November 27 is National Buy Nothing DayWhile some folks will be focused on Black Friday shopping this year, others will be celebrating November 27 as National Buy Nothing Day. LearningRx would like to suggest four alternative “gifts” that parents can give their children to help them get through life—not just the long Christmas break: 1. Responsibility. Coddling children does them a disservice and hinders their ability to be prepared for life outside the home. Encourage them to volunteer, help around the house, get a job, and take responsibility for their actions. Teach them to balance a checkbook, keep commitments, and be punctual. Read a review of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. 2. Brain training. Stop asking teachers to accommodate your child, and instead address the root cause of learning struggles. One-on-one brain training targets the underlying cognitive skills that help us think, learn, process, memorize, and recall information. These cognitive skills include auditory and visual processing, logic & reasoning, processing speed, attention, and memory. 3. A love of reading. Does your child have a library card or access to e-books? Head to a used or new bookstore or create a local book exchange with other parents. 4. Failure. Watching kids fail is hard, but how else do they learn from their mistakes? Part of the beauty of failure is that it encourages us to take risks and learn that we can survive the results, no matter what they may be. As hockey great Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” To find out more about one-on-one brain training, visit www.LearningRx.com.