How to Start Learning Computer Programming

Programming is lots of fun and extraordinarily useful. It allows you be creative and also opens up a wide range of new careers for you. If you want to learn how to program, read the tutorial below for an explanation of where to go and what to study.

EditSteps

EditChoosing a Language

1. Choose a programming language. Computer programming is done as essentially a set of written instructions that the computer follows (also known as binary coding). These instructions can be written in a number of different "languages", or which are simply different ways of organizing the instructions and text. Different languages tend to be used to create different types of programs, however, so choose a language that you feel is relevant to what you want to do. If you decide that a language does not suit your needs, you can always move on to a new language.
   
2. Consider C, C++, C# and related languages. These languages are mainly used for creating standalone computer applications such as games. C and C++ are difficult languages to learn for a beginner, but not impossible. Learning them will give you an in depth understanding of not only programming (most programming languages inherit some concept or the other from C and C++), but also of how a computer works. They are popular and widely used, though C#, a language very similar to Java, is starting to become much more common.
   
3. Consider Java or JavaScript. These are good languages to learn if you want to work on making web plugins (JavaScript) or mobile apps (Java). These languages are very much in demand right now, so they are handy to know. Keep in mind that Java and JavaScript are completely different languages, despite the similarity in names.
   
4. Try Python. Python is a very versatile language used widely across several platforms. Despite being extremely powerful, it is an easy language for a beginner to pick up, so give it a try!
   
5. Consider PHP. PHP stands for PHP: Hypertext Processor. It is a web programming language and relatively easy to learn due to its weak typing and popularity (popularity means there will be several useful tutorials on the language). It is a great language for server side programming.
   
6. Don't limit yourself to these languages! There are tons of programming languages, all with varying uses. If you want to work as programmer, you will definitely need to know more than one, so learn as many as you can.
   
   • Your best bet will be to look at ads for the sort of jobs you want to get and look for the common languages that they ask for.

EditLearning the Language

1. Think about going to school. While most companies hiring a programmer will care more about your skills than the college you went to or your grades, it greatly helps to have a college degree to point to. You will learn more efficiently than if you teach yourself, all while getting expert guidance from your teachers (and maybe your friends).
   
   • There are often scholarships and grants available to those doing degrees in this field. Don't feel intimidated by the price tag of a degree: it is possible!
2. Learn from online universities. Whether you do an online degree with fees and an actual degree at the end or you're attending a free program like MIT's wonderful Coursera, you can learn a lot about programming from these structured courses.
   
3. Try using online tools. Use free services like Google’s University Consortium or Mozilla’s Developer Network to learn more about programming. These companies want more developers to help their platforms flourish and their resources can be some of the best on the web.
   
4. Learn using online tutorials. There are loads of programmers with websites where they will teach you the individual basics, as well as a few tricks. Look up tutorials on the language you want to learn to find these.
   
   • Many free online classes are available to learn coding from. The Khan Academy teaches computer coding, with easy tutorials and videos. Code Academy is another free site to learn from, with step-by-step tutorials.
5. Start young if you can. There are several programs designed to teach kids to program. Programs like MIT's Scratch are very helpful and the younger you are, the easier it will be to pick up (like any language).
   
   • Avoid kits, as these rarely teach anything useful.

EditTeaching Yourself

1. Start with a good book or tutorial on programming. Get a good, current book on the programming language you want to learn. Reviews on Amazon or similar sites will usually help you identify helpful books from unhelpful ones.
   
2. Get an interpreter for that language. An interpreter is just another computer program but it will convert ideas you've written in a programming language into "machine code" so you can see things work. Lots of programs are available and you will need to choose one that is appropriate for you.
   
3. Read the book! Take examples of the programming language from the book and put them into your interpreter. Try changing the examples and making the program do different things.
   
4. Try putting together your own ideas to form a working program. Start with simple things, like a program to convert currencies, and work your way up to more complex things as you continue reading and learning about your programming language.
   
5. Learn another language. Once you start actively programming in your first language, you may want to learn a second one. You'll get the most out of learning a second programming language if you pick one that uses a radically different paradigm than the one you started with. For instance, if you started in Scheme, you might try learning C or Java next. If you started in Java, you could learn Perl or Python.
   
