Smart Singles is the latest addition in the Parenting Matters™ seminar series, specifically for single parents.  This seminar aims to provide real, practical solutions to help single parents to keep it all together. This exciting programme includes creative parenting expert Nikki Bush, together with two Smart Singles who will share their personal stories and their survival strategies. They walk the path everyday and experience the same challenges you do as they juggle work, life and children — on their own:

Bev Milun is the single mom of a 10 year old son. She divorced while still pregnant, survived a violent hijacking in which she and her baby nearly lost their lives, and has been a single mom, businesswoman and inspirational speaker since. She recently wrote and published a book called The Survival Guide to Parenthood through the eyes of a single mother (a must-read even if you aren’t single).

Mike Duffus became a single dad of a three year old when his wife tragically passed away after a long battle with cancer. His daughter is now seven. Mike has travelled the roller coaster journey of grief while continuing to be an active father, a highly successful businessman and an accomplished sportsman (he is a top Duzi Canoe Marathon competitor).

Nikki Bush, creative parenting expert, inspirational speaker, author (Future-proof Your Child and Easy Answers to Awkward Questions) and mom to two boys aged 11 and 15, will present Parenting Matters™ for parents of this wired, weird and wonderful generation of children. She will raise some hot topics including:

• Who’s the boss?
• Hold your line
• From mad to glad
• Managing your child’s exposure to media
• Your child’s happiness quotient

Don’t miss this seminar!

DATE :   Tuesday, 14 September 2010

TIME :    6 – 9pm, including a light supper

VENUE:   Nedbank Auditorium, 135 Rivonia Rd, Sandton

COST :   R350.00 per person

BOOKINGS:   info@brightideasoutfit.co.za

Just read a fabulous parenting article from Liberty Life describing the roles of the modern parent as teacher, coach, mentor and cheerleader – worth a read. 

PARENTING A 21ST CENTURY CHILD

The decision to become a parent is much easier than the journey. Any parent will tell you that parenting is a marathon, not a sprint. It is a journey of 21 years or longer, depending on how many children you have and the time-frame between them.

Parenting in the 21st century is challenging our thinking. The world is changing, and we are walking a path that is new in many ways. Bringing balance and keeping an open mind will help develop our precious offspring, and will also develop character and growth in us.

Parenting can be divided into four main roles. Understanding these roles and the rules that govern them will guide your journey….Click here for the full story.

Graeme Codrington, Sam Cowan and Nikki Bush on eTV's Great Expectations this morning

Another Parenting Matters™ seminar was announced on eTV’s Great Expectations show this morning.  As a follow-on to this TV programme that focused on the book, Future-proof Your Child, (Penguin, 2008), Nikki will be presenting a powerful combination of Future-proof Your Child™ and Parenting on the Run™ in one morning seminar that will  leave you informed and empowered.  Future-proof Your Child™ is a wonderful scene setter for parenting in this century and Parenting on the Run™ is a practical, fun expression of Future-proof Your Child in action.  Don’t miss it!

DATE :  Saturday, 18 September 2010

TIME:  9am – 12pm

VENUE:  Nedbank Auditorium, 1 Newtown Ave, Killarney, Jhb

COST:  R350.00 per head (includes notes, refreshments and lucky draws)

BOOKINGS:  info@brightideasoutfit.co.za

FUTURE-PROOF YOUR CHILD™

The world has changed. The future has changed. Childhood is changing. Raising children has never been more challenging – or potentially rewarding.

Nikki Bush, creative parenting expert and author of the bestselling book, Future-proof Your Child, explores what you need to know about tomorrow today, why you need to know this and what you need to do to prepare today’s children for a world that doesn’t yet exist. This thought provoking multi-media presentation, peppered with personal anecdotes, will introduce you to the X-factors required for success in 2020 and beyond, providing many practical ideas to help children to develop them from an early age.

This eye-opening talk is suitable for anyone involved in raising children of any age, from parents to teachers, aunts, uncles, grandparents and even parents to be.

