By Beth Carls, MindOH! CEO

Almost 15 years ago, when my children were much younger - ages 5 and 7 - we had an opportunity to build a combination home and office. It was an ideal situation for me because it allowed me to work but have the kids there close by when they were not in school. Little did I know that there would be other positive results from that decision.

At the time, I was part-owner in an ad agency. We would have various client meetings at the office where the boys would observe networking, a wide variety of day-to-day business activities and, of course, the phone ringing non-stop. By the time my oldest son was 10, he was proficient enough to answer the business phone. It was at that time that he and his brother decided they wanted a limo ride. He conducted phone interviews - yes, every limo service in the Houston yellow pages was contacted! All of these activities they observed and practiced have turned into habits that they have used in their adult lives - they're now 22 and 19.

My oldest son has used - and improved - his interviewing skills as an assistant manager of a coffee lounge, they've both used multiple skills in their advertising manager jobs for their high school newspaper, and my youngest son believes that he wants to go into advertising and multimedia design. An added bonus - they both are very good at writing thank you notes - something my business partner and I feel very strongly about.

Here's the helpful hint to this story: Because we all have children in our lives who are observing our behaviors, I highly suggest buying this book - "The Moral Intelligence of Children" by Robert Coles. A primary thought throughout the book is how all of our children are ever attentive witnesses and how their moral imagination grows at different moments in their lives.

Throughout the stages of our lives we are being watched, not by aliens, but by the children in our lives. Next time you notice your child doing something that reminds you of something yourself or someone else has done - they are.

The MindOH! Foundation's fourth annual Character's Cool Contest will be accepting entries January 1st through the 31st in 2005. All secondary students ages 11-18 in the U.S. and Canada are eligible.

The Contest is actually three contests in one:

1. Students can fill out the online survey to win prizes such as a Nintendo Game Cube, a portable CD/MP3 player, gift certificates, games or sports memorabilia.
2. Students can also enter the essay contest to win cash prizes of $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $175 for third place.
3. The school with the most survey entries wins the grand prize of a new computer and a one-year subscription to MindOH!'s Discipline and Life Skills Series. The second place school receives Project Wisdom's character education materials.

MindOH! announces the launch of a new research study to evaluate the MindOH! Discipline and Life Skills Series (DLSS) in two schools in St. Louis, the Lift for Life Academy and Francis Howell Union High School. Objectives for the research project will include evaluating MindOH!'s effect on academic achievement.

"After seeing a MindOH! presentation at the CharacterPlus Conference last July, I knew I wanted these tools for my students," said Chris Layman, Dean of Students for the Lift for Life Academy. "I believe it's a valuable program that will help our students navigate their way through the discipline process while learning how to make better choices."

"I'm so impressed with the MindOH! Discipline Series and MindOH!'s commitment to research, that I am now planning to do my doctoral dissertation on the impact of character education on the behavior and performance of at-risk, alternative students," said Mike Hylen, Principal of Francis Howell Union High School.

The primary researcher for this 2005-2007 research study is Dr. Beth Manke, Associate Professor in the Human Development Department at the California State University, Long Beach. Dr. Manke will be supported by Dr. Marvin Berkowitz, Sanford N. McDonnell Professor of Character Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Dr. Berkowitz brings a long history of character education expertise to the project.

By Amy Dow, MindOH! Content Writer

While most of us here in North America enjoyed our Boxing Day, by having a hearty breakfast, sleeping or waiting in the endless lines for the Boxing Day sales, others on the other side of the world awoke to a natural disaster, one that has taken over 110,000 lives. One third of these lives are children. The largest earthquake in the last forty years, resulted in a massive tsunami leaving thousands homeless and forced to sort through what was left of their personal belongings, if there were any left at all.

We are lucky each and every day to learn from one another's cultural differences. As much as we are different, we are the same. As humans, we all work to provide the best for our families and loved ones. We all value a roof over our head to keep us warm, or food to keep our bellies full. Either way, for many in South East Asia this has been lost.

My heart goes out to all those who have been directly and indirectly involved with the disaster. I can only hope and wish that the generosity that has been shown by individuals and companies will continue for other countries in our world that are struggling to survive.

My other wish is that you all live every day like it is your last. Take every opportunity and don't look back. Live up to your New Years' Resolutions, enjoy the New Year and treat yourself to what you have always wanted. After all, you only live once, and someone once told me that a life worth living is a life with no regrets.

Happy New Year!