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How your kids can be financially successful when they grow up

June 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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There is no way kids will self-learn financial management. And it is not something that it taught at school. It is the responsibility of their parents to teach them financial management. They need to put into practice financial management principles.

Lack of financial knowledge and management skills will make them grow up as people who live for the next pay-check. You would not want this kind of situation for your kids. Teaching them prudence at an early age will set them up for a rewarding future life devoid of financial misery.

How to teach kids financial discipline?

Remove their financial dependence on you

After a certain age, you should encourage your kids to save money. They should not depend on you always for their financials. Slowly start teaching them to reduce their dependency on you for money. When they grow into adolescents, they can start doing part-time work. This could make them financially independent.

You might say that financial independence is a two-edged sword. It may make your kid independent and financially wise. At the same time your kid could use the money to pursue useless things.

Discuss finance at home

You need to talk about financial issues over your dinner table. Let your kids learn about finances. Let them know how you repaid a loan, and how you raised one. Give them as much information about financial matters. It is true that ignorance is bliss. But financial ignorance is perilous.

Ask your kids to be involved in the conversation. Ask them to give suggestions. Get them to think financially.

Filed Under: Advice, Parenting Tagged With: , ,

How can social networking benefit your child?

June 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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As a growing number of teenagers get hooked onto social networking sites like Facebook, parents are increasingly concerned about the affect it will have on their child. Teenagers can be very secretive about their online activity and further fans concern among parents. While social network sites are a great way for people to stay in touch with friends and family all across the world, there are certain precautions that need to be taken concerning your child’s social networking.

 

Good parenting requires a certain balance of caution and liberty. The same applies to the social networking activity of a teenager. Parents need to set down certain rules regarding the amount of time that a child spends online, whether on a social networking site or simply surfing the internet. Parents also should be vigilant about the kind of people their child interacts with online and educate them on the dangers of meeting strangers online. Letting the teenager know that you have an open mindset regarding their social networking will encourage them to be more honest about their online dealings. Once these precautionary measures are taken, you will be surprised to know the social networking can be highly beneficial to your child.

 

Teachers and lecturers today use such sites to connect with their students, allowing a closer student teacher bond and understanding that can help your child achieve better grades. As teenagers are able to express themselves freely on such sites, their confidence can grow by leaps and bounds. However, you should be careful that your child is not becoming a target of online bullying and let them know that they don’t have to tolerate such behavior.

 

Filed Under: Relationships, Teen Tagged With: , ,

The Effects of Debt on Families

June 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Debt is one of the unrecognized four letter words. It’s in widespread use, but its connotation is nearly as bad as any actual swear word employed by an angry individual. Debt affects families in far worse ways than its competing four letter words. Owing substantial sums of money can cause parents to become angry or otherwise resentful of “the man.” This anger trickles down to the entire household, eventually affecting everyone under the roof as if they owed the money themselves. Soon, the kids will start engaging in rebellion to act out beneath the tyranny they feel.

To bypass this traumatic scenario, it’s important to escape debt. Car refinance loans can provide cash in hand, which creates a sense of relief. When one can stop scrounging around in the corners for spare change, tension levels automatically drop. As for those whose family members don’t make the responsible effort to drop their debt level, serious consequences remain. The kids often start acting out, which can come in many forms. The most common form involves drugs and alcohol, which lead to addiction and costly treatment.

For those who manage to sidestep the paths that lead to addiction, there are still many roadblocks in life. That’s because carrying debt infiltrates every aspect of a life, particularly relationships. Not only are those who come into infrequent contact with the debtor aware that something is not quite right with their mood, but those who live in the same house just can’t forget it, either. Most marriages won’t survive debts that last for many years (excluding the typical mortgage).

 

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How is social networking affecting your child?

June 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

 

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There was a time that the only that you could stay in touch with your friends was either through the telephone or meeting them in person. If your friends moved away, you would stay in touch with them by sending mails through post. There were even services like Pen Pal that allowed you to get in touch which complete strangers and make new friends. The internet changed all that!

 

While mails have now become emails that send off messages instantly, social networking sites have taken socializing on the internet to a whole new level! Facebook, Orkut, MySpace and several such sites are the new ‘hang outs’ for teenagers where they can meet up with friends online and have discussion as groups, upload pictures and videos for all their friends to see and comment on, plan up events and much more. However, good parenting always asks for parents to be vigilant about their child’s associations and so it is important that you know just how good (or bad) social networking sites are for your kids.

