Image by stevendamron via Flickr Teaching your teen to be safe behind the wheel is a very valuable and potentially life-saving lesson. Getting young drivers to put safety first can be a difficult task because many teenagers want to focus on the fact that driving gives them freedom. You can help provide a safer environment for your teens by going to http://www.411.ca and learning about information and places that can help you. Here are also some safety tips to pass along before your son or daughter gets in the driver's seat. Plan a route before you start the car. Talk to your … [Read more...]
4 Birthday Party Ideas
July 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Birthday parties are great fun. They are also a great opportunity to get creative and to have a themed party. Here are four birthday party ideas. Have a costume party. This is probably the most popular type of party, as it appeals to people of all ages. There are plenty of costume shops around the place, or you could make your own. Costumes can be inexpensive to buy, and could then come in handy for Halloween. This can be fun for parents too, as adults love expressing themselves and a costume party with sexy costumes is a great opportunity for them to do … [Read more...]
Update the Terms you use When Talking About Drug Abuse to Teens
July 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Image via Wikipedia Are we drug-knowledgeable? We want, at all costs, to keep kids away from drugs, but in another way, we protect them too much by never again talking about or looking at pictures of drugs. One good example for the need of clear, concise instruction is Barbara; a normal, semi-happy teenager in high school who wanted to fit in. She began hanging with kids that partied. Her parents talked to her about drugs and ‘drug pushers’ and she thought she knew what all kids knew about it. She was aware that drug pushers … [Read more...]
Should You Get Your Teen an iPad?
May 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Apple has a knack for creating devices that are wanted by people all over the world and of all different ages. Teenagers are especially attracted to the many products on offer. With the recent release of the iPad, many parents are wondering if this should be added to the growing repertoire of a teen's many technological gadgets. There are certain things to consider when deciding whether or not to get an iPad for your teen. Will Your Teen use the iPad Responsibly? It may seem like a redundant question, but most parents will know if their teen is responsible enough to own an iPad. When it … [Read more...]
Tips for Raising Teenagers
May 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The teenage years can be a trying time and many parents struggle with how to approach raising their children during this stage of defiance and self-discovery. Here are some helpful tips on successfully raising teenagers: Establish rules and discipline in advance. If teens know the rules and consequences in advance and can have a say in a fair punishment, they may be less likely to break the rules. Give teens some freedom. Giving teens some independence to create their own identity is necessary for them to figure out who they are and what they want in life. Choose … [Read more...]
Friends Who Drink Alcohol Or Smoke Weed – How To Keep Your Child Safe?
April 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Image via Wikipedia Teenage is that period of life where nothing seems like a big deal. This recklessness in teenage is one thing that irritates adults to no end. In such a scenario, it is natural for parents to freak out when they find their teenage son or daughter discussing serious problems like drugs and alcohol addiction in casual terms. They may even have friends who are using drugs. This often puts parents in a very piquant situation. Not rocking the boat may create a condition where these individuals may become a bad influence on the child. On the other hand, coming out … [Read more...]
A Viable Choice of a Cell Phone for Your Teen
April 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Many kids that are growing up in these technological times like to stay "plugged in" to the social network and blogosphere in which they tend to do most of their communicating. Due to this fact, the vast majority of them have their own cell phone or mobile device with which they can adequately keep up with their strenuous texting. However, some parents find the concept of purchasing their teen a cell phone somewhat intimidating, especially if they do not control the amount of text messages or data they use, resulting in a sky-high bill each month. Fortunately, prepaid cell phone plans are a … [Read more...]
When to Intervene in Teen Lives
April 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Many children grow into successful teenagers who become productive adults. However, the process of growing from a teen into an adult is a challenge even for the most well rounded children. The key to focus on here is what the teen needs to be successful. As parents, it is often necessary to step back and give kids the opportunity to make their own changes and decisions. Image via Wikipedia Helping Teens One of the ways that many parents tackle these hard decisions about parenting is to give their teen options. Instead of just telling the teen no, they show them what their … [Read more...]
Teen Development and Parenting
April 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Parents, in order to communicate with their teenagers, need to understand how they are developing at this age. During the teenage years, they undergo a struggle to find their own personal identity as puberty emerges and peer pressure mounts. Having a basic understanding of this process can aid parents in guiding their teens through this challenging period. Teens find their identity through a variety of avenues, such as hobbies, friends and fashion. Teens often will focus their image on a favorite celebrity or sports hero, wearing clothes from lines such as Dereon shirts. Their choices … [Read more...]
The Common Use of Drugs and Alcohol Amongst Teens
April 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Image via Wikipedia The teenage years have always been a rebellious stage for individuals. Going through a variety of changes, acting out against parents and wanting to explore the various experiences in life that are readily available to them without thinking, teenagers are seemingly always looking for something. Among the more popular and widely abused experiences is alcohol and drug use. While in fact many teens simply indulge themselves a few times over the course of their young careers, or casually at most, plenty still become addicts from an early age, leading to adverse … [Read more...]