Ready to Learn Something New

There is no limit to the activities that grandparents and grandchildren can share. Favorites tend to be: days out at museums or the park, simply spending time with them without feeling what most parents experience. But the pressure rise when doing something else without grandchildren

Learning about the past is a key thing that grandparents and grandchildren can do together. I know from my own childhood how much I enjoyed hearing my grandparent’s stories. But grandparents can also pass on important life skills to help children become more independent, like cooking and money management.

Some Grandparents have special skills that they can share with their grandchildren. If grandparents knows mathematics, plays the piano, knows how to paint - then it seems very natural for them to share what they know with grandchildren who show even a small amount of interest. But rarely grandparents share something else besides a specific skill. They share with their grandchildren their own desire to always be learning something new.

Grandparents do not like to live in the corner of house but often like to spend time with children. Modern technology such as Skype, webcams on laptops and PCs, mobile phones and Facebook mean grandparents have a range of ways to keep in touch with children. Many have overcome a lack of enthusiasm to use computers if it means more contact with their grandchildren.

There are benefits of close contact. Children who have a grandparent involved in their care are less likely to be taken to accident and emergency and teenagers who spend more time with their grandparents become more sensitive and considerate to others.

Grandchildren love to learn things from their grandparents. But in modern societ other way around also may work. In today's world grandchildren can teach their grandparents how to use the computer, ipod, dvd player, even cell phone.

Value of Grandparents Listening

Many Grandparents are likely to have more time to listen to children on a given occasion  as well as to listen child's own parents. While parents may be busy taking care of multiple children, making supper, giving baths, doing all the things that parents do, grandparents have fewer responsibilities.

Once the children start schooling, grandparents can act as good listeners to all the stories, the children want to tell. This in turn teaches them to be good listeners as well. By this way, the family gets to know what is happening in the child's life - their friends, their problems, their achievements and their failures.

Grandparents can play an active role in developing hobbies like reading, gardening, or even indoor and outdoor games. This will be helpful to them in future.  Grandparents have the time to hear a child read a story or newspaper over and over again. They can also take the time to listen to an emotional tale to tell. This makes both parties happier while making interest. Listening always add enthusiastic comments, ask just the right question and agree with the child's analysis of whatever is being shared.

Grandparents are the best story tellers - nobody will disagree with this. Story telling is the first step towards developing reading habit. Grandparents can further help by reading out stories, selecting books for children and taking them to libraries.

Grandparents are the most interested and reliable listeners of kids. They may not be totally able to express how they appreciate being listened to so carefully. Kids often like to see grandparents or ask to speak with them on the phone. As they experience the kind attention is lovely to children.  They are learning not only how good it feels to be listened to but also what it takes to be a good listener. Each child deserves to have grandparents living with them.

What kids can learn from grandparents and great-grandparents?

In my point of view grandparents have some privileges parents don't. In addition, life experience has given them some valuable gifts. As children we can learn a lot from them. Kids automatically trust their grandparents and for good reasons. They know that grandparents love them almost without limits and in front of grandparents eyes cannot do any wrong work. Sensing the love and acceptance of their grandparents, kids relax. So that children aren't on boundary.

Quietly they can absorb the simple lessons that grandparents are more than prepared to teach. Their teaching stories make children interesting. Parents do both their own parents and their children without making any special favor by providing the time and the encouragement.

This allows all members of the family to determine and grow from learning what grandparents can teach grandchildren about life.Grandparents have a wealth of stories to share about the good old days with a longer experience in life. Sure sometimes the stories that grandparents say you, you have heard a million times and really don't need to hear again. These tales of days can remain hidden gems, unless grandparents encouraged bringing children to light for the assessment and suggestion.

Grandparents know more about the family than anyone else present around the various occasions. Grandparents can tell grandchildren about how these holidays and special occasions were celebrated in the past, what foods were considered as treats, what special outfits people wore, what members of the family back in those other times were funny, cute, spoiled, quiet, talented, or kind while comparing to present society. When grandparents share these kinds of memories they let their grandchildren to understand the warm secrets of the past. Also prove how these tasks have diminished in the present generation.

