Teenagers and Parenting Articles

If Only My Teen Came with a Universal Remote By Lori Payne, LPC-S

Being a present, available father in today’s world is tough. Money concerns are increasing, work hours are longer, and the general strains of the modern age are mixing with social and technological temptations that leave us struggling to balance our lives. As our children grow into the often fraught years of the teens, that challenge becomes even great. Not because connecting with a teenager is impossible, but because they have their own busy lives to manage. In my own atte

Is thr a gnr8shn gap bt rents n teens?

Some parents mix the idea of rulemaking with ruling their home. Reasonable rulemaking and proper boundaries will help a teenager mature into a confident adult, while living under a "ruler" can lead to frustration, rebellion and eroded self-esteem. Which kind of home is yours? One that has rules or one that is ruled? Rules for your home should fall into three main areas of concern, which are foundational to all other character and maturity issues. They are honesty, obedience, and respect.

We usually think of defiance as a negative trait. But that thinking is overly simplistic. There are situations when parents WANT children to demonstrate defiance. Don’t you want your child to defy peer pressure that would lead her into irresponsible self-conduct? When your child faces a situation where the odds seem stacked against him, if the goal is worth striving, you want him to defy those odds, don’t you? If your child has a dream and a negative person advises her to

Many experts suggest that TV watching and kids are not a match made in heaven, given most of the programs’ content. Some experts advocate that TV time does not help a child’s maturity because some shows feature characters that stay young. Other experts also suggest that the TV may limit understanding because shows often show common stereotypes. However, the reality is that most homes have TVs because many parents grew up from a generation that had TVs. It may also be impr

Are you a kid or teen who will do anything at school just to gain points with the “in-crowd”? Would you like to stay out of trouble and maintain your integrity and dignity while not giving in to the whims of peer pressure? Do you want to make choices at school that you can look back on with no regrets? I will teach you how to deal with school pressure. Do not start or engage in fights. If another student annoys you, try to solve the matter peacefully. Do not accept challenge

Employers are always on the lookout for college students who stand out in some way. However, when times are tough, college students should consider some additional ways to make themselves more visible and attractive to prospective employers. When fewer employers have jobs to offer, good ...

After your parents have dropped you off at college and have headed back home, you may experience a slight shutter of apprehension. However, you will get off on the right foot and feel more comfortable with this new and important experience, if you pay close attention to and act on the eight ...

Disciplining your kids is one of the toughest jobs. So, if you want to make your children well-mannered, then you need to encourage discipline in them. This is because when it comes to children, stimulating decent behavior is always easier than eliminating bad behavior. So the best way to guide your little ones is by adopting a constructive and positive approach yourself first. This is because the good conduct in kids can only be encouraged when parents act like their role mo

For many years i went through my life feeling down about myself and empty. I wanted to win big ,do great things and have a sense of accomplishment. I tried doing different businesses and failed. I self developed and went to many seminars, i networked with many people and made the changes ...

You can tell where you are in your life by how you celebrate Mother's Day. If you are making a card in crayon, you're at the start of your Mother's Days. If you are borrowing the keys to the car, you're in the teen years. When you forget and get that "I'm not hurt, just disappointed" call from your dad, you're probably in your 20s. When you bring home that special girl on Mother's day, you're just asking for trouble. But when that special girl becomes your wife and you bring your first-bo over to your mom's house, that's a truly special Mother's Day.

If you are attending college to make a better future for yourself, there is a question that you must answer. Do you know how to compete for the best jobs? Well, let me give you a better idea of what is needed. Since recruiters and employers only know what you give them, you must work very ...

I started rethinking about the state of the country and the economy this weekend when my kids started a lemonade stand. They made $12.50 each for 4 hours of work. It brought me back to my childhood that involved not only a lemonade stand, but also an earthworm farm, handmade fishing lures, and a lawn mowing service. I first thought that maybe my kids had picked up the entrepreneurial bug from me. After watching as several of the neighborhood kids joined the lemonade stand sales team, I realized that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well inside each one of us.

It was totally unexpected. I was puttering around the house on a hot summer day in Florida. Julie, my next door neighbor called and asked me to have breakfast with her. Julie is a high school honors teacher who doesn’t have much extra time during the school year to socialize. I ...

I just attended a dinner of a womens group I belong to: BTW - Big Thinking Women. The speaker last night was Dr. Susan Love, foremost almost a celebrity in breast cancer research. She is just terrific and energetic and creative and determined to learn things we do not yet know…like how the chemistry of breast milk impacts cancer…what the ducts are really composed of…osteoporosis…and all kinds of things. In order for her to know more, she needs us to volunteer to be part of various study groups, test groups, clinical studies and things like that.

The “College & Career Success” Coach Success, during and after college, is the goal of nearly every college freshman. They understand that good college performance can open doors to jobs and further schooling. However, few students are clear about what this actually means. So let’s clear it ...

Are you tuned in to reality? Am I tuned in to reality? No, it isn’t a radio station or a television channel. My thesaurus gives many definitions of reality but the definition that pops out at me is truth. If mental health demands reality, then lies must mean an emotional upheaval at ...

