingredients 150g butter 230g Soft brown sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 125g plain flour 1 tsp (level) baking powder 230g pinhead oatmeal 150g chocolate chips (or a bar chopped into small chunks) Method Butter should be at room temperature. Mix (cream) the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. If using unsalted butter add a generous pinch of salt. Add the egg and vanilla and mix thro ..read more

We encourage our campers to take ownership for how they wish to experience their week with us at the Life Skills Academy. Each camper receives a personal Life Skills Academy Goal Journal. We believe in offering campers the opportunity to develop specific strategies and habits which can make a tangible difference in how they perceive themselves and the world around them. On a personal note, I use this practise every morning with the children in my classroom and have seen incredible changes over a course of only 3 to 4 months. “We are what we repeatedly do” - Will Durant ..read more

Another very popular recipe. Simple ingredients and quick to do. Recipe and how to put it all together, detailed below. Children from the ages of 7 to 14 made this treat. Best of Luck! Ingredients 110g butter 110g caster sugar 2 eggs 175g self raising flour (or plain flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder) 3 tablespoons of milk 1 lemon (juice and zest) 2 tablespoons icing sugar 2 tablespoons caster sugar Method – Preheat oven to 160 fan/gas 4. – Cream butter and sugar. – Add the eggs 1 at a time adding a teaspoon of flour and mixing well after each egg. Add the rest of the flour, the ..read more

This went down really well with our campers, especially with those that weren’t crazy on trying new things. Recipe and how to put it all together is below. Children from the ages of 8 to 14 made the dish. Relatively straight forward and tasty once you have the ingredients and are prepared (as always!). A few mistakes were made along the way but thats all part of it! Hope this helps. Pad Thai Serves 2 (large portions) Sunflower oil (or other neutral oil – not olive) 2 chicken breasts, skinned, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and grated 1 egg, beaten ..read more

I use this technique in my class on a regular basis with hugely positive results. I find it grounds the children in themselves. It helps soften the need to compare because the more they practice the technique the more they see that everyone has every trait/quality, they just display them in different areas according to what most interests them. Albert Einstein - “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with the problems longer” Step 1 - Make a list of all the traits which they admire/see in others but don’t see in themselves. Examples include: - Confidence - Outgoing - Talented - Cr ..read more

Mindset is a word that is coming up more and more when talking about education. As it is becoming so common it is important for us to learn the appropriate teaching strategies to help our children have a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. A person with a fixed mindset believes that they are born with a certain amount of ability and brains that’s that. A person with a growth mindset believes that a person can develop through hard work, resilience and effort. Here’s an example of growth mindset in practice within in my classroom. I have a very simple strategy and it’s one that you coul ..read more

In todays society where instant gratification is becoming an epidemic and social media giants are using the latest software and psychological techniques to appeal to our addictive impulses, a new awareness of how to foster a more meaningful existence is required. Before moving forward we must first understand why we are biologically susceptible to these types of impulsive behaviours and what we can do to get the best out of our biology. Basic brain structure. Our brain is composed of its old preserved structures and its more recently evolved structures. The allocortex is the name for the old p ..read more