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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.

 

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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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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.

 

 

 

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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.

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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.

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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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Is Your Teen Ready to Drive?

March 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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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.

 

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Teen Substance Abuse

March 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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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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