by Ralph Mcallister

Created on: January 19, 2009

Making a difference in the world is on the minds of everyone. It is doubtful that you would hear "no" after asking every person you come in contact with in a day whether or not they want to make a difference; a positive difference specifically. The question really is how to make a difference that makes the most impact. With this in mind, each of those people you asked would surely say yes to the importance of making a difference in the life of a child. Impacting a child in a positive way is really a rewarding experience; you can see instant feedback in their emotions and actions. Some might have a problem, however, in how to go about making a difference in the life of a child. New parents, new teachers, new aunts and uncles, to name a few, all can feel the anxiety behind how to approach making a positive impact on a new child in their lives, and making a difference.

Paying attention to a child is probably the single most important way to make a difference. If you are not tactful or if you have very little talent or experience with children, you can still make a difference in the life of a child when you pay attention to them. The reason is that all children want to be seen and heard. Everything about children's behavior seems to cry out for attention to what they are doing; it seems to give them direction. How many times have you seen a young child say "watch me!" or "I can do this!"? What about an older child that has been more than willing to show an activity they have completed, like a drawing or bird house they built, or bring a game to you and ask you to play with them? They crave attention, and any child that gets ignored in this manner becomes troubled and will feel a sense of neglect in some way. Paying attention is the best way to leave a positive impression on their self esteem, and definitely will make a difference in their life.

Always sharing experiences, at a child's level, is another good way to make a difference. Many parents may feel this goes unseen, as they go about their daily routines or chores hoping to "rub off" some good character. The underlying character of a child is embedded in their mind by parents. Parents that are keen to this will likely understand another fact: sharing, talking, discipline or lecturing at every opportunity will, at one point or another, reach a child at the right moment. Another way of putting this is to just keep telling them and hope something sticks. As an adult, a good way to understand this is to consider

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