Here are some important common things that make bond between your children and grand parents.

1. They don’t feel responsible and shout at themselves for everything the child does. 

Wouldn't you be happier?

2. They get a break to refill their own cups.

 Obviously parents can't give kids to someone else to look after and go out without them.  But we can find ways to take time for ourselves so we have something to give kids.  This is challenging to be an enthused parent.

3. They have learned that kids do grow up and become solid citizens. 

They've learned through strong experience that kids go through challenging phases and come out reasonable.

4. They don't challenge a close relationship by punishing. 

 Sure, you need to set limits for children to make their behavior good.  But punishment of any kind always damages your relationship with your child and makes it more likely that he'll be naughty.

5. They know life is short.  

Grandparents have seen and have shared both sadness and joy.  They know that sometimes all parents can do is to share happy/ unhappy together and the rest of the time by forgetting them be happy.

6. They have more touching prime of life and have learned something about what really matters in life. 

Grandparents have the maturity to let a child win an argument, when a parent would need to prove she's right.  Grandparents are usually better listeners than parents most of the time. Grandparents are short on criticism and long on love.

7. They know how quickly childhood passes.  

So they want kids on their laps as long as possible, they don't tell a child to stop acting like a baby and they would never turn down a tea party invitation to wash dishes. After the tea party they find a way to make washing the dishes fun and get the grandchild involved unless.

8. They know what a wealth each child is.

 So they're more likely to appreciate the unique gifts of each child and be understanding about the challenges each child brings into the world.

9. They never run out of hugs and cookies. 

Life is hard-hitting and we all need to be able to count on the sweetness of someone who wants nothing more from this moment than to sit and listen to us talk.

I know not all grandparents can reach this supreme model. But shouldn't we take the opportunity to learn valuable things from them and adjust our life with children accordingly.  When giving children the information about their past days of life helps children to get more clear understanding of who they really are and where they came from in terms of the family tree. These kinds of knowledge help to sharpen a child's sense of identity and also of belonging.

Grandparents usually can provide this information in a way that delights and bamboozles kids. Grandparent’s special knowledge of the past and their ability to connect that past to images in the present make their observations real treasures that children will continue to think about for years to come.

Hospitality in the global village

The world has trim down in the direction of a global village. It is no more now distinct by countries as well as continents. Community is connected transversely the globe through the Internet and World Wide Web. This has bridge the digital divide among rich and poor people who can access the internet resources.

On the Internet, physical distance is even less of a encumbrance where as the real-time communicative activities of people has a little amount of distance. Therefore the social bubbles are greatly developed by the directness of the web. Also has provided the facility to search for online communities, people and interact with others who share the same interests and feelings.

This technology further promotes the idea of a multinational and unified global community. The concept of “e-village” in Sri Lanka Program demonstrates the effective contribution of an IT infrastructure in the speed up socio-economic development. Provide increased opportunities for growth and a better quality of life for citizens in rural communities, particularly the youth, by using ICT as a tool and enabler for development.

Village with limited access to resources and few opportunities for its youth benefited greatly when ICT was introduced. Through dedicated populace the village youth were empowered with the knowledge and skills needed to access the means for a better quality life. ICTA reproduced this successful model in several villages across the country. 

Opportunity through Enterprise

Enterprise is all about creativity of mind, positive attitude, sincerity and energy. This needs to cultivate national political and economic leadership as well. The combination in enterprise of creativity and a build spirit creates opportunities to improve lives and livelihoods. This encourages human beings to celebrate talent and innovation that can be supported and put to the best usage.

The chief objective of Commonwealth is to build on the shared values, principles and goals while converting those into practical achievements which can be achieved. Also help to speed up full advantage of opportunities created by enterprising Commonwealth citizens, organizations and governments. Moreover let young people to find and maximize their innovative opportunities.

