Image via Wikipedia At a recent middle school conference day, a couple of families waited outside a teacher's door for their appointments to start. The door of a neighboring classroom opened, and out came a father and son, progress reports in hand. They stopped at a nearby locker, where the son started fiddling with the combination lock and then kicked the door a couple of times. "Why are you kicking it?!" the dad demanded. "'Cause it never works!" the boy retorted in the same exasperated tone. "Well, it's probably broken 'cause you keep kicking it!" The locker opened … [Read more...]
Encouraging Teens to be Charitable
As a parent of a teenager you are always looking for ways to continue their transition into a well-rounded adult while keeping them safe and engaged. Encouraging them to be charitable is always an excellent exercise and there are many ways that teens can become involved, contribute and give back. Giving can be as simple as donating a car to Kars for Kids, or it can mean investing time or money. Plus, there are so many side benefits to charitable giving as well. Whether giving to charity involves their money, physical items such as clothing or toys, or giving of their time – learning to … [Read more...]
Where to Turn if You Suspect Your Teen is Using Drugs
If you are seeing the warning signs of drug use with your teen, you must take action as soon as possible. Drug use hits teens in any area and socioeconomic status, and it does not take much to undermine an individual’s well-being. Don’t hesitate to find out more about the situation. You should first examine the signs and talk to your teen. If you don’t think it’s wise to confront him or her directly, you can talk to your teen to spend time and develop your relationship – while watching how they spend their time. Talk to your teen’s friends and family to see if they have … [Read more...]
Costumes on a Budget
Dressing up is one of the most entertaining things for children to do. This activity encourages role play and imagination in children. Finding kids costumes is an easy task, but doing so on a budget can be a little trickier. Follow these easy tips to find costumes for any budget. Get Creative Costume accessories can quickly raise the price of any costume above its budgeted amount. To save money on accessories, consider making them at home. Pirate swords can be made at home from cardboard and aluminum foil; head wraps that cost several dollars can be substituted with an inexpensive bandana. … [Read more...]
Defensive Driving For Teenagers – Not All Battles Are Fought Face To Face
Image by LevelTen_Colin via Flickr Insisting that your teenaged child should attend a defensive driving course before laying his or her hand on the car may seem like common sense to you. On the other hand, your teen may be violently against such an idea. For starters, the idea or suggestion hurts your small teenager's big ego. Secondly, there is an implied suggestion that the you do not think your child is good enough. This can shake the overconfident approach that teenagers invariably adopt. Thirdly, you are an adult and will be seen as imposing your view and this will never … [Read more...]
Texting Teens
Today it seems like teenagers are always on the phone. But what else is new? Teenagers have tied up phone lines for years. However, with monthly cell phone bills on the rise, and the usage of cell phone minutes and text messages climbing, many parents are turning to prepaid cell phones to limit the financial damage. Prepaid cell phones allow for a pay-as-you-go plan. Once the cell phone is bought and a specific unit of minutes has been purchased and added to the phone, no other charges apply! While some prepaid cell phones do charge a minor activation fee, for the most part, prepaid phones … [Read more...]
Parenting – Punishment Or Reward?
Parenting - the most important job you will ever do and yet there are no guidelines, no manual and no exact right way to do it. There are classes on parenting, but any parent who has raised a child from infant to adulthood knows that classes do not even begin to scratch the surface, and even if they did, new issues come up daily, making parenting classes obsolete once that child is potty trained. It would be wonderful to have a manual. You open a book, read the part where it tells you what to do and it works. There are self help books, but they do little more than console us … [Read more...]
Discipline – What Works Best?
No matter what the experts say, the same type of discipline is not right for every kid, because every kid is different. It would be great if all kids were cut from the same mold. All parents would know how to handle the difficult situations, everyone would be able to use the same advice and same punishments for wrong doing. We would all be able to follow the manual. That will never happen. Only the parent knows their child. If you are engaged caring parent, who only wants what is best for your children, you will be the proper disciplinarian. Loving your children harder … [Read more...]
Parenting The Child With A Disability
One of the hardest things for a parent to deal with may be a child who has a disability. Disabilities can range from severe medical and physical disabilities to slight twitches, to serious mental retardation, to socially inept children who suffer from minor forms of Autism. Having a child with a disability is an extremely stressful situation for a parent. These kids do not fit into our mold. Even if you have had a child or several children before the child with the disability, you are thrown the new curve. What to do now? One of the first things you should do is learn … [Read more...]
Preparing Your Child for Your Upcoming Engagement
Children react to new situations and experiences differently. Some children might jump into things with both feet, while others might take a while to adjust. This is why if you are a single-parent who is looking to get engaged soon to your significant other, you need to plan ahead in order to ensure that your child is comfortable and ready for you to get married. After all, your child is one of the most important things in your life, and if they are uncomfortable with your significant other, it could lead to potential problems in your relationship. Here is a look at some tips on how to make … [Read more...]