6. Continue programming and trying new things! To be a good programmer you, at the very least, have to keep up with changing technology. It's a constant learning process, and you should always be learning new languages, new paradigms, and most importantly: programming new things!
   

EditTips

• Don't jump start into complex language like Java but start with python as it encourages beginners and is composed of basically every little aspect in programming.
• Java has a powerful concept called multithreading. Study it carefully.
• Get a handy reference book. Make sure it's the latest version as languages keep updating.
• Start with something fun, motivate yourself to solving challenges, progressing your skills in logical problem solving.
• Use Eclipse when writing Java programs. It's an extremely useful program that can debug your code and you can run your code instantly, as well as using the package explorer to flick through multiple files of your code.
• By heart the syntax is a must. You are free to apply it in your own way. Study some sample programs then start coding your own.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Create a Simple Program in C
• Become a Programmer
• Program in Java
• Install Java
• Learn the Basics of Programming

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/Php1W0

How to Change a Gu10 Halogen Light Bulb

Changing a light bulb is supposed to be one of the easiest tasks that exists. It's even the subject of jokes based on how easy it is - "how many plumbers does it take to screw in a light bulb", etc. However, if you've ever tried to change a GU10 halogen light bulb, you might understand that it isn’t so easy. It’s hard to find directions, and it isn’t as self-explanatory as you might think. Luckily with some guidance, the process is not much more difficult than changing an ordinary bulb.

EditSteps

EditChanging the Bulb With Your Hands

1. Turn off the power switch. ^[1] You really don’t want to get electrocuted, right? This is the first step and probably the most important in terms of safety. Make sure that you do this before going any further. Wait for the light to cool if it only just burned out. If you don't feel any heat, it is probably safe to proceed.
   
2. Set up a ladder or a chair if your light fixture is too high for you to reach. You will want to be able to comfortable move your elbows around too, it’s going to be much harder to change the bulb if you are standing up on your tiptoes trying to change it using only your finger tips. Find something that will put you at a comfortable height and allows you to use both hands easily.
   
3. Wear gloves. ^[2] If your bulb doesn't have a protector on it, the oil from your hands can cause some serious damage to the bulb. Try to only grip it from the sides if it doesn’t have a protector. If it turns out the bulb is only loose rather than burned out you don't want to risk it exploding due to the oil on your hands once you screw it back in.
   
4. Press inward on the GU10 halogen bulb that is already screwed into place in your light fixture using both thumbs. Keep your grip and pressure constant on the bulb with the thumbs as you turn the bulb slowly counter-clockwise. Once it feels like it won’t turn any further, you can stop pushing it inward. You should rotate it about 90 degrees. ^[3]
   
5. Pull the bulb straight out of the socket. Wiggle it gently as it comes out to make sure it comes out cleanly. Be careful not to drop it, especially if you are on a ladder.
   
6. Remove the packaging from your new bulb. Remember to keep your gloves on as you do this so as not to get any oil from your hands on the new bulb, which would be even more dangerous and could cause it to explode in the socket if it heats improperly.
   
7. Press the new bulb inward into the socket. Once you’re back up on your ladder, you’ll press the bulb inward into the same position that you took the old bulb out from. Twist it clockwise as far as it will go, and you can turn the lights back on!
   

EditRemoving the Bulb With a Straw

1. Turn off the power switch. Remember, the electricity being off is important for safety.
   
2. Remove the plastic coated metal ring if there is one. There should be two plug bits on this ring if it is a specific type of halogen bulb. Squeeze them together and the ring will fall out.
   
   • Use a ladder or chair if your light fixture is too high up for you to reach. Make sure you can comfortably move your arms about as this task will require some dexterity.
3. Flatten a drinking straw and then push one end up between the rim of the light fixture and the bulb. You will want to push a good inch and a half of the straw up into the gap. You will then want to take the straw and move it around the circumference of the light bulb. You may need to do this a couple of times. For best results, treat the straw like an old fashion can opener by working all the way around the edge of the circle multiple times. You need to do this because a clip holds the wires that hold the bulb into place in the top of the light fixture. ^[4] The straw causes the clip to release the wires which allows you to grip the bulb. Remember, this isn’t the case for every single GU10 Halogen lightbulb. However, if you are having troubles using your hands this could be a good solution.
   
