Scary video games and child development

Video games-good or bad

New age issues and children protection- how to save our kids

     Observing so many kids growing up, I'm dealing with everything they go through- their likes, their wants, their relations, their way of communicating, their games, their dreams. I'm now faced with numerous cases of kids experiencing symptoms because of video games. The natural instinct and interest of "the dark side" awakens the interest of scary games, movies and stories. Maybe many of us have gone through a period like this. However, the times we live in have passed the naive side of scary. I'm currently working with cases of kids developing intense anxiety and fear, because they play scary games on their smart phones. Playing some video games, kids display symptoms such as fear when going to bed and turning off the lights, refusal to be left alone in a room, drastic behavioral changes, irritability, restlessness and generalized fears.

When little kids have smart phones and full access to the internet, not only do they have access to all data on the internet- this includes prohibited content containing  aggression, violence, sex, ill-intentioned people and dangerous ideas that kids can't comprehend at their developmental level- and all these just a click away. As young as 7 years old kids download games only by clicking "Yes" when asked if they're 18!

If you're a parent I strongly recommend you check your child's phone and see what is installed in it. It's highly important to limit your child's access to internet content. Some parents complain that there is intense peer pressure- when everybody has it/does it, a kid can't be different from the others, not to feel inferior.
I highly recommend you to speak with the other parents in your community and discuss the topic as from the real practice it turns out that there is a considerable amount of cases of unwanted consequences of violent and scary video games. Too much playing of video games reduce the children's ability to concentrate and learn. They reduce the sense of sympathy and develop preference towards virtual games rather than real life communication thus reduce the ability to communicate well and adapt in the environment. Although it sounds intuitive and very logical in theory, appears that in practice it is not easy to apply restrictions. Too much video games lead to introversion, attention deficits, often lower grades at school, lower self esteem and obesity.

Controlling the amount of time that kids spend on video games can be done through limiting the devices that they have access to, and also through engaging them in sports, interests clubs and activities that develop that social interaction skills, keep them in good physical condition, develop their imagination and creativity, art skills and knowledge of the world :) In addition, providing kids with info is also essential- for the times that they'll be out of your side. Take the time and prevent the symptoms today!

Hope this was helpful! Love all kids!

Geri

The magical bracelet

The Magical bracelet

Do you believe in magic? The magical power that a single bracelet could have on your life?

You can become the lord of the bracelet...following a few super easy instructions! Go on.

Complaining is the second worst thing you can do to yourself. If you complain that you're complaining too much than...here's what you could do!

For this exercise you'll need some equipment: A bracelet.

Alternatively- use your watch- wear it on right hand!

Instructions:

Get a bracelet and wear it on your right hand. The goal of the exercise is to go a whole month without complaining. Every time you complain about something you're supposed to wear the bracelet on your left hand for the whole day! 

Alternatively you can wear seven little bracelets on your right hand- one for each day of the week. Every day that you complain about something- move one bracelet to the left hand. Look at what happens at the end of the week :)))

So, what did you achieve? How many days you had a bracelet on the right hand?

MOTIVATION 101

Motivation

How to be super motivated all the time?

In this post I'm going to share some secrets related to the magic of motivation. Secrets that have the power to transform your life. However, before I do that I'm gonna raise a hugely important issue. A one that concerns every single one of us.

Simply being motivated and doing seems great, and in fact it is- compared to not doing anything and staying in one place.

The initial work that we do in life coaching is not so much related to motivation itself, but

to the Direction that you're going to. 

Progressing in the wrong time,place and field can be equally unsatisfying as not progressing at all. 

What is that you really want?

If you didn't face the expectations of other people?

If it wasn't for the money?

If it wasn't for the acceptance?

If it wasn't for the approval?

If it wasn't for the image?

If it was the one thing that you would highly regret that you didn't do 20 years from now

Setting the right goal is the first and very important step in creating a strong sense of long lasting motivation. 

Being involved in something that you simply don't like will never, ever keep you in a natural state of motivation. 

Therefore, the first step will be- Define your direction!

What is that you really want?

 

Then the first and the most powerful technique to motivate yourself is by constantly reminding yourself that this goal you have is your first, or among the first priorities that you have. A needed condition for happiness. It will outweigh all excuses and will keep you moving.

I found out that so many people lack motivation- simply because they do things they'd rather not be doing. 

In a seminar that I attended they pointed out that motivation is needed when you DON'T want to do something.

This means that you need to "convince" yourself to do it with arguments- motivators. If you want to do something you just do it- no convincing and motivation needed. Do you need some special motivation to meet friends, eat pizza, or watch a movie? You get my point.

 

When motivating yourself to do something that you simply don't want to- that doubles the energy, because you first have to convince yourself about the reason to do it in the first place and then- motivate yourself. It's a waste of You!

What to do? 13 Techniques that simply DO work:

1. Set a priority- one or two

2. Always remind yourself that the priority X is above Y or Z

3. Find people with the same priority and meet them often. Ideally find someone to be your mentor.

4. Avoid as much as possible people who are passive, negative, discouraging, jealous or people that lower your energy levels, enthusiasm or productivity in any way.

