More than Miss Manners
By Gary Puleo - Time Herald Staff
As seen in the Times Herald on 1/6/06:
PLYMOUTH - Some kids need to upgrade their self-esteem and their confidence,
while still more of them may need to improve their manners and social
skills.
Spending their time on the Internet
or playing video games will never provide kids with the
fundamental smarts, civility and social graces to get
by in life, says Ron Heller.
Inspired by his frustration in attempting
to influence his own son, Heller created "Boost Kids," an
innovative program that teaches kids through interactive
CD-ROM videos and flash cards.
"Like a lot of kids, my 12-year-old
son was struggling with mastering people skills and being
in certain social settings," Heller recalled. "He
was a little shy about everything. As a parent, sometimes
kids will tune you out, especially teenagers."
Heller's search for helpful materials
yielded nothing, he remembered.
"I went looking for a program just to speed up the
people-skill- building process, but since I couldn't find anything I created
my own," he said.
Though etiquette is a vital component of "Boost
Kids," the lessons go well beyond Emily Post drills.
"All that is important, but this is a little more
than that," said Heller, who manages Alpha Benefits Group in Plymouth
Meeting. "It includes how to listen to people, how to ask questions,
when to say thank you, shake hands, things like that.
"But it also goes into character development,
how to handle kids that brag, how to handle being teased, how to give
compliments."
The program made its debut at schools and organizations,
and is now available to parents through www.boostkids.com.
"We tested the idea and went to some schools to
refine it, with guidance counselors and educators," Heller explained. "The
response we got was just phenomenal. Some of the guidance counselors were
saying, 'This is the best program we've ever seen.' "
The focal point of "Boost Kids" is the video,
starring regular kids, to whom their viewing peers can easily relate,
according to Heller.
"The video shows kid actors doing things the wrong
way and then the right way," he noted.
Scenarios include a father giving his son a few bucks
to go to the movies.
In the first vignette, the kid takes the money and runs,
no thank you.
"So we come back and say 'Well, we all know you
have to say thank you,' " Heller pointed out.
In scene two the kid grudgingly offers a disingenuous
expression of gratitude.
"A little better, but still not what we're looking
for," Heller noted.
Fortunately, the third time is the charm.
"Finally, he gets it right and says, 'Thank you,
dad, I really appreciate it,' " Heller said. "I think kids can
really relate to the actors and get a good sense of what's going on."
The flash cards offer tips on conduct that any parent
would hope might come naturally to their child, such as "treat people
with respect."
"We are all equally valuable, so try not to be critical
or disrespectful," and "pointing out someone's weakness or making
fun of them does not accomplish anything" are two of the suggestions.
On the self-esteem front, lesson seven advises, "Life
is great! Go after it!" ... by being "passionate" and "having
fun."
"There's nothing more you want for your kid than
for them to have confidence and feel good about themselves," said
Heller.
# # #
Click
Here to view the article on the Times Herald website.
How BoostKids Can Help:
BoostKids is a program that can help increase a child’s confidence by teaching social skills to children and building their character. BoostKids has been and is currently being taught in schools, non-profit organizations, and after-school programs. The program is now available as an at-home training program for children and their parents. The key training tool of the BoostKids program is an interactive CD-ROM that shows kids the right-way and the wrong-way to handle social situations. They learn from real kid actors in real-life scenerios!
For more information about what’s included in BoostKids, click here.
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