PARENTING ON THE RUN™

Parents today are busy. Being able to parent creatively – on the run – makes your parenting journey easier and much more fun. In this workshop, creative parenting expert and author, Nikki Bush, introduces the concept of cheating time and turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, helping parents to give away the guilt they so often feel.

She will show you how time spent in the car, doing household chores and activities or waiting for appointments, can be so valuable to both you and your child – it is never a waste of time! This insightful talk is peppered with personal anecdotes and provides dozens of practical and creative ideas to take home and try with your children.  Connecting with your child can be such fun and so easy despite your busyness!  Come and play.

“In the sci-fi world of rockets and robots, computer keyboards don’t exist. Humans always talk to their computers, giving them orders, commands and requests. In the blockbuster film Avatar, touch screen technology was the big deal. But until these high tech visions  are realized, the 88-key QWERTY keyboard – together with the mouse — will remain the main interface between man and machine.  And yet, it’s amazing how many people still haven’t mastered their keyboard. “Hunt and Peck” remains a trusted method for data entry for over 25% of computer users.”

Kevin Lerner, The Presentation Team

As a very speedy touch-typist myself, I have always received jealous glares from colleagues and even my husband and children as I bash away at my keyboard effortlessly.  My dexterity makes them look like palookas.  And I have always battled to find assistants who could work faster or more accurately than me which has been so frustrating because they could never keep up with my productivity. 

Touch typing is definitely one of the skills I would like my children to master long before they leave school.  Did you know that it boosts productivity on a keyboard by up to 60%? Who wouldn’t want to do that? I learnt to touch type in Australia when I was an 18 year old exchange student.  Back then I never realised that taking this practical subject would benefit me so much in the long-run.  To this day, I marvel at the ability of the human brain and how trainable it is.  Touch typing is such an excellent example of this.

Learning how to read is another skill that often blows my mind.  That we can make sense out of such abstract symbols as  letters and numbers — a decoding system, if you will — is an incredible feat.  But in a world of  increasing digital speed and connectivity, it’s no longer enough to be able to read.  You need to be able to read at speed and to be able to comprehend what you are reading.  Interestingly we also live in an era of rapidly declinging literacy rates  — not a good thing for children who are already drowning in information from the first time they do a Google search for a school project in grade 1.  And information overload will continue at a pace.

So, if your child’s school doesn’t offer speed reading and touch-typing as subjects or extra options, then do  make sure that at some point you create an opportunity to give your child the benefit of acquiring these skills that will not just boost their productivity but their confidence and self-esteem too.  They will go a long way to helping our children to love learning,  helping them to contribute to, and shape the body of knowledge that we are all  co-creating — at speed — in addition to predictive text and voice activated software among others.  As learning is one of the five key X-factors for success in the future world of work, we need to do everything we can to make learning easier and more enjoyable — they are going to be doing this for life!

“Speed reading and touch typing are excellent skills for greater efficiency in life.  Being able to operate and navigate technology confidently — from cellphones to computers to the Internet and other electronic gadgets — will enable learners to manipulate, disseminate and acquire infomation quickly.  Competence in this area will assist with time management and enhance communication and presentation skills.”

Nikki Bush & Dr Graeme Codrington,

 Future-proof Your Child (Penguin, 2008)

I am introducing a new series of public seminars called Parenting Matters™, the first of which will take place in September.  If you have attended any of my talks and workshops you will know that I often make mention of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Five Love Languages by Dr Gary Chapman.  Communicating with, and connecting to your child, can be so much more effective if you use the right love language.   I am so excited to bring you a not to be missed combination in one evening:  my presentation, Future-proof Your Child followed by a really practical and insightful presentation of The Five Love Languages of Children by skilled speaker, educator and Love Language specialist, Carol Baillie.  The Love Languages are such an amazingly useful tool in future-proofing your child and parenting in general.  Join us for a dynamic evening:

DATE:  29 September 2010

TIME:  6 for 6.30pm to 9.30pm

VENUE: Bryanston Sports Club, cnr Grosvenor and Main Roads, Bryanston

COST:  R300.00 per head including light finger supper.  Cash bar available.  10% couples discount.

Bookings essential:  info@brightideasoutfit.co.za