Mindset: That is the engine, which runs our machine. Our thoughts are very powerful tools. Most people allow the environment to control what they think and just go with the flow allowing others to create their outcomes. If this really worked, we could coast along allowing exte al forces to determine our lives and our success or failure. Sadly, the masses go down this path all too often and never attain the success in their minds because they do not allow their minds to determine their success. Operating a home based business requires discipline and more importantly a positive mindset.

Parents of struggling teens seeking help and a hope for their young children can now turn to Jade Robinson’s Youth Foundation, a NON PROFIT organization that operates a Residential Treatment Facility and School for Troubled Teens. The center works to bring families and relationships together with its core concentration on curriculum as well as character building for teens.

6 years in College Placement has taught me that parents and students are overwhelmed with and acting on emotions, whereas counselors and admissions officers deal with cold hard facts - objective data like middle 50% SAT scores, GPA, acceptance rates, financial aid, and other sorts of exciting figures that mean little to most parents and students. Enter the college counselor. Our job is to acknowledge reality and to advise, assist, and counsel during the admissions process. A

Potty training can be a trying time for both the child and the parent. We all want to get our children out of expensive diapers as quickly as possible. Not only can they be nasty to change, they can kill your bank account and oftentimes, the child gets an uncomfortable diaper rash. It’s important to recognize child behavior before making an attempt at potty training your child. Every child is different. You’ll need to know which of the child development stages your child is

"A felt sense of wonder, thankfulness & appreciation for life" Robert Emmons Gratitude is one of those things that we wish the teenagers of today showed more of. Often, as parents, we forget to express our own gratitude for the people and things we have in our lives that make it so special. Teens model their parent’s behaviour so start today with showing an attitude of gratitude and your teens will begin to as well!

Though the joy and benefits of social media can most certainly not be ignored but there are certain privacy risks that need to taken into consideration as well. Whether you’re a private individual or a socialite; an over-sharing adult or a secretive teen; you should be aware of your privacy options and their utilizations to meet our needs accordingly . Following are user-friendly instructions to help keep your privacy in order on the most excessively used social media platf

n This is the one we all do, right? We plan financially for our futures by investing, saving, budgeting or all of the above. We deprive ourselves of that new car, new house, big boat, new motorcycle, new furniture, etc, etc, etc. We do all this because we’re good financial planners ...

Great References Must Be Cultivated by Bob Rothr The “College & Career Success” Coach There is an important aspect of the senior year job search that most college students fail to appreciate, undervalue and sometimes ignore. Many students don’t seem to understand that the best employers place a great deal of weight on good references. These employers won’t hire someone who can’t provide them with a list of people who are willing to serve as positive and enthusiastic references. The best references are respected and influential people who know the student well.

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to relax and be happy when you’re stressed out? It’s that constant everyday stress that’s robbing you of your health, happiness and peace of mind that I’m talking about here.nnWhile there are many stress management techniques that claim to reduce the stress of the frustrating pressures you face at work or in life, most only touch the surface. nnThe secret is to not only treat the symptoms of stress but to eliminate the cause.nnTher

We are like soldiers going to battle. Each with determined looks and clutched fists reaching out...reaching out to power and confidence. I hear our feet in sync as we march up the hill. We are a force together fighting the enemy. It all started about three months ago when my ...

Many children have a terrible fear of the dark. This can be trying for both the parent and the child. There is help for parents who are trying to help their children overcome their fears of the dark. Raising kids is a tough enough job but a child who is afraid of the dark can make raising kids even more trying. Positive parenting experts suggest that the best help for parents who are raising kids that are afraid of the dark is simply to have patience. Acknowledge Your Child’s

Investing is a function of time and money. If you start early, you have a lot of time and you will not need as much money. If you start late, you have little time and you will need much more money to begin your investing.Become an investor first, start your career second. If you become an ...

Gratitude – this is the common thread that runs through Americans this week. As I was taking my morning walk this morning at 7:30 along the beach, the town was just waking up. The famous Venice boardwalk which is usually populated with strange and wacky people and shops was locked up tight. Just a few café’s were open for early breakfast customers. The ocean was blue and sparkled as the sun was shining brightly on the water. As I walked along the boardwalk, breathing in the fresh air, I began to think about how much gratitude I have for life.

Understanding your teenager is never an easy task. Teenagers are never easy to handle, and with the slang among them constantly changing, it can be difficult to keep up. The cultural aspect of teenagers has a lot to do with their slang, so knowing which slang means what will help you get a better insight into what they’re saying and to whom they’re saying it to.rnWe’ve got a lot of ground to cover here, so get a drink, get comfortable, and let’s get to it!rn The Lates

Raising an adolescent can be a frustrating time to be a parent. Even though the need to push boundaries, question authority, and argue rules is a healthy part of growing up, it can be maddening to hash out the same arguments day after day. Even though the arguments are pretty much unavoidable, parents need to be sure they’re not causing harm to their relationship with their child. Here are some ways to do what’s necessary while preserving the trusting relationship you’v

I’m Moving On…. Nothing is predestined. "The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings" by Henry Davis Thoreau I hear myself saying out loud, “it’s ok, it is really ok.” It’s ok that I am now having a harder time losing 10 pounds, it’s ok that ...

