Sellecting ballet shoes for children

 Some of the ballet dancer’s grace and elegance is strongly associated with beautiful shoes worn during ballet performances. Even though the history of ballet can be traced back to the 15th century, the development of classic ballet shoes is much more recent. In general, the appearance of high quality shoes designed specifically for ballet allowed this art genre to develop to its modern form. Today, wearing comfortable ballet shoes for children during classes is essential for dancers of all grades.   Traditionally, there have been two types of ballet shoes: pointe shoes introduced by famous Italian ballerina Marie Taglioni in the 19th century and soft ballet slippers designed as they are today in the 20th century. At the present time, ballet slippers are worn by both male and female dancers of all skill levels, while pointe shoes require advanced dance skills and proper muscle development. If your child is a beginner, soft ballet shoes for children are the right option. Their lightweight constructions and flexible soles allow the dancer to perform to the best of their ability without sacrificing comfort.

Elegant soft ballet shoes are created to come up to the dancer’s needs during practice. They are normally made of leather, canvas or satin, and feature incredibly flexible soles for improved performance. Traditionally, ballet slippers had full leather soles whereas today they often have thin split soles. Ballet shoes in leather are believed to be the most durable and long-lasting though they usually cost more than shoes in canvas. Canvas slippers are less expensive and less sturdy but they are practically weightless and easy to clean. Satin ballet shoes are only worn during performances as they wear out really quickly in comparison with other types of slippers. It’s nice having several pairs of ballet shoes for different occasions including dance classes, auditions, exams, recitals and so on.

As ballet training sessions may sometimes get really intense, it’s worth paying considerable attention to the shoe elements created to provide additional comfort and support. For instance, it’s a great idea to select ballet shoes for children with already attached shoe elastics and ankle ribbons providing a tighter fit and ankle support. There are soft flats featuring either single or double crisscross pre-sewn elastics for a better fit. Additionally to choosing flats with elastics, it’s possible to get flexible toe thongs that can be worn inside dance shoes for barefoot protection and cushioning. Children love beautiful toe thongs in fun animal prints.

Modern ballet shoes for children are designed with comfort, elegance and foot protection in mind. No matter what the child’s skill level is, lightweight and flexible ballet slippers are must-have items suitable for ballet classes, exams and performances. The more comfortable young dancers feel during training, the easier it is to motivate them to improve dance skills.

Thank you note

Sending a thank you note is always a lovely gesture – and often an expected one. I’m sure that when you were a child, your parents encouraged (or forced) you to write thank you notes for birthday and Christmas presents. As an adult, you should still make a point of writing a thank you note to express gratitude in a number of situations. Especially if you are a parent.

Many people, sadly, think that such letters are a waste of time. But they are missing the point.  If anything, a well-penned, hand-written thank you letter carries more gravitas than in previous generations, only because they are becoming a rare breed. We live in an age of instant communication, but this is no excuse for letting standards slip, although it is, for many, an easy excuse.

Thank you letters should be written by hand after you have received either hospitality or a present. If someone has thrown a party and you were one of the guests, the reasoning of ‘I’ll be the only guest who does write a thank you letter so I won’t bother’ is ludicrous to say the least. If others aren’t writing letters, it does not mean to say we have to copy them.

These thank you letters do not have to be lengthy essays with bibliographies and academic references: one page on A5 writing paper (letterhead optional) will suffice. If someone has put in the effort of cooking for you or taken the time to buy you a present then it is common sense (and courtesy) to show them that you are grateful.

Many people say that they find it a chore writing such letters and they struggle with finding the right words, but once a winning formula is learned then they become second-nature. Again, these letters do not need to be the prose of Oscar Wilde.

Father - daughter relationship

We all have unique relationships with our fathers, but are these unique father-daughter dynamics influencing and even taking their toll on our love lives as adults?

It’s a common cliché that girls who have issues with their fathers, grow up to be women who have issues with men. But can a woman’s relationship with her father really have such a significant influence on her relationships and dating habits as an adult? It would seem so. According to experts and recently conducted studies, the nature of a woman’s relationship with her father is almost always reflected in her relationship patterns as a grown woman.

ARE YOU DATING YOUR DAD?

 

Modern psychology and research tells us that young girls and women typically look to their father for a representation of male companionship standards, which are known to transpire into the realm of romantic and even sexual relationships.

The quality of father-daughter relationships is believed by experts and found in research, to be a huge deciding factor when it comes to romantic relationships. Women with good communication with their fathers also have significantly better communication with their boyfriends, when compared to women with low communication with their fathers. When a woman doesn't trust men, can't maintain an ongoing relationship, doesn’t know how to communicate, is sexually promiscuous, or is too co-dependent, this is probably because her relationship with her father lacked trust and/or communication.

DEALING WITH DAD ISSUES

 

Poor fathering and the ‘daddy issues’ that result can have a significant impact on your ability to sustain a healthy relationship, often manifesting in tendencies that go unnoticed for years because of their habitual nature.

A great way to see if, or how your relationship with your father might be affecting your love life is to compare and contrast past relationships. Write a list of all your past relationships, whether they were romantic and official, or sexual and casual and detail all the problems you experienced in each one. Then make a new list of all the problems or difficulties you may have encountered in your relationship with your father to date. Place both lists side-by-side. You might be surprised by the amount of father-daughter issues in your relationships staring back at you. The same exercise can be used to reveal all the positive effects of your father-daughter relationship.

If negative tendencies seem to be dictating the outcome of most, or all, of your relationships, it’s important to remember that a troubled history with your dad does not necessarily mean hope has left the building. While a woman’s relationship with her father can drastically influence her romantic life, there is no written law stating that every young girl with an absent father will wind up with nothing more than a hopeless and failed love life and indeed, not every daddy’s girl is guaranteed to suddenly stumble across Prince Charming and live happily ever after in the kingdom castle.

TAKING CONTROL

 

Every woman possesses control of her own romantic destiny if she is able to acknowledge and redirect detrimental behaviours and manifest positive progress with potential partners and significant others.

Fathers desperately want a closer, more meaningful relationship with their daughters, but they don't know how to achieve it. Daughters are too critical and judgmental towards their fathers – usually adopting the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. These women risk growing to be unaware of what constitutes a healthy romantic relationship and not understanding how to properly relate to men. Fortunately, this damage is promisingly avoidable and repairable. Communication remains key.

Consistently re-enforcing the father-daughter relationship through communication will ultimately encourage strong self esteem and confidence and healthy standards for male companionship that do not involve relying on men for happiness, paving the way for successful and sustainable romantic relationships.