Home and Family

If you’ve seen any amount of television or movies in your lifetime, you know how Hollywood depicts the typical parent-teen relationship. Usually mom and dad are the village idiots and the teenagers are disrespectful, sullen and withdrawn. Well, before your relationship gets to this point, remember that the dreaded teen years actually don’t have to be the dreaded teen years. That’s simply another myth we’ve been groomed to accept with a shrug of our shoulders and a cluck of our tongues. “This is normal, my teenager hates me like every other teenager hates their parents.” If this is your attitude before you reach the teen years, then unless you change your thinking, you’ll be circling the same tired old drain every other distraught parent is circling, wondering where you went wrong. The first hint is: you believed the bad press. Don’t.

Tags: Angry Teenager, Best Weapon, Cluck, Consistent Effort, Distraught Parent, Ears, Facebook, Mirror Mirror, Mom And Dad, Myth, Shoulders, Shrug, Teen Relationship, Teen Years, Teenage Years, Teenagers, Tongues, Typical Parent, Village Idiots

All parents need time to themselves once in a while. It can be a little overwhelming when looking for someone you trust to look after your children. Whether your child is a young baby or a teenager, you want to choose the right person for the job.

Teens are a unique age group for needing babysitter supervision. They are older and more independent, so they require less supervision than a child who is 3 or 4 years old. This being said, teens often try to get away with more than a younger child does.
Parents need to set strict rules and guidelines, and make sure that all directions are clear for whomever they choose as a babysitter. While limits are less restrictive, teens still need to follow rules. Babysitters need to make sure that they have complete instructions, such as homework being done by a certain time, any chores that need to be completed, and what the bedtime routine is.

As mentioned earlier, teens are more independent, so they will probably spend most of their time playing video games or chatting with friends on the phone. This is an age, however, where mental stimulation is still important. If a teen insists on watching television, try to steer him or her toward a program that is more educational and interesting.

Tags: Age Group, Babysitting, Bedtime Routine, Mental Stimulation, Personality Conflict, Responsible Babysitter, Strict Rules, Supervision, Teen Parents, Teen Years, Teenager, Teens, Young Baby

How can a parent possibly find peace of mind when their teenager is out with friends for the evening, and there are so many scary options that teens have to choose from? The secret is in remembering that their child is deeply programmed to make life-giving choices, that they were born that way, and they manifest fun, and safety, very easily!

Take a moment to review a mental slideshow of the life of your child up to this point. If you do this right you will have many moments come up that were incidences of potential harm to your child. Perhaps they picked up a kitchen knife that you had laying on the counter while you were preparing a meal, and somehow they escaped receiving a nasty cut. How about when they learned to ride a bike, and took a couple of spills yet walked away unharmed. There may have been a moment in a crowded place, such as a visit to a zoo, when they seemed to have gotten lost but really did not. Most parents have experienced these situations, and probably many more, too! Somehow, in spite of close calls, their child is still walking the face of the Earth and is still in one piece.

Tags: Child Safe, Children Laugh, Choices, Countless Opportunities, Desire, Face Of The Earth, Inflicted Injury, Kitchen Knife, New Experiences, Parents, Peace Of Mind, Slideshow, Spite, Teenager, Zoo