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How your kids can be financially successful when they grow up

June 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Aztec jaguar warrior, tlahuahuanque of the rit...

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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: , ,

Dealing with lying teenage children

May 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Asian Teenager

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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: , ,

Teaching kids politeness

May 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

True Politeness. "Your eel, I think, Sir?...

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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.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: , ,

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

A Ferrari at Monaco

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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.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: , ,

Symptom Evaluation: Substance Abuse in Teens

May 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
PET brain scans show chemical differences in t...Image via Wikipedia

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.

Filed Under: Parenting, Teen Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

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.

 

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: , ,

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.

Filed Under: Parenting, Resources Tagged With: , ,

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.

Filed Under: General, Parenting Tagged With: , ,

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: , ,
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