Parenting | Growing Pains

How to Deal with Rebellion

July 14, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Teenagers are famous for their ability to rebel against their parents in a variety of ways. This can be in the style of clothing they choose wear, music, friends, activities or even in daily behavior.

Parents can deal with rebellion first and foremost by understanding the phase of development that teenagers are going through.

Do not rely solely on things like adt home security to watch over what your teens are up to. This is a time when their emotions, body and thought process is changing on a daily basis. When you add in peer pressure and other obstacles, teenagers are dealing with quite a bit. Supporting your teen through this time is one of the best ways to help them get through it in a positive manner. Listening, accepting and communication are vital.

You can also be careful in which “battles” you choose to fight. A radical hairstyle may be frustrating to you, but keep in mind that the change is only temporary. Focus on the important things, such as making good decision while dating, the danger of peer pressure and talking with them about drugs and alcohol. These items are far more important than a temporary style switch when you can keep these things in perspective, your worries will subside somewhat.

Also, make sure that you are actively involved in both your child’s life and education. When you know what is going on each day, you can better combat such problems as bullying and depression. Many teens often hide these problems from parents, so early intervention is critical and being aware of them can make a huge difference in your child’s life.

Filed Under: General, Parenting Tagged With: Adolescence, Parent, Peer pressure

Effective Discipline from the Start

June 23, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Being able to effectively parent and administer discipline from the start can make a huge difference in your child’s life. When a child knows the limits and feels secure, he or she will be a more healthy adult.

The first step in effective discipline is the ability to stay calm and under control. Children are often very talented at pushing a parent’s buttons and getting them upset. When you reach this level, your ability to discipline the right way goes out the door. When you are calm, you can communicate clearly, are more patient and can make better decisions. You must also be willing to listen. When a child gets frustrated because you will not listen to his side of the story, things can quickly escalate. Taking the child’s point of view into consideration can help you to effectively explain things in a way he can understand.

You must also be willing to set boundaries and make tough decisions. You may want to be your child’s best friend, but you cannot always be his buddy. Parents have to make hard choices to limit their child’s behavior when he is not able to do so. Your child will respect you more for making the right choice and giving the guidance that he needs to improve his behavior. The other thing that goes hand in hand with this is the ability to communicate expectations clearly. Children need to know what is expected of them and to see those expectations on a consistent basis. When parents are able to do this, problems are alleviated and behaviors are easier to deal with.

Filed Under: Children, Family, Parenting Tagged With: behavior, Child, Parent

Dealing with a Child’s Medical Condition at School

June 22, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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There many children who have a medical condition but who do not require special education services at school. These children still need some accommodations due to their condition and parents need to know how to effectively work with school officials.

Children who have problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes and related conditions fall under what is called a 504 plan. This plan outlines certain accommodations that can made for a child with medical needs that are not severe enough for special education. For example, a child who has diabetes may need to go to the nurse’s office at certain times of the day to inject him or herself with insulin. Parents need to clearly communicate to the school what the condition is and what the child needs to function properly during the day.

The parents may need to provide medical documentation to school, prescription medications and necessary supplies. There are certain legal regulations that have to be followed when it comes to dispensing medication and outlining the 504 plan. Parents should educate themselves regarding these guidelines and ask school officials any questions that they might have. They should also follow up regularly with the school regarding any concerns and how well the accommodations are working.

This effort can be critical as health concerns can negatively impact a child’s learning. Parents should discuss any issues that they have with their family doctor as well, especially if their child will have to have medication administered at school. This way, parents can help their child to effectively deal with a medical condition at school.

Filed Under: Children, Family, Parenting Tagged With: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Child, Special education

How Parents Can Prepare Teens for Academic Success in College

June 21, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

When it’s time for your teen to go away to college, you’ll have many concerns. You’ll have anxiety about the social issues that go along with university life — the pressure to drink too much alcohol and experiment with drugs. You’ll also worry about how well your son or daughter will perform in school. There are ways you can make the transition easier.

Encourage Advanced Placement classes. Students taking Advanced Placement classes in high school are better prepared for the rigors of a college education. In fact, some students report that AP classes are more challenging than freshmen-level university classes. As an added bonus, students who score well on AP exams may earn college credit in that subject area.

Give the right kind of help. During the final 2 years of high school, resist the urge to intervene with a heavy hand when your teen is going to miss an assignment. Instead of rushing out at midnight to print up materials for your daughter’s school presentation the next day, direct her to flyer printing services nearby and let her get the project done. Or, not. If the project is late, allow your teen to experience the consequences of her choices. High school grading systems are usually more forgiving than the ones used in college classrooms.

Enroll your teen in a class at a local college. As with the advanced placement classes, this is a way to ease the transition and earn credit. Ask your son what college major he’s considering and select a class related to that field. Your teen will find out quickly whether it’s an area he truly wants to study.

