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Keep Teen Costumes Appropriate and Safe

April 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
JVE ORMISTON, 2 yrs 6 mo, StLazare,QC

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Teens love to dress up and celebrate Halloween as much as they did when they were younger. As a parent, it’s important to support and encourage your children’s imaginations throughout their entire development. However, make sure they choose costumes that are appropriate and safe.

Appropriate Teen Costumes

Your young adults may believe that they want to dress up as characters that would not be appropriate for school settings or other events in their age group. In this case, they’ll need your guidance. Risque clothing or overly grotesque costumes may cause more trouble than they’re worth. Remind your teens that they are still kids, so they need to wear kids costumes that you will approve. Inform them that even though it’s cool on TV or online, it may not be acceptable in real life.

Keep the Costume Safe

Many teens like to make their own costumes, and this is great. Just make sure it’s safe. A teenager make think your kitchen knife would make his costume more authentic. Saving money on the costume is a good idea. Using a real knife is a dangerous idea. Your kids may need your voice of reason to keep them safe. You can help them create an authentic and safe costume by visiting discount stores and resale shops, shopping online, and even renting from a costume store.

Before the kids leave for their costume party, find out where they’re going, who will be there, and which parents are involved. Ask questions! However you choose to do it, just make sure you stay involved in the costume design so that your children stay safe and don’t find any unwanted trouble.

 

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Teaching kids social skills

April 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Teaching your kids social skills is a very important activity in their overall personality development. Social skills are important to your kids as much as academics or extra-curricular activities. Lack of social skills will mean that your kids might be defeated in various aspects of life that need social skills. If you do not imbibe the powers of inter-personal interaction in your kids, your kids will grow into marooned adults. Keeping themselves away from people.

A good place to start is to force your kids to participate in extra-curricular activities. You don’t need to ask your kid to choose the extra-curricular activity your choice. Rather, leave it to them to decide. Extra-curricular activities improve interaction levels of kids. They become more confident, and start defining their own identity. By not helping your kids participate in extra-curricular activities, you will start making your kids get a liking towards solitude. Which is not good for their adult lives.

Encourage your kids to make as much friends as they can. When guests come over to your home, ask your kids to play host. Their initial shyness will wane away with due course of time. Within a matter of months, you will see your kids interacting freely and confidently with everyone.  More your kids friends, the more confidence they will develop. They will learn to carry themselves within people.

Be your kids role model. Often kids look at how their parents behave to determine the best behavior for them. If you yourself are a shy person, then your kid might turn into one. Set an example to your kids by interacting with people.

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The Allure of a My American Girl Doll

April 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When you get a few little girls together for a play date, the first thing they want to do is play house, dress up, and ultimately have a tea party. This form of play is their way of emulating their mothers, who they see as stay-at-home moms, housewives, businesswomen, and party hosts. This flattering imitation of reality always includes a favorite doll that the little girl sees as her own baby and confidant.

The My American Girl doll, which was introduced in 1995 by Pleasant Company a subsidiary of Mattel, is a contemporary line of dolls with matching doll clothes and accessories. This unique line includes more than fifty different dolls, many of which can be customized with different combinations of face mold including:

  • _______ Skin tone
  • _______ Eye color
  • _______ Hair color
  • _______ Length and style of hair
  • _ _____ Braces
  • _______ Eye glasses
  • _______ Pierced ears

The allure of the My American Girl doll is that a little girl can go to any of the American Girl Place stores and boutiques to pick out a doll that represents her individualized and diversified style. She has the ability to create a special and meaningful doll that is only one of its kind as she is.

When you purchase a My American Girl doll, she comes with a standard outfit that is updated every few years to reflect current fashion trends. There are many stores and boutiques that specialize in clothing, shoes, and accessories for this 18-inch doll making it possible for the little girl to stylize her doll with outfits and accessories that reflect her favorite interests and activities.

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The Ever Growing Cost of Higher Education

April 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Comparison of inflation of college tuition and... 

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College educational costs have skyrocketed in the past ten years to a point that is obscene. Yet, the institutions have a captive audience because of the plain truth that to get a good job, one must have a degree. Students are caught in a nasty catch-22. On the one hand, they want to go to school to get that degree. On the other, they have to deal with crippling student debt upon graduation, with no guarantee that they will get the job they need to pay the bills.