Commonwealth Day is traditionally celebrated around the world in Commonwealth countries. The great opportunity of this year is to promote understanding on self-governing values, the self-respect of citizens and opportunities for youth across the Commonwealth. In my point of view from this school children, university students as well as young crowd can get beneficial through the imagination, creativity to grasp the opportunities of valuable time spend at home or school or university.

Think ∙ Eat ∙ Save -My effort to reduce Foodprint (World Environment Day)

The theme for the world Environmental Day was “Think ∙ Eat ∙ Save -My effort to reduce Foodprint”.  The chief objective is to minimize the wastage of the food in all stages of the food chain.  This is to raise awareness about the environmental effects of our food choices and discover ways to reduce environmental foodprint.

Food production has reflective impact on environmental resources. According to the findings, Agriculture is responsible for 70% of fresh water consumption, 80% of deforestation and 30% of greenhouse gas emission etc. The main roots for food production can be high usage of land, loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, water and air pollutions etc.

Although producing enough food for everyone still there are around 90 core people who are staying hungry world over. Therefore on this environmental day we all take a guarantee to make a significance difference individually and collectively to reduce wastage of food and ensure that everyone has enough food to eat and no one is skin-and-bone or in hungry. 

This mission cannot be achieved when we lose the food produced globally. In my view point developed countries waste food more than the less developed countries at different stages. Although tones of food are produced if there is no adequate storage infrastructure the food wastage in every year is higher. This also in the other side shows that loss of energy happens in the same way.

So that this is the opportunity to raise large-scale awareness among the producers, transporters, manufacturers & retailers, regulators, hospitality industry and rich consumers on the negative aspects of wastage of food and how attentive actions can help minimize food loss.

I would like to say that there cannot be sustainable development exclusive of environment as it has significance. You may wonder what this significance is. That is natural resources cannot be replaced. Response to the theme of environmental day, the vital requirement is to become aware of environmental impact on the food choices. If food is wasted, it means all resources and inputs that used in the production are also lost. 

A Vision for the Decade (2014-2024) of Sustainable Energy for All

All achievements of human beings depend on energy. For instance, energy lights our cities, energy powers our vehicles, trains, planes and rockets, energy warms our homes, cooks our food, plays our music, gives us pictures on television, energy powers machinery in factories and tractors on a farm. When we eat, our bodies transform the energy stored in the food into energy to do work.

                        

With these facts I can say that mankind took billions of years to reach the peak where we stand now due to the conversion of energy from more useful to less useful forms. As all of us know most of the earth energy comes from the sun. People make use of energy in day and night to spend the luxury lives because energy releases as heat, sound, light etc. Energy makes people’s lives richer, more productive, safer and healthier to sustain while performing important activities and pass that via unusable energy forms. Energy is a fundamental key ingredient in the modern economy.

The studies of history reveal that the great civilization tried to survive by using fossil fuel sources. Fossil fuel for energy is one of the main debated issues at present because fossil fuels are not renewable, they can't be made again. Once they are gone, they're gone. As young generation, we must replenish the energy to run machines to make lives easier. With the industrial revolution human-being started consuming fuels faster than the planet can fill them. But now there is a serious talk on reaching the peak production of these energy foundations.

Energy ties into economic growth. We know that energy demand will increase significantly in the future. These are some of the considerable finding to sustain energy for all. In developed economies, energy demand will remain essentially smooth while in developing countries, energy demand will grow. Growing electricity demand will remain as the peak by 2024. Natural gas will be the fastest-growing major fuel. Gains in efficiency across economies worldwide through energy-saving practices and technologies will significantly reduce demand growth and curb emissions. In 2024, global energy demand will be about 40% higher compared to current year as economic output more than doubles and prosperity expands across a world whose population will grow to nearly ten billion people.

As oil wells reach peak oil no longer freely discharges out of the ground. It becomes increasingly difficult and expensive to pull to the surface. Therefore the energy is a pressure, since the population growth in each year rapidly and considerably.  Energy demand for the human is growing because they desire to sustain and improve the well-being of themselves, their families etc.

