Parent

Advice for Driving Teens

Your kids have heard it before, of course: don’t drive drunk. Don’t text while driving. Don’t. Don’t. Don’t. How can you convince your kids that parental advice is really worth listening to?

Believe it or not, the idea of a total DUI arrest or a car crash may seem less relevant than a conversation with the parents. Why? Those events seem abstract to an adolescent in the present moment. And, kids actually do listen to their parents.

Talking to your child about how driving is a privilege, and the risks involved, may help them understand the potential danger. Discussing the relationship between alcohol and driving, before your child begins drinking at parties, can help prevent reckless behavior.

Make your own rules and expectations clear. Your teenager should not talk on the phone while driving, of course, and he or she should always wear a seatbelt. You may also want to consider whether your child can drive his or her friends in the car. The presence of other adolescents in the car greatly increases the risk of an accident.

If you’re not sure what to say to your new driver, just be straightforward and honest. Explain to your teenager why your supervision is necessary, and why you’re concerned. Carefully let your child know that the consequences of careless driving can ruin or end lives.

Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. Your role as a parent is essential. Do your best to have honest, heart-to-heart conversations about driving with your teenager, and be a good role model. In other words: drive carefully and attentively!

Filed Under: General Law & Legal Tagged With: Adolescence, Parent, Traffic collision

Relocation and Parenting: Tips for an International Experience

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Parenting is a skill cultivated through years and careful mastery. Too often, however, does that mastery fail in the wake of an international move — with families forced to settle in new environments and children flailing in the aftermath.

To help soothe the process, parents must remain calm… and offer the necessary support:

Explanations

An international journey is one defined to many miles and many questions. Parents must expect the hours to be worrisome: children will be baffled by the act of moving, won’t grasp its full intentions. Explanations are necessary therefore. The reasons for a relocation (whether a career, a financial opportunity, etc.) must be given. They should just be simplified so they can be understood.

Education

The differences between countries can seem subtle and strange — with children who have been raised in picket fence worlds unaware of what’s to come. It’s vital therefore that parents offer an education: with books, films and other learning materials provided before a move commences. This will help to make the process relevant and will prepare youths for what they should expect. Surprise is not a worthy virtue. Knowledge is instead needed.

Exposure

Acclimation is an unfamiliar word but an all too essential idea. Once a new home has been secured families will find themselves surrounded by unfamiliar cultures. It’s important that children are not cloistered from these experiences (with parents shielding them from what they don’t understand, keeping them close to their belongings). Exposure is instead needed. Youths should be allowed to explore the area. This will encourage interest and defeat anxieties.

Relocation can be an adventure. Parents must simply first make it tangible.

Filed Under: Family Law Advice Tagged With: Child, Family, Parent

Parenting the Only Child – Debunking the Myths

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Parenting styles differ greatly around the world, and parenting an only child can be significantly different from parenting two or more children. A popular myth about the only child is that the child will be selfish. The truth is most children at a certain age will seem selfish because in their own minds, everything revolves around them. Positive parenting helps alleviates this self-centeredness over time by teaching the value of sharing.

It may seem as if the only child is selfish because the parents have only one child to focus on. As such these children may develop a sense that everyone should give them total attention. However, good parenting skills will enable the child to realize early on