 

  1. A teen can build a good support group of friends online and can discuss issues that would be embarrassing to talk about in person.
  2. It encourages teens to stay in touch with family and friends without having to spend real time with them.
  3. Social networking sites have several tools that allow teenagers to express themselves freely that reduces adolescent stress levels.
  4. Teenagers can actually get addicted to social networking, spending more than three hours every day on networking.
  5. Restraining teens from spending too much time on such sites after leads to depression and, in turn, retaliation.

 

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Filed Under: Relationships, Teen Tagged With: , ,

Dealing with lying teenage children

May 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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Lying is a habit. A liar will know how to lie just as he knows how to tell the truth. Without the flinch of an eye. Sometimes you would want to punish your teenage child for lying, but that’s a negative way of doing it.

Lying teenagers need help with the problem by careful advice and counseling. By going of the handle, you are just treating the symptom; not the disease. Lying teenagers need serious attention as soon as possible, before the situation worsens.

As a parent, you might be stressed with this situation. You should understand that no child grows perfectly. You have to get them to be perfect. So how do you handle it? The answer is simple. Take on the lie head on. Don’t pretend to believe it. You would not want to embarrass you teenage child by telling them on the face about the lie. But that’s the only option. When a lie is a lie, call it a lie.

After which, you can explain your viewpoint on it. Explain how you would deal with the situation. Try to drive in the ‘’tell-the-truth’’ factor. Don’t put in the ‘’tell-truth-at-least-to-your-parent’’ thing. This will be like encouraging the teenager to lie more.

You must understand, that children taken on the behaviors of their parents. If you are a liar, your kid will be one. Your children automatically take you as their role model. That’s how they are designed to be by the creator. So to mend your children, you need to mend yourself first. Set an example to them by telling the truth always. Don’t exaggerate facts. Speak facts as they are.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Parenting, Teen Tagged With: , ,

Reserving Your Judgment of His Friends

May 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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You hear the knock on the door and can’t help letting a gasp escape as you see the guys (or girls) coming to pick your teen up to hang out. You try not to stare, but it’s hard not to with the hair, the clothes, the accessories. No matter who greets you at the door, do the best you can to reserve judgment until you get more of a chance to know them. This doesn’t mean that you are going to just let your teen walk out the door. But before you react, take a step back.

Smile, invite them in and be friendly. Some of the outrageous fashion trends that teens are drawn to are just a ploy to get attention. When you don’t give in or make it a big deal out of it, you gain the upper hand.

You also let them know you aren’t planning to judge the book by its cover. If you are having a hard time with this, think back to some of the things that you may have worn and how people treated you. You may not have been the handsome, clean-cut guy with the Rocawear clothing and nice shoes. However, that doesn’t mean that you were anything bad.

Actions, beyond what they wear or what they look like, are a much better predictor of the type of person they are and how they behave. Take a deep breath and talk to them like you would any other adult. Listen for things like manners and intelligent conversation. This is a much better indicator of what is inside. Don’t jump to conclusions and regret it.

Filed Under: Advice, Relationships, Teen Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Teaching kids politeness

May 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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Politeness is the best policy. Politeness starts young. If you teach your kids now they will grow up to be affable human beings. Full of politeness and polished manners. Teaching your kids how to talk politely is a good training that you can give. You will not live to regret this piece of training you give. Rather, you will regret it if you don’t give them this training.

Kids need to talk all their lives to many people. When they are small they need to talk to teachers. Teachers always favor kids who have the power of courteous, and polite conversation skills. Your kid’s social status will also improve. All around, people will start to develop positive thoughts on your kids, and this in-turn becomes what your kids think about themselves.

To teach kids how to talk politely, you should be their guiding example. As a parent, you should yourself be a polite talker. Otherwise, your kids will think that what you are doing is right, and start talking that way. Powers of discretion are seldom with kids, unless they are specially gifted to know what intrinsically what is right and wrong.

Reward your kids with appreciation and gifts if need be, when they behave and talk politely. Don’t do it everytime, but do it often. Like this, your kids will become inspired to be more polite. A series of such behavioral stability over a period of time becomes permanently etched in your kids’ personality.