Filed Under: Parenting

How to Deal with a Problem Child

June 21, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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There are some children who exhibit aggressiveness, acting out and problematic behavior at both home and school on a daily basis. Often, these children may be diagnosed as needing special education support for an emotional disorder or for having behavior problems.

This can often be very frustrating for the parent, who feels inadequate of being unable to control their child’s behavior. It is important to understand that these behavior issues are not always the parent’s fault, but are caused by other circumstances that can be dealt with. The first step in this process is to actively work with school officials to outline a behavior intervention plan in order to introduce more positive behaviors into the child’s daily routine. School staff will need to know important information regarding what occurs before, during and after behaviors at home. This can then be compared to what occurs at school and the cause can be identified.

At home, the parent will have to put certain interventions into practice and learn to handle the child’s behavior in a calm, firm manner. It is essential that parenting is done in a consistent manner and that clear boundaries are established for the child. When a child knows what the expectations are and where boundaries are at, he or she can learn to make better decisions regarding behavior. Parents can also be helped by attending family counseling in order to identify problem areas and to find strategies to help deal with them. This effort is well worth the time invested in order to improve the quality of your child’s life.

Filed Under: Children, Parenting Tagged With: behavior, Child, children

What to Expect During Each Trimester

June 20, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

While a woman is pregnant she will hear the term “trimester” in reference to the stages she will go through in her pregnancy. A trimester is approximately three months. There are three trimesters that comprise the entire pregnancy, which lasts a total of 40 weeks, from the point of conception. As the pregnancy continues, a physician can monitor the growth of the baby during the trimester.

While the baby is growing during the first week, it is called an embryo. This is a key time for the woman to ask her doctor about taking supplements such as folic acid. After week 9 it is known as a fetus. During the first trimester, the baby will start to grow the basic rudimentary forms of the lungs, heart and central nervous system.

Within the second trimester of the pregnancy calendar, the growth of the fetus continues. The second trimester is when a woman should start to feel the baby kicking. Depending on the size of the fetus, it can average around seven inches long. An ultrasound will be able to confirm the exact length and growth of the baby.

The last trimester starts from week 27 to the time the baby is born. The mother should now normally feel the baby kicking. As a result of her hormones and the weight of the baby, she can experience backaches, tiredness and problems sleeping. The baby will continue to grow during this time. Therefore, a baby might experience a growth spurt in preparation for birth, and can average up to 20 inches when born.

Filed Under: Family, Parenting Tagged With: Family, Health, Pregnancy

Adopting a Service Dog

June 6, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Service dogs are exactly what their name implies. They are dogs that have been trained to provide a specific service. For example, service dogs can be trained as guide dogs for blind people or even be taught to perform assistance tasks for people who have physical disabilities.

Best Breed for Service Dogs

Labrador and golden retrievers are usually chosen as service dogs because they are very smart and extremely easy to train. Further, Labrador and golden retrievers generally have a steady temperament and are very affectionate. You search Canada 411 to find more information on this specific dog breed.

Labrador and golden retrievers also thrive on being active; therefore, they don’t mind working in a situation where they are constantly on the move. This can actually be beneficial to the person using the service dog because the dog’s eagerness to go for walks and perform other physical activity can motivate the person to stay active.

Adopting Service Dogs

Puppies that are to be trained as service dogs are sometimes “fostered out” to families so that they can learn socialization skills as well as the basic commands they will need to know before they start their service dog training. The families understand that they will not fully adopt the puppy. Rather, the puppy will be taken back by the handler to finish his training, and will eventually be adopted by someone needing a service dog. The providers make sure that the person and the dog are very compatible.

Filed Under: General, Parenting Tagged With: Dog, Golden Retriever, Service dog

Forming a Positive Relationship with Your Child

May 24, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Children and parents can have a positive relationship when there is clear communication and trust between them. This starts with daily interactions at home.

When interacting with children, parents need to keep an open channel of communication and an atmosphere of trust. Children are more likely to communicate with parents when they feel that they will be listed to without anger. Parents should take a child’s point of view of a particular situation into consideration without jumping to conclusions too quickly. There should also be honesty about feeling when it comes to behavior and choices that are made.

Children should be taught to tell parents honestly how they feel and parents should do likewise. This helps to keep children from bottling up emotions that can later come out when not expressed. You can create a positive relationship by spending time with your child. Set up a family night each week where you and your child can interact without the television or other distractions to get in the way.

Do something that you both enjoy, eat a meal together and make it a relaxing atmosphere. This helps to reinforce to the child that he is loved, accepted and important within the family structure. This night should be set where everyone can be involved and when it does not conflict with a parent’s work schedule. The benefits you will see from this small activity will be huge. You can also help your relationship by asking your child to help with family responsibilities such as the budget, planning a vacation or with household responsibilities.

Filed Under: Children, Parenting Tagged With: Child, Direct relationship, Parent