4. Unscrew the light bulb while wearing gloves. This is not as easy as it should be. The bulb's end is a white plug shaped mechanism. You will need to grab the socket in one hand and the bulb in the other. Then push the bulb (gently!) into the socket and turn counter-clockwise. Use the same techniques that you would use to open a child locked medicine bottle. ^[5]
   
5. Throw away the old bulb. There isn't a visible difference between a good bulb and a burned out bulb. Don't risk confusing the two.
   
6. Examine the now-empty socket. See those little holes in the middle? There are four of them. You want to line the new bulb's plug so that it fits into the larger holes. Then you turn it clockwise until you feel it "snap" into place. ^[6]
   
7. Push the wires back up under the metal clip (if possible). As you do this, work the bulb back into the fixture.
   
8. Replace the plastic coated ring. All you will have to do is push it back in on top of the light, just like the way it was before. After that, everything should be as good as new and you’ll be able to use your lights again.
   

EditTips

• Make sure your light isn’t hot before you touch it. If it is for whatever reason it might be installed incorrectly or your electricity might still be running. Address this issue first.
• Try to avoid getting oil on the inner part of the bulb. This can cause it to heat improperly and even explode.
• Be careful using your ladder. Make sure it is on a solid surface and not uneven, otherwise you might fall while trying to change the bulbs.
• Always get rid of the old halogen bulb so you don’t confuse the two.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Choose the Right Lighting for Each Room
• Repair a Table Lamp With a Bent Harp
• Change a Bulb in Your Underwater Light
• Remove a Broken Light Bulb
• Mount an LED Spotlight

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/1Q943kq

How to Discipline a Child With ADHD

Dealing with a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be very difficult. These children are unique and need distinctive discipline techniques. It’s all too easy to swing wide in your search for the right form of discipline—either to excuse your child because she has ADHD or to punish her too severely because she’s too defiant—but you must perform the intricate task of balancing between these two extremes. Experts in managing children with ADHD confirm that disciplining such children can be a challenging job. However, they also suggest that parents can discipline their children with ADHD by relying on patience and consistency.^[1]

EditSteps

EditEstablishing Routines and Organizations

1. Address critical needs within your family's schedule and organization. Prevention is the best solution to dealing with children with ADHD-based behavioral problems. Some of the most significant misbehaviors can be headed off by establishing a strongly structured organizational system to your family's daily life. In other words, creating a routine can prevent the need for discipline in the first place because your child will be less likely to misbehave.
   
   • Many of child's actions may be rooted in a lack of organization that leads to total chaos. For instance, some of the biggest struggles between a child with ADHD and her parents relates to completing simple household chores, cleaning his or her bedroom, and doing homework. Those wars can be prevented if the child is surrounded by strong structure and organization that build good habits which will be the foundation of the child’s ability to achieve success.
2. Establish clear routines and rules. Make sure you have a set of clear rules and expectations for your whole family and household. Children with ADHD won't pick up on the subtleties they need to know. Communicate exactly what you expect and what they need to do each day.
   
   • Once you've designated the household routine for the work week, for example, put up a schedule in your child's room. You can use a white board and make it fun by using colors, stickers, and other decorative aspects. Explain and point out everything on the schedule so that your child can understand it in different ways.
   • Establish routines for all kinds of daily tasks, including homework, which tends to be a big issue for most kids with ADHD. Make sure your child writes down her homework everyday in a planner and that there is a regular time and place for her to do her homework. Make sure to go over her homework before she begins and review it with her afterward.^[2]
3. Break large tasks down into small pieces. Parents need to understand that the disorganization that often accompanies children with ADHD is often the result of being visually overwhelmed.^[3] As a result, the child with ADHD needs a big projects, such as cleaning her room or folding and putting away clean laundry, to be broken down into many smaller tasks, given one at a time.
   