Through the decade 2014-2024, population and economic growth will drive demand higher, but the world will use energy more efficiently and shift toward lower-carbon fuels. Therefore the necessity of fossil fuels is increasing to perform work. The earth’s resources are in the unsustainable qualities (physical limits) to perform the activities at any given time. Current trend statistics show that population will hit peak production within present generation's lifetime.

Based on the unquestionable statement fossil fuels needed to sustain current standards of living, it needs to exceed the ability of the earth to stimulate its stores of energy. I like to conclude that energy is the most relevant issue of today. Meeting the growing demand for energy in a safe and environmentally friendly manner is a key challenge. So that we should think how we can help in this matter. Energy provides us supply and demand while powering industries such as transport etc.

The sunlight falling on one country in one day contains more than twice the energy that we consume in an entire year. The importance of sustainable energy provides many benefits for environment, for future generations, for job creation and energy security. Clean energy sources can be connected to produce electricity and process heat, fuel and valuable chemicals with less effect on the environment.

In contrast, emissions from cars powered by fuel and factories that burn oil will affect the atmosphere. Foul air results in so-called greenhouse gases which are known as co2 emissions from energy-related sources. Sustainable energy technologies do not emit any greenhouse gases in order to make the world a cleaner and safer place while avoiding and reducing air emissions as well as water consumption, waste, noise and adverse land-use impacts.

All energy sources have an impact on the environment. Concerns about the greenhouse effect, global warming, air pollution, and energy security have started developing renewable energy sources. But we need to continue to use fossil fuels and nuclear energy until new technologies can replace them. To bright our future we need energy.

But there are also drawbacks to renewable energy development. Even if we wanted to switch to solar energy right away, we still have a big problem. And the cost of producing that much of electricity would be about four times more expensive than a regular natural gas-fired power plant. Even though the renewable power plant doesn't release air pollution or use expensive fossil fuels, it still has an impact on the environment.

Renewable energy will avoid reduction of fossil fuel reserves and will empower future generations to deal with the environmental impact of over-dependence on fossil fuels. Also as we all know renewable energy projects can bring economical benefits to remote communities for the reason that most of the plants are situated away from large cities. The development and installation of sustainable energy systems creates jobs, regional development and long term economic growth. Also minimize our dependence on fossil and imported fuels.

Renewable energy resource will result in new jobs and less oil has to buy from foreign countries. If we make use of renewable energy, we can achieve more afford today till future 2014-2024 decade than 25 years ago. Today's standards of living are unsustainable and many of the countries attempt to follow the path of industrialized countries to do major changes. Energy growth is directly linked to well-being and prosperity across the globe.

This will bring destruction of modern civilization or a new age of sustainability. This depends on the ability of people to accept an entirely different lifestyle while saving the energy for the future. Sustainable energy is now the key to a brighter future. And there are finite or limited amounts of these non-renewable energy sources. So, people must all do our part in saving as much energy as we can. In your home/ work-place you can save energy by turning off appliances, TVs and radios that are not being used, watched or listened to. You can turn off lights when no one is in the room. By putting lagging in walls and lofts, we can reduce the amount of energy it takes to heat or cool our homes.

The energy demand will double by 2014-2024 decade despite the fact that energy is sustainable and diverse. Also the energy is usage should be done more efficiently. We need to promote alternative environmentally friendly energy sources for the future generation. Energy resources become rare and climate change becomes an increasingly by pressing reality. If present trends continue, increasing energy demand will result in greater reliance on imported energy. The significance is likely to be an unpredictable energy supply and probably higher energy prices. 

Many things have changed the shape of the world as all of us know. But underlying them all supplying rich and relatively cheap supply of energy is little bit tricky. To make sure we have plenty of energy in the future, it's up to all of us to use energy wisely. We must all save energy and use it efficiently. It's also up to those who will create the new energy technologies of the future.