5. Develop a preference towards action.

6. Practice punctuality in all goals that you set- do it today, not tomorrow!

7. As yourself- "Five years from now, what I'd like myself to have been doing right now?"

8.Exclude activities that bring too much cost and too little benefit.

9. Ask for help- find people who can give you advice or any type of help- support is essential!

10. Be ready for setbacks- be ready for the difficult days, for the days when you won't feel enthusiasm. Do not quit! It's just one of these days. We all have them. Keep going!!

11. Take a good rest! Every two hours make ten minutes breaks. Do not overwork- this leads to burnout which= lack of motivation!

12. Have fun!

13. Repeat

The story of the little frogs

The story of the little frogs

 

 

 

Once upon a time in a land far away, hundreds of little tree frogs decided to hold a competition to see who could be the first to climb a high tower in the center of town. As the little frogs engaged in the competition, a large crowd gathered to watch, and began taunting them, shouting, “You won’t make it, it’s too difficult you silly frogs!”

 

 

 

 

Ten feet or so up the side of the tower some of the frogs dropped off, too tired to continue. The crowd continued to jeer and ridicule the frogs and at twenty feet up about half the frogs had fallen to the ground, only to have to listen to the crowd’s ugly recrimination, “See we told you it is just too difficult!”

 

 



At the thirty feet mark, all but one of the frogs had eventually fallen. This one little frog continued to the top of the tower even though the crowd kept jeering and yelling about the impossibility of completing the task. The frog climbed back down and of course all the other frogs gathered around him, wanting to know how he had gotten to the top when none of them had. The questions flew fast and furious and in all the clamour of noise, the little frog finally put his front leg up next to his ear and said, “I’m sorry I can’t hear a word you are saying because I’m deaf!”

 

 

Sunday pancakes

Sunday pancakes

 Yummy stuff

As I love everything French, I have to say that French pancakes are just in the top 10 in my list.

Here's how easily you make these heavenly tasting breakfast pancakes

Ingredients:

4 eggs

3 cups of flour 

1L of milk

1 vanilla

1 rum essence

a bit of sea salt

some butter

For serving:

Recommended- Nutella, Homemade jams, Milk with Nesquick :))

What to do?

Use mixer and beat the eggs with the flour, vanilla, salt and rum essence. Start adding the milk slowly and keep mixing until you get a beautiful liquid mixture. Add a small amount of butter on a hot pan...figure out the right amount of mixture for each pancake depending on your pan surface. Make sure you make thin pancakes. Bake both sides and put the ready pancakes in a plate and cover them to keep them soft and warm!

Greek homemade mandarin jam from Pilio mountain!!!! xxx That's simply magic in a jar!

Serve with everything you like. In my case- nutella, cherry jam, mandarin jam, a homemade fig jam made by myself :))))) and some honey! Now, don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today!!!

HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY!!!!!!!!!

XOXO Geri

Lollipops

Melon and watermelon lollipops

"Summer's not over" party

Hey you guys!

How are you feeling today?

I hope you're in a good fresh mood and you're crispy, cool and ready for the recipe that I'm going to share today.

We're going to make lollipops :) But a bit more different than the usual ones :))

It's a very, very easy recipe and you're going to need only a few stuff.

Products:

Cookie shapes

wooden sticks

melon

watermelon

(other preferred fruit)

Now peel and cut the fruits in slices as thick as your cookie shapes. Try to cut them in a way that allows the most space for making full beautiful shapes. Then use your cookie shapes to create cute lollipops and stick them in the wooden sticks. Arrange. Eat :)) It is that easy ;)))))

Hope you like what I did and I know you'll do a lot better. 

For somebody, who has a sweet tooth like me you can serve lollipops with a small plate with honey ;)

See you guys soon :) XOXO Geri

Autumn around the corner: 13 exciting facts about Autumn

13 reasons to be excited that Autumn is around the corner

1. None

2. None

3. None

4. Just Kidding :P  (...actually I'm not kidding! Am I?)

5. Winter is coming ;)

This isn't working! I'm feeling that my summer is sleeping away. Every day gets darker just a minute sooner, and I can feel sneaky Autumn being around the corner stealing my lovely Summer again. I'm all seasons loving girl (just kidding again). I mean some things are just...like Fall- it's called fall for a reason! I'm gonna make a confession- I don't like you winter, I really don't! And Autumn and Winter are related, you know. One leads to the other...

 I mean I do love winter when I'm in the mountains rolling on the slopes, but...who likes waking up at 6 and face the dark night and actually going out at 7:30 and it's still dark night. Then you go out and it's -25 degrees C and no matter how much clothing you wrap around yourself- you're cold and you look like Yeti or alternatively like a snowman- with a red carrot nose. You arrive at work and you look a bit ridiculous- I mean even if you wear that business attire- for 30 mins. you look like a clown.

 And that's me daydreaming about what's going to happen...

No, don't go! That negativity is good for you too, I'm telling you! It's one way to make the transition to the Autumn a bit less painful. You can always say- at least it's not the winter. 