   • In the case of laundry, for example, ask your child to begin by finding all her socks and putting them away. You can make a bit of a game out of it by playing a CD and challenging your child to complete the task of finding all the socks and putting them in the appropriate drawer by the end of the first song. Once that is accomplished and you praise her for doing it correctly, you can then ask her to pick out and put away her underwear, pjs, and so on, until the task is competed.
   • Breaking the project into smaller pieces spread out over time not only prevents behavior born of frustration but also gives parents multiple chances to provide positive feedback while allowing children many opportunities to experience success. The more success experienced—and rewarded—the more a child begins to identify himself as a success, giving a much needed self-esteem boost and helping him actually become more successful in the future. After all, success breeds success!^[4]
4. Get organized. Establishing routines develops habits that will last a lifetime, but there also needs to be a good organizational system in place to support those routines. Help your child to organize her room. Remember that children with ADHD are overwhelmed because they notice everything at once, so the more they can categorize their belongings, the easier it is for them to deal with that plethora of stimuli.^[5][6]
   
   • Children with ADHD do well with storage cubes, shelves, wall hooks and the like to help them separate out items into categories and minimize crowding.^[7][8]
   • Use of color coding, pictures, and shelf labels also helps minimize visual stress. Remember that children with ADHD are overwhelmed because they notice everything at once, so the more they can categorize their belongings, the easier it is for them to deal with that plethora of stimuli.^[9][10]
5. Get your child's attention. Make sure you have your child’s undivided attention before issuing instructions. Once she starts to do the task, don’t distract her attention from the job by giving additional commands or starting a discussion that diverts her attention.^[11]
   
   • It's difficult for kids with ADHD to focus, so when they do exhibit focus, give them their best chance to keep it by not interrupting them or taking them away from the task at hand.
6. Get your child involved in physical activities. Children with ADHD function much better when they are using their bodies in different physical ways; activity helps them get that brain stimulation they crave.
   
   • Children with ADHD should be doing some sort of physical activity at least 3-4 days a week. The best choices are martial arts, swimming, dance, gymnastics, and other sports that use a variety of body movements.
   • You can even have them do a physical activity on their non-sports days, too, like going on a swing, riding a bike, playing at the park and so on.

EditTaking a Positive Approach

1. Provide positive feedback. You may start with tangible rewards (stickers, popsicles, little toys) for every success. Over time, you can gradually wean down to sporadic praise (“great job!” or a hug) but do continue providing positive feedback well after your child has developed good habits that result in regular successes.^[12][13]
   
   • Making your child feel good about what they do is one key strategy to avoiding the need to discipline them in the first place.
2. Act rationally. Use a low firm tone of voice when you need to discipline. Using a firm but unemotional voice, say as few words as possible when giving instructions. The more you say, the less they will remember.
   
   • One expert reminds parents to “act, don’t yak!” Lecturing a child with ADHD is pointless, while powerful consequences say it all.^[14]
   • Avoid responding to child's behavior emotionally. If you get angry or yell, it may increase your child’s anxieties, fuel her belief that she’s a bad kid who never does anything right. In addition, it may also invite your child have the feeling that he is in control since you lost your composure.^[15]
3. Address the behavior directly. Children with ADHD need more discipline than average kids, not less. While it might be tempting to give your child a pass on disciplining her behavior because of ADHD, this in fact only increases the likelihood that the behavior will continue.
   
   • As with most things in life, If you ignore it, it will escalate and get worse. So your best bet is to deal with the problem behavior the first time it occurs and right away. Enact discipline immediately after the behavior so that your child can connect their behavior with the discipline and your response. In this way, they will learn over time that this behavior comes with consequences, and hopefully stop engaging in the specific behavior.
   • Children with ADHD are impulsive and don't consider the consequences to their actions. They often don't even realize they have done anything wrong. The cycle is such that if there are no consequences, this problem will get worse. Thus, they need adults to help them see this and learn the wrongness of their behavior and the potential consequences of continuing that behavior.
4. Offer positive reinforcement. Parents have success with their ADHD children by rewarding good behavior more often than they punish the bad. Opt to praise what they do right, rather than criticize what they're doing wrong.^[16]
   
   • Many parents have found more success in changing bad behaviors, such as poor table manners at mealtimes, by instead focusing on giving positive encouragement and praise when their children do something right. Instead of criticizing how your child sits at the table or eats with food in her mouth, try praising her when she uses her utensils properly and when she is a good listener. This will help your child pay more attention to what she's doing in order to receive praise.
   • Watch your ratio. Make sure your child gets more positive inputs than negative ones. You might have to go out of your way to “catch her being good” sometimes but the benefits of praising more than punishing will be incalculable.^[17]
5. Develop a system of positive reinforcement. There are many tricks to inspire better behavior— those carrots often work better than the threat of the sticks. For instance, if your child is dressed and in the kitchen for breakfast by a certain time, she can choose waffles instead of cereal for breakfast. Offering choice is one way to positively reinforce your child when they behave well.
   