How to Eliminate Your Fear of Speakingr Dr. Stephen Jones

“I don’t know my family anymore.” A teenager recently shared that sentiment with me and I wonder if there are other teens (and their families) who are going through this experience. How does your teenager come to feel alienated from the family? Now we have all heard that adolescence is a “turbulent” time of development and you may even wonder about the “alien” part of that alienated! However, teens don’t exist in a vacuum. They are very much part of two sometimes very distinct systems. Of course, the first system is the family unit. This is familiar territory, a known entity.

Mindset: That is the engine, which runs our machine. Our thoughts are very powerful tools. Most people allow the environment to control what they think and just go with the flow allowing others to create their outcomes. If this really worked, we could coast along allowing exte al forces to determine our lives and our success or failure. Sadly, the masses go down this path all too often and never attain the success in their minds because they do not allow their minds to determine their success. Operating a home based business requires discipline and more importantly a positive mindset.

Most college students gradually become more clear about their direction and goals, as they move from one year of college to the next. Therefore, once you figure out what you want to do after college, you should go after the job that you want. Don’t assume that employers will find you. They ...

When you hear the word “Spring” what images come to your mind? Budding trees? Birds singing? Beautiful flowers? Sunshine and rain? Many things probably come to mind but there is one unmistakable image that is associated with Spring – new life. Many people engage in “spring cleaning” during this season, in essence bringing “new life” to their homes. I am wondering how many of us need to do some of our own “spring cleaning” of our inner lives? Some people tend to “stuff” their feelings, never dealing with old wounds, instead stockpiling years’ worth of feelings.

“Our lives can change with every breath we take.” From the movie, Where the Heart Is. This phrase comes to my mind often. The verb change carries with it so much power, so much mystery and most of all, so much truth. How many of us have said “one minute he was fine, and the next ...

As summer approaches, every parent has the same question in mind. They are all in the same boat pondering how they could keep their teens entertained, energetic, out of trouble, and proficiently occupied for around part of the summer season if not the entire summer. As parents, it's actually a good option to keep your teens occupied through the summer break, but yet moreover be sure that they are enjoying on their own. Summer Camps One great choice for teens to pass their sum

Good parenting supports the child’s goodness. This is an INSIDE job, because “goodness” is an intrinsic quality. We can define the child’s “goodness” as: * Her genuine manifestation of love * His radiance of pure innocence * The heart-touching expression of herchild’s inner, spiritual beauty To support your child’s goodness, you have to CONSCIOUSLY connect with the child’s heart. Blindly reacting with annoyance to the child’s behavior may break the child’s trust and so b

Let me borrow an expression from the environmental movement and adapt it to how many people should relate to today’s world events. Think Globally – Act Locally On any given day, there are hundreds of reasons to be negative, but often they are events or circumstances that you have virtually no control over. For example: you cannot end the Iraq war, solve the problems of Darfur, eliminate the political polarization in our country, end the terrorist threats, dramatically impro

This is such a positive, upbeat article that I cannot wait to share it with you. This is about the ones we love, the teens of the Millennial Generation. And, what a fabulous generation it is. Before discussing this wonderful bunch, I want to give you a contrast to the generations prior to the ...

I bet you have never had anyone encourage you to be a failure before! Seriously, learning to fail forward will catapult you to success and happiness. The key to understanding failure is that when you fail YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! Take the “you” out of failure. It is not personal and it has ...

Tethered By The Electronic UmbilicusnnRecent advances in cell phone technology and marketing are helping parents maintain an electronic umbilical cord. New cell phones are equipped with a host of services that enable children as young as six or eight to carry the device with programmed communication capability for reaching just their parents or any other recipient as programmed by the parent. Further, with other cell phones equipped with GPS (Global Positioning System), paren

Most college students seek employment opportunities during the summer. They do this for two primary reasons: nn- To earn money for collegen- To gain experience in their field of study Because college is extremely expensive, finding work during the summer is a priority for students today. If ...

Mom or Dad, this is an easy question. You want him to trust you! YOU want to be the person of influence in your teen's life. You want your teen to listen to you! You want her to respect you. You want him to come to you when he needs advice. Parenting teenagers effectively requires learning some fundamental skills. These skills are not difficult and you probably already know them. However, skip over them or refuse to apply them appropriately and you may find your teen wants n

Graduation is an exciting time for the graduate, and friends and family alike. It is a time to congratulate and commend the graduate for a job well done. Graduation is a huge milestone in anyone's life, and should be marked appropriately. A graduation dinner or graduation party is a great way to do so.nnParty theme. There are many themes that can be incorporated into a graduation party. If the graduate is heading off to college, the party could be themed around the college co