Don’t encourage them to be over-polite. Teach them to be assertive, and respectful. Over-politeness might be taken as a sign of weakness in their contemporaries. Make them bold, yet polite.

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4 Benefits of a Muve Music Rate Plan

May 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When it comes to providing your teen with his or her own cell phone, there are a lot of things to consider. How will your teen use the phone? What features of the phone will be used the most?

No matter what phone you decide to get for your teen, having an unlimited plan for texts, talking, and mobile web will be a great benefit decreasing your stress. Here are four reasons why you’ll want to consider Cricket’s Muve Music plan.

1. Price

The number one reason is definitely price. For only $55/month, you can’t go wrong with this plan. It will provide your teen everything he or she needs and you won’t mind paying the bill each month.

2. Unlimited Features

There are many “unlimited” plans that aren’t truly unlimited. They may provide unlimited talk and texts, but if you want to go online, it costs so much per MB that is downloaded. The Muve Music plan covers unlimited mobile web on a 3G network allowing your teen to go online on a Cricket Blackberry, for instance, without costing you a bundle.

3. No Contracts

With Cricket, there are no contracts to sign. This allows you to cancel the plan at any time whether it’s because you’re dissatisfied or because your teen is now grown up and will be paying for his or her own plan.

4. Downloadable Music

A feature your teen will love is being able to download music from a large library for free as part of the Muve Music plan.

With all of these features, you can see why this plan is a big hit with parents and teens alike.

Filed Under: Parenting, Teen Tagged With: , ,

Drive safely like women

May 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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It might be the battle of the sexes, but there sure isn’t an answers as to why women are considered clumsy  behind the wheel. We have not heard about a successful Formula 1 woman race driver yet. Can it be considered that driving is purely a male thing? Would women scorn at this fact or fiction?

It’s indeed a skirmish debate. Nobody wants to lose. Not woman anyway. Why should they be affected with a gender parity? Why should there be ever a sexes nexus? Hey common! This is not fair. Try as we might, we must agree, that behind the wheel, the stronger sex rules.

There is something in women that can’t let them drive the way men do. Might be a lack of strength, spacial awareness, or plain guts. Driving a car requires a little bit of mental stamina, and oodles of bravery. Yes, absolutely. Don’t you think so? It’s certainly not for the weak hearted. As you approach the bend, when you overtake, when you park, when you reverse….don’t you notice the unpredictability of all these things?

It’s really amusing one must say. Now after all this, let’s give them some serious credit. Women might not be the fastest or the jazziest drivers, but they are the safest drivers around. To be safely put, if all the people in the world were women, there wouldn’t have been accidents.

Scientific evidence suggests that women really care for other drivers. That’s something lacking in men. Men couldn’t give two hoots about what others are going through. Why leave way for the other bloke? We all wish, everyone learnt from women.

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Symptom Evaluation: Substance Abuse in Teens

May 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Addiction is a sad word — one you assumed you’d never have to consider. It’s creeping into your thoughts, however, as you stare at your teen. He’s … changed, and you fear drugs are the cause.

Such fears require examination, though, and certain symptoms should be looked for:

Apathy and Withdrawal

Your child once offered every notion, every feeling. There was no secret too meager to share (from a desire for Rocawear pants to the quest for a schoolyard valentine). Now, however, he’s without a smile. His expressions are shuttered; his words are slow; and he hides himself in his room instead of embracing the world. This is often a sign of abuse and must be addressed.

Loss of Attention

Grades were never easily earned. But there was, at least, effort. Pages were mastered; words were memorized. Education was pursued eagerly by your child. Now, though, he offers no interest. His memory is weak. His focus is fading. And his schoolwork is proving this — with slipping marks and no desire to correct them. This is a possible symptom of substance abuse, with teens who once showed promise suddenly failing all subjects.

Erratic Moods

Youth is defined by fickleness. Moods are wild; hormones are forever bubbling; and it’s all too easy to sway between manic and unsure. Your child is relying too much on his emotions, however. He’s argumentative to an extreme. His reactions are exaggerated and without prompting. Drugs can often increase negative behaviors and lower inhibitions.

Note that these symptoms may not be substance related. The appearance of them, however, does strongly suggest it and they must be evaluated immediately.

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