Welcome to the ‘complicated’ world of teenagers where communication refers to texting on mobile phones, entertainment implies partying with friends, and emotions are associated with a bad breakup. This is just the beginning of complications. The teenage years are not easy to deal with and no one knows this better than the actual parents of teens. Logically, it should be easy for parents to understand their teens since they were once teens themselves; however, by the time one moves on to becoming a parent, they remember little of what it was like, add that to the fact that the world has … [Read more...]
Teenage Troubles
Drinking until you are drunk is fine sometimes and driving over the speed limit might be necessary every once in a while. However, mixing the two situations together is almost like walking into the arms of Death. Drunk driving is a harsh reality, which needs to be addressed severely especially among the teen population. The teenage years are the most challenging few years in everyone’s life; they are never smooth. This is the time when family support can make a sea of difference in an adolescent’s life. The rebellion that mounts up in teenagers makes them make certain hasty decisions in … [Read more...]
Be a Parent, not a Dictator
Image via Wikipedia Raising teenagers is never easy. Dealing with acne woes, breakups, rebellious behavior and so many other unpleasant situations cannot be anything but tough. While it’s true that parents are more often than not at the receiving end of their children’s’ teenage blues, the kids themselves often end up victims of these trying years. A singular perspective is never helpful and parents need to understand that they have to reach out to their children who will keep withdrawing from them, it’s only natural. In this stage of their physical and mental … [Read more...]
Teens and Fashion
All parents of teens know that there are many struggles that occur during these years. Many teens are finding their way in the world, and much of it is done through experimentation and trial and error. This is not jut hard for parents, but for teens as well as they learn about the rules of life, and sometimes they learn the hard way. Common Teen Trends Some of the popular teen trends include music, fashion, like Rocawear shirts, having a relationship for the first time, and acquiescing to peer pressure. There are distinguishable behaviors that teens exhibit when they have begun to the push … [Read more...]
Driving Isn’t a Right
Image by State Library of Queensland, Australia via Flickr For a lot of teens, discipline is a mild problem. Only when they're especially enraged at a particular injustice do they lash out, in most cases. However, when a teen is behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, they have every bit of physical power any adult can bring to bear. This is a huge responsibility, and it isn't one that should be taken lightly by the teen or by his or her parents. First off, every activity behind the wheel needs to be performed exactingly. Because driving is something most people do every day, it can … [Read more...]
Teen slang: Know the danger words
Image via Wikipedia Teens work hard to separate themselves from the protective nests of their parents. Adopting new words they think their parents might not be familiar with is part of the whole process of growing up and finding their own identities. But there are some terms that should raise giant red flags - words and phrases that refer to illegal or dangerous behavior. As a responsible parent, it's a good idea to be familiar with the evolving slang so that you can take action if your child or their friends appear to be in over their heads. 4:20, 4/20 - Code for smoking … [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...]
Nurturing The Parent/Child Relationship
Every parent knows that the way they relate to their child changes constantly. You would not relate to a newborn infant the same way you would relate to an adolescent getting his heart broken for the first time. The most important thing for a parent to remember is that no one knows exactly when the rules will change. The parent who thinks that the constant attention a newborn needs is so time consuming, need only wait a few short years until they are coaching every team of every sport the child wants to participate in, making phone calls to every other parent of every other child on the … [Read more...]
Is Unsafe Driving A Rebellious Statement For Your Teen? How To Tackle It?
Does your teen take pleasure in ignoring your words of advice and strictures when you are sitting beside him or her in the vehicle? Do you feel that your teenager child pays lip service to all your words of advice and proceeds to rebel against each and every instruction? If yes, then perhaps the answer to this behavior may be hidden inside your house. Do you give adequate space to your teenager? Does he or she have adequate freedom in your house? Well, this is a controversial question because the definition of adequate freedom is something that parents and teenagers always disagree upon. … [Read more...]