So where is all of this money that is being paid in tuition going to? Not the teachers, although tenured professors can make a good salary. But that has always been the case, regardless of tuition costs. Certainly there are other legitimate costs that a school needs to stay current. However, colleges and universities can leverage favorable discounts because of their size and captive customer base. So who is really to blame?

In most cases, look no further than the administrators. Year after year, they make excuses for why they need to raise costs. And in all probability, they squander the funds through poor accounting and pet projects. Spending money that does not or should not be spent, but it is. And who suffers but the student. They get a degree, but then their working lives are stunted for at least ten years while they pay off their student loans. Some pay as much as 20% of their post-graduate income on loans. The cost of higher education will cause a lost generation in terms of the financial impact.

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Is Your Teen Ready to Drive?

March 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A student driver travelling southbound in a wh... 

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Teenagers behind the wheel—that’s a scary thought, particularly if it’s your own teen. Some states have a minimum driving age of 18, while others let 16 year olds get behind the wheel. Studies show that 16 year old drivers have higher crash rates than any other age group. This information alone is enough to give any parent pause. No matter the legal driving age in your state, consider having your teen hold out until he is at least 18 to get his driver’s license.

Before you enroll your teen in driver’s education, talk to the instructor about their program methods. How many hours are required behind the wheel? How many classroom hours will she receive? Will your teen be driving in various traffic conditions? How many hours of driving practice outside of the classroom does the teacher recommend? Will your child be one-on-one with the teacher when driving? Will there be other students riding along? If so, that means your child will be riding with an unlicensed driver at the wheel as well. Is that something you are comfortable with?

There are many concerns when it comes to the passing of age that is driving. Parents need to look not only at statistics and the teaching methods of driver’s education programs, but also at their own child’s level of responsibility. Regardless of age, does the child act mature enough to make decisions that could be life altering? Are their instincts and reflexes well enough developed to handle the situations that can arise while driving? There are many issues to take into consideration prior to making the decision of whether or not your child is old enough to get behind the wheel.

 

Filed Under: Parenting, Teen Tagged With: , ,

Is It Time For Your Daughter To Switch Doctors?

March 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When your child hits her teen years, it is time to start considering her changing medical needs. If you daughter is still seeing the pediatrician she grew up with, it may be time to switch. As a girl begins puberty, both her physical and emotional needs transform. She may begin to have questions about her changing body that she wouldn’t be comfortable asking the same doctor that saw her for the banged up knees and chicken pox.

Talk to your daughter about switching to a new doctor who is familiar with treating girls her age. Find out if she would be more comfortable seeing a female—many young girls are. When it comes time for the appointment, see if she would like you to go back with her or stay in the waiting room. This is hard for many moms, but if your daughter has concerns that she is uncomfortable mentioning to you, at least she will receive honest feedback from a medical professional rather than being left with misconceptions.

Probably the hardest step of all is approaching the topic of birth control. While you may think there is no chance your daughter is even kissing boys, much less taking things further, birth control is certainly something to consider. If your daughter has particularly bad cramps, hormonal birth control can ease this for her. It can also help with heavy periods. This is something that you should discuss with the family doctor as well as your daughter. You can do this and still let it be known that you do not approve of any sexual contact at her age/until she is married/until she is fifty… whatever the case may be.

 

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Teen Substance Abuse

March 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Various prescription and street drugs may caus... 

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If you are concerned that your teen might be doing drugs, you need to take action. You are probably wondering how you can be sure that you instincts are correct. There are some warning signs to watch for in a teen who has started on a path of substance abuse.

-Your teen was once outgoing and friendly, but now seems moody and withdrawn.

-You notice that your daughter is suddenly hanging out with an entirely new crowd.

-Your child seems to want to sleep more often than usual and is hard to wake up in the morning.

-Your son, who once lived for football practice, now has a nonchalant attitude about his game skills.

-You notice that your teen’s eyes are red, or the pupils are dilated.

-You find evidence of drugs in his room.

-You notice that she is more apt to come home late without calling.

While none of these (with the exception of drug evidence) is a tell-tale sign that your teen is messing with drugs, they are certainly things you should be on the watch for. The next step is to help your teen. First, discuss your concerns. State the reasons why you feel that your teen may be doing drugs. Ask for a blunt answer while making a promise not to fly off the handle about the situation. If you teen admits to trying or regularly doing drugs, find out why they are using substances. Often stress or emotions will overwhelm a teen. Drugs are not the answer, but because a drug may help a teen feel relaxed, they are able to push the stress aside. Discuss other ways to do this including sports, yoga, swimming, meditation and changes in diet. For many, drugs are an “easy” way out—unfortunately, most teens don’t truly understand the consequences of what they are risking by abusing substances.