Let's go back to the topic...or at least try. I say to the kids to reduce their negative feelings for someone, by pointing out their good sides. Of course they always argue that there are people with no such sides, but that's the kids :D

Let's see...

1. In the Autumn we wear nice transitional clothes and we can wear both- boots and sandals and look ok.

2. We have the opportunity to have a late Summer, or as we call it in my country "The Gypsy summer" (a very hot Autumn). Basically like summer- but worse- because it's in the Autumn :DD

3. Kids go back to school...and not only! Haha

4. For some people it's like the beginning of the year- like they count it more as a beginning than the actual New Year. What do you think?

5.  The Opera and ballet season and all good theaters are starting.

6. You get a post-holiday depression...oops I was supposed to write good things!

7. You go shopping to buy a new outfit...to try and treat your depression

8. Did it work? If not, repeat! If not again- call me!

9. You have a lot of yellow falling leafs and all exciting fruits are replaced by the boring ones- no watermelon, no melon, no peaches, no apricot- but we have apples and pears- yay! (AT least this applies to my country. Actually you lucky reader from the US have these awesome, gorgeous, huge, sweet, yummy Argentina cherries all year grrrr :)

10. Can't think

11. No more good stuff

12.Oooops I forgot the most important- loved family members have Bdays in the Autumn, which I like :)))

13. And also another one- bikini season- officially over- you can eat whatever you want again!!! :)))

See you soon! XOXO Love! GERI

Zucchini bites! By Yummy stuff

Yummy Stuff

ZUCCHINI BITES

This summer light yummy recipe is a favorite for almost everybody. Try it and your boyfriend will love you just a bit more :))) Zucchini bites- recommended for good mood! ;)

Ingredients:

4 zuccini

3 eggs

1/2 cup of semolina

150 grams of white cheese
fresh dill

Olive oil

sesame seeds

poppy seeds

for sauce: garlic, yogurt, fresh dill


Preparation:

Trim the zucchini and remove the water in a strainer. Add the 3 eggs the semolina the sesame and the poppy seeds and the fresh dill. When you finish mixing add the cheese and form small zucchini balls from the mix. 

 Fry with at least one finger strongly hot olive oil.

Serve with Greek yogurt, garlic and fresh dill!

XOXO Geri

Summer salad with quinoa

Yummy Stuff

SUMMER SALAD THAT WILL

BLOW YOUR MIND!!!

SALAD: GERI'S DELIGHT

Hey you! Today I decided to share a recipe that I came up with and it turned out to be just awesome! This totally beautifying recipe will make your face glow, your body full of energy and its great taste will make you crave for more :))) All ingredients are super foods that  are essential for your body's awesomeness :D

The quantities that I'm listing are for two people :P I mean it! Don't eat the whole thing by yourself! Seriously.

Products:

1/3 tea cup of quinoa

1 big tomato

1 big avocado

1 red onion

1 green chilli pepper

sesame

sunflower seeds

pumpkin seeds

raisins

Himalayan or Sea salt

Olive Oil/Pumpkin Oil

a few drops of lemon/balsamico

Preparation:

Boil the quinoa for a few minutes. Cut the tomato, avocado, onion and chilli pepper into small pieces and mix. Add the prepared quinoa, the sesame, the seeds and the raisins. Add the salt, a few drops of lemon and the olive oil. Enjoy it fresh! Has to be consumed right away!

Tip for my sweet skinny readers: Serve with toasts and butter!

Bon apetit!!

XOXO GERI

 

The true colors

The true colors

Struggle every day or find every opportunity to please yourself? What makes you more alive and alert? Which way to go? Is luxury, pleasure and comfort actually conditions that will make us enjoy life more? Or is it the state of fighting for what we have and restraining ourselves from temptation and overwhelming experiences more fulfilling? Is the secret somewhere in between?

A few months ago I had a conversation with the wife of a wealthy friend of ours. Considerably younger than her husband, she shared that ever since they got married they started traveling a lot.

She said that by the time she got married, she couldn't really afford to travel and actually her first long distance travel was with her husband. She said that she was full of excitement.

She used to notice everything, photograph every sight and write a diary with the traveling experiences, describing all new unexpected things that they encountered, she remembered every unusual name of a person, every place and area. She said that the day never ended without writing at least a few pages...She said that all of her senses were open and thirsty to discover the new.

However some years later, when they've traveled to most exotic destinations several times- she says that she doesn't get the same thrills anymore and that traveling lost its initial intense charm.

 Now it was just another journey...Of course she wasn't complaining and she said that she's enjoying herself. Where is the initial sparkle though? Why did the awesome become nice?

 Is it possible to keep the flame alive?

Can we rediscover the same thing and treat it as we're seeing it for the first time, or is our brain hardwired to habituate over everything?

 Is there a moment when an exotic paradise becomes dull and colorless? 

When I loose my interest towards something- does it loose its colors, or I loose my own colors and try to find them elsewhere? When I keep the colors alive the "same old" surprises me with its novelty!