   • Consider setting up a positive behavior system that allows your child to earn privileges, such as an allowance bonus, a special day out, or something similar. By the same token, poor behavior results in the loss of points, but points can be earned back with extra chores or other such activities.^[18]
   • The point system can help give children the motivation they need to comply. If your son isn’t motivated to pick up his toys before bedtime, knowing he’ll earn points toward a privilege may be all the incentive he needs to comply. The best part of such a plan is that parents are no longer the bad guys when children don’t get privileges—their destinies are in their own hands and they have to take responsibility for their choices.
   • Note that children have more success with a points system when it is clearly specified with a checklist, schedule, and deadlines.^[19][20]
6. Frame everything in positive, rather than negative terms. Rather than tell your child with ADHD to stop a bad behavior, tell her what she should be doing. For example, instead of saying, "Stop jumping on the sofa", say, "Sit quietly on the sofa." Generally, children with AD/HD won't instantly be able to think of a good behavior to replace the bad one with, so it will be hard for them to stop. Instead, tell them what that good behavior is.
   
   • Focusing on the positives works well when crafting family rules as well. Instead of “no playing ball in the house,” try “balls are outside toys.” You may find more success with “walk slowly in the living room” than with “no running!”^[21]
7. Avoid giving too much attention to bad behavior. Remember that attention is a reward for children with ADHD. Thus, you should give your child lots of attention when good behavior occurs, but limit the attention you give bad behavior as it can be seen by your child as a reward. And rewarding bad behavior is the exact opposite of what you want!^[22]
   
   • For instance, if your daughter gets out of bed to play at night, don’t chit-chat with her as you put her back to bed. Silently but firmly put her back where she belongs without hugs and attention. Feel free to confiscate the toys but don’t discuss it at the time or she will feel rewarded by your attention. If you consistently don't reward the bad behavior, it should disappear over time.

EditEstablishing Consequences and Consistency

1. Be the boss. Don't let your child call all the shots. The parent needs to be the one in control, but all too often, the persistence of the child breaks down the parent’s will.^[23]
   
   • Consider the little girl who asks for a Coke five or six times in three minutes, all while the parent is on the phone, or dealing with the other baby, or trying to fix dinner. Sometimes it’s tempting - and indeed, easier - to cave in: “Fine—go ahead but leave me in peace!” However, the message being sent out is that persistence will win the day and that she, and not the parent is in control.
2. Make sure there are consequences for misbehavior. The cardinal rule is that discipline must be consistent, immediate, and powerful. Any punishment should reflect the misbehavior. ^[24]
   
   • Do not send your child to her room as punishment. Most ADHD-afflicted children will get easily distracted by their toys and belongings and forget that they are being punished in the first place. In addition, sending your child to her room is generally removed from and unrelated to the specific infraction, and she will have a hard time connecting the behavior with the punishment in order to learn not to repeat that behavior.
   • Consequences should also be immediate. For example, if a child is told that it's to put her bike away and come inside but she continues to ride, don’t tell her she won’t be able to ride it tomorrow. Delayed consequences have no meaning to a child with ADHD and can result in a blow-up the following day when the consequence is enforced. Instead, confiscate the bike and explain you will discuss terms of earning it back at a later time.
3. Be consistent. Parents will have better behavioral results if they are consistent in their responses. For example, if you use the point system, be reasonable and consistent with the granting and removing of points. Avoid arbitrary actions, particularly when you are angry or upset. Your child will only learn how to behave properly over time and with sustained learning and reinforcement.^[25][26]
   
   • Always follow through on what you say or threaten. Don't give too many warnings or make empty threats. If you give them multiple chances or warnings, make each come with a level of consequence with the final, second or third, accompanied by the punishment or discipline promised. Otherwise, they will test you every time to see how many chances it will be this time.
   • Make sure both parents are on board with this disciplinary plan. In order to change the behavior, your child needs to have the same response from both parents.^[27]
   • Consistency also means that the child knows what to expect when misbehaving no matter the venue. Sometimes parents are afraid to punish their children in public, fearful of how others will perceive the situation, but it's important to show that the particular misbehavior has consequences wherever your child is.
   • Be sure to coordinate with your child’s school, daycare, or Sunday school to make sure everyone there uses consistent, immediate, and powerful consequences as well. You don't want your child to get mixed messages.
4. Avoid inviting debate with your child. Try not to get into an argument with your child or be wishy-washy over your course of action.^[28][29] Your child needs to know that you are the boss and that’s that, full-stop.
   
   • The moment you engage in an argument or appear to waver, the message sent is that you are treating the child as a peer who has a chance to win the argument. There is thus a reason, to the child's mind, to keep pushing and keep arguing with and fighting you.
   • Always be specific in your instructions and be firm that they are to be followed.
5. Establish a time-out system. A time-out can give your child a chance to calm down in her own time. Instead of confronting one another and seeing who can become angriest, designate a place for the child to sit or stand until she is calm and ready to discuss the problem. Don’t lecture while she stands there; give her time and space to get herself under control. Emphasize that the timeout isn’t a punishment but rather an opportunity to start over.^[30]
   
   • Time-out is an effective punishment for a child with ADHD. It can be applied immediately to help the child see the connection to their actions. Children with ADHD hate to be still and quiet so it is very effective response to a bad behavior.
6. Learn to anticipate problems and plan ahead. Discuss your concerns with your child and troubleshoot together to plan for success. This is especially helpful to manage your child in public. Work together to decide on carrots (rewards) and sticks (consequences) that will apply to the situation then have your child repeat the plan aloud.^[31][32]
   
   • If your family is going out to dinner, for instance, the reward for good behavior might be the privilege of ordering dessert, while the consequence might be having to go straight to bed on returning home. If behavior starts to deteriorate at the restaurant, a gentle reminder (“What does good behavior earn tonight?”), followed if necessary by a more stern second comment (“Do you need to go to bed early tonight?”) ought to put your child back on track.
7. Forgive quickly. Always remind your child that you love her no matter what and that she is a good child, but that there are consequences to actions.
   

EditUnderstanding and Dealing with ADHD

1. Understand how children with ADHD are different. Children with ADHD can be defiant, aggressive, resistant to discipline, lawless, overly emotional, passionate, and lack inhibitions. Though for a long time, doctors assumed that such children were the victims of poor parents, in the early twentieth century, researchers began looking at the brain as the cause of ADHD.^[33]
   
   • Scientists studying the brain structure of children of ADHD report that some parts of their brains are smaller than normal. One of these is the basal ganglia, which regulates muscle movement, telling muscles when they are needed for a given activity and when they should rest. For most of us, when we’re seated, the hands and feet don’t need to be in motion, but the less effective basal ganglia in a child with ADHD fails to inhibit excessive activity, so sitting still is harder for that child. ^[34]
   • In other words, children with ADHD lack stimulation inside their brains and have poor impulse control so they will work harder or "act out" to get that needed stimulation.^[35]
   • Once parents realize their child isn’t simply being willful or thoughtless and that their child's brain just processes things differently thanks to ADHD, they often find it easier to deal with behaviors. New-found compassion understanding provide more patience and willingness to restructure how they deal with their child.^[36]
2. Understand the other reasons that children with ADHD may behave badly. Other issues may compound the problems facing parents of ADHD-diagnosed children, as other disorders often accompany ADHD.
   
   • For example, about 20% of those with ADHD also have bipolar or depressive disorders, while over 33% have behavioral disorders such as conduct disorder or oppositional defiance disorder.^[37] Many children with ADHA also have learning disabilities or problems with anxiety.^[38]
   • Additional disorders or problems in addition to ADHD can make the job of disciplining your child more difficult. This is especially true if there are multiple medications with various potential side effects to take into account when trying to manage your child’s behaviors.
3. Avoid getting frustrated that your child doesn't behave "normally." There is no real measure of what's normal, and the very concept of "normal behavior" is relative and subjective. ADHD is a disability and your child will need extra reminders and various accommodations.^[39]. However, this is no different than the fact that someone with less-than-perfect eyesight needs glasses and those with less-than perfect hearing need hearing aids.
   
   • Your child's ADHD is her version of "normal." It's a disorder that can be effectively coped with, and your child can go onto lead a happy and health life!

EditVideo

EditTips

• The key to a lifetime of success in dealing with a child with ADHD is setting up strong infrastructures in your child’s life that include: compassion, understanding, and forgiveness; demonstrated love for your child despite the misbehaviors; strong incentives to follow rules; the establishment of organizational programs that support how your child’s brain operates; and giving consistent, immediate, and powerful consequences when misbehaviors occur.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Deal With ADHD Kids
• Communicate With Children With ADHD

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/1PtDIBq

How to Strum a Guitar

It’s tough to enjoy playing guitar when it’s all rudiments and scales and exercises. Learning to strum a guitar properly will have you playing songs in no time, putting a little fun in your practice. By learning some basic patterns and getting familiar with your guitar, you’ll be able to play any song you want. See Step 1 for more instructions.

EditSteps

EditGetting to Know the Guitar

1. Hold the guitar properly. Keep the guitar balanced on your thigh, tight into your body. To learn to strum the guitar properly, you need to keep the elbow of your strumming hand out of the way of the string, near the base of the guitar, so you can use your wrist to strum. Support the guitar neck with your fret hand. The thumb should be positioned just past the center of the neck (opposite the strings).
   
   
   • If you have to use your arms to hold up the guitar, it’s very difficult to strum properly. Let the weight of the guitar rest on your lap, securing it with your elbow and make sure you can move your strumming hand without moving the guitar.
2. Hold the pick properly. With the palm of your hand facing your body, curl all your fingers in toward your palm. Place the pick on the first knuckle of your pointer-finger, so it points straight toward your chest. Grasp it with your thumb securely, leaving only a few centimeters of clearance from your finger. Play around some to get a good and comfortable grip on the pick.
   
   
   • Alternatively, you can strum without a pick, using the thumb of your non-fretting hand. Johnny Cash never used a pick. That choice depends on whether you can get enough clear sound with your fingers. Practice with a pick and abandon it if you find it too troublesome and like the sound of your fingers on the strings better.
   • It can be somewhat painful on your strumming fingers to not use a pick. Building up calluses is always a good thing, though.
3. Get familiar with the action of the guitar. The action refers to the height of the strings off the fret board, and the strength in your fretting finger needed to play the strings. Practice making chords properly and getting a clean sound on all the strings at once.
   
   
   • Strums will sound rattle-like if you strike “dead strings” that you’re not fully fretting. It can be quite frustrating to try to learn to strum if you’re not making the chords properly. If your strums sound dry or like a rattle, stop strumming and reform the chord correctly.

EditStrumming Correctly

1. Strum the strings between the sound hole and the bridge. Practice strumming the strings in different places to get a sense of the sound it creates. Strumming directly over the sound hold will create a "bass-ier", "boom-ier" sound, while strumming closer to the bridge will give you a sharper, tinnier sound.
   
   
   • While there’s really no “right” place, generally, you want to aim your strums about an inch south of the sound hole. Play around with your particular guitar to get a sense of where you like the sound best.^[1]
2. Practice strumming all the strings equally. In time, try strumming a simple first-position chord, like a G chord, with down strokes. Play quarter notes, one strum each, trying your best to hit all the strings. Stay on tempo, counting your four strums per measure.
   
   
   • Starting with the low E string, strum all the strings, trying to give them all equal weight. It can be difficult at first to make it sound like a “chord,” letting all the strings ring more or less the same. Beginners tend to hit either E string, the first or last, a little harder.
3. Try upstrokes. When you’re comfortable doing that on beat, try strumming the guitar from the little E string to the low. This is called an upstroke. These can be somewhat more difficult, but you still want to practice getting all the strings more or less equally, letting the chord “thrum” out like one big sound, rather than raking over them all individually and slowly.
   
   
4. Use your wrist. A good strum is all in the wrist. You’ll be able to spot a beginner easily from the flailing about of the strumming arm, strumming from the elbow. Learn to keep your elbow tight into the instrument, using your wrist to strum.
   
   
   • Many novice guitar players find it difficult to hold onto the pick while learning to strum. Most pick problems are the result of hanging on too close to the base of the pick and letting it flop around. Make sure you’re holding it properly, letting only the tiniest amount of the point stick out of your fingers.

EditLearning Basic Patterns

1. Learn the alternating up-down rhythm. The most basic rhythmic strumming pattern you can learn is to alternate down strokes and upstrokes with every beat: (DUDUDUDU) Down Up, Down Up, Down Up, Down Up. Keep the same tempo, but try a down-up strum for every beat, dividing the quarter notes into eighth notes.
   
   
   • Instead of one stroke for every beat, you’ll have two strokes for every beat. These are eighth notes. It should be the same tempo, so keep tapping your foot at the same rate, but strum twice for every beat.
2. Change chords. When you get comfortable with your down strokes and your upstrokes on one chord, change it up. Switch from a G chord to a C chord every measure, then every two beats, practicing changing chords in time.
   
   
   • Take your time learning this and getting the changes down. It might be slow going, but you’ll be better off for the work you put into it now. Moving on to the next step before you’re comfortable changing chords will be frustrating and discouraging to your sound. Get the chord changes worked out and you’ll be playing songs in no time.
3. Leave out the fourth down stroke in the measure. Almost no songs involve a straight up-down pattern, and it would be boring to play the same pattern over and over. Leave out one down stroke and see how the pattern changes: (DUDUDU-U). Where you would have played the down stroke, play nothing.
   
   
   • To start learning more complicated strumming patterns, you have to learn how to leave out certain up or down strokes, while still maintaining the same up and down pattern in your hand. In other words, you’ll continue moving your wrist, but leave your pick off the strings.
4. Practice the pop-rock pattern. A familiar strum pattern you’ll hear at lots of open-mics and practice sessions is (D-D-U-U-DU).^[2]
   
   
   • Start listening actively to your favorite songs that feature acoustic guitar prominently to get some sense of the strumming pattern used. Now that you know the basics, you can start learning to vary your strumming patterns, leaving out particular strokes to achieve different effects in the song.
5. Practice using your strumming hand to dampen the strings. Another way to add some variations to your strumming patterns is to learn to dampen the strings with the ball of your strumming palm, maintaining the pattern but getting a more percussive effect when you strike the strings with your pick.
   
   
   • Neil Young has a distinctive, bottom-heavy strumming pattern that he uses along with string dampening, and acoustic guitarist-surfer-popstar Jack Johnson also has a distinctive damp-strumming style that’s easy to learn and sounds fancier than it actually is.
6. Put the chord and the tempo first. Beginning guitar players often “over-strum,” focusing too much on doing the pattern they learned and too little on the tempo, the clarity of the chord, and playing the song. When strumming, try to focus on the chords first, then onto the strumming pattern. You’ll sound like a pro in no time.
   
   
7. Start playing songs. Guitar’s a lot more fun when you’re actually playing chord patterns and songs that you know! Start out with an easy song that will teach you basic strumming patterns.
   
   
   • You can play almost any country and folk song using the first position chords G, C, and D. Pick a few to learn and practice them to get the strumming patterns figured out.
   • Identify the chords you have to play in a song you’d like to learn and determine the amount of strings to strum. D Major, for example, only requires strumming five strings, while G Major requires strumming all six.

EditVideo

EditTips

• Practice is the most important thing. To enjoy yourself, you need to practice but also have fun, remember guitar is a form of creativity and not work.
• If you cannot identify the pattern of a song, try ultimate guitar forums for help, or YouTube it.
• Patterns should come easy to you, but if they don't you will have to work hard at it.

EditWarnings

• Stop playing if there is any wrist pain when strumming. Your strumming hand should be stretched often to prevent cramping.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Play Acoustic Guitar Tab

EditSources and Citations

• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP1ZfPYU0cjhXXnuxlLVhqQ

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