 

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Rebellion Isn’t Misbehavior

March 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Why is it that teenagers rebel? The teen years are a hard time for most kids. This is the stage where they feel as if they need to grow up, but they are not quite sure if they can handle the responsibility. Teens have harder classes, more homework, often a part-time job as wells as sports and other extra-curricular activities. They have pressure from friends to try new things—some good and some bad. Teens also have confliction emotions, often due to hormonal changes. They are prone to taking things out of context because they over think the situation. A simple suggestion from a parent is seen as a sharp insult. A low grade on a test is a direct hit to their self-esteem.

So, how can you help your child through these years? First of all, try to listen more often than you talk. Teens have a lot to say and oftentimes feel as if no one is listening. They have questions, thoughts and ideas that go unsaid because someone is too busy to hear them out, or because they are afraid that if they communicate their ideas, someone will brush them off. If a teen feels as if she is not heard, she may begin to act out. This is not quite the same as a child throwing a fit to get attention, but the underlying cause is similar.

Teens need to be encouraged to share thoughts and ideas. They often need help, but feel as if they are too old to ask. If your teen is struggling with something and beginning to act out, there are things you can do to help. If school is an issue, talk to your teen about having a student-parent meeting with her counselor. Teens are often just waiting for a parent to step in and take action because they are not sure which route to take.

 

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Ways to Enjoy the Miraculous Experience of Pregnancy

March 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Preparing for the birth of a child can be fun and exciting with the prospect of someone new joining the family. It can also be very scary to some as they are overcome with feelings of inadequacy and unpreparedness, but it doesn’t have to be. For instance, as soon as you learn that a new addition is going to be born into the family in the upcoming months, if there is another child or children in the family, they should be made aware of this as soon as possible. Talk to your child about the new baby so they feel like they are a part of the event and that you all will be a big happy family. Assure them that you will continue to be there for them.

Aside from getting the nursery ready and loading up on items such as diapers, wipes, baby clothes, and more, many women have found learning all they can about how the baby is forming and developing inside them to be an educational and helpful way to get closer to their unborn child. A helpful tool to keep up with your pregnancy week by week is weekly pregnancy guide. Guides like this are great because each week you can learn how your body is handling pregnancy in order to support the new life growing inside you and how the baby is developing. With this exciting tool, you can check the weekly pregnancy guide each week or you can get automatic updates to understand how the baby is developing in you week by week.

Another great way to enjoy your pregnancy and create long-lasting memories of this experience is to keep a pregnancy journal. There are several ways to do this, such as blogging, scrapbooking, creating a memory box, or photo journaling. Additional information on a pregnancy journal can help you understand which method is best for you.

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Drugs and Alcohol – How to Approach Your Teen

March 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Peer pressure 

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The teen years can be scary for parents—this is a time when peer pressure really kicks in. Friends get together and, no matter how “good” your kid is, often are talked into doing things they would typically never do. How can you help your teen say no to peer pressure? Lectures won’t work, yelling always backfires, and nagging will only urge your teen to rebel even more.

Talk to your teen on the level. Ask them what their friends are doing, but don’t be confrontational about it. Kids often find it easier to speak to their parents when they don’t have to be eye to eye. Bring up the conversation in the car, but be prepared to actually listen. If you interrupt—or even worse, blow up—then your teen is bound to shut up. That’s never a good thing. You want to keep the lines of communication open. Be prepared for his answers. Think before you respond.

If your teen’s friends are trying drugs or alcohol, talk to your child about it. Did he try it too? If not, has he considered it? What stopped him? If he has tried drugs or alcohol, a good approach is to go over your concerns in a neutral voice. If you freak out, he will too. State the reasons for your fear including the risk of health problems (or in severe cases, death). If your teen is into sports, bring up the fact that most schools have a no-tolerance policy. If he hasn’t tried the things his friends are doing, reinforce the fact that you are proud of his decisions.

Keep him talking and ask him to come to you if he is considering trying alcohol or drugs. Let him know that you will be there to speak frankly and calmly about the situations in his life, even if they concern matters that you don’t approve of. Some kids never try drugs or alcohol, but many do. Be ready to discuss your child’s choices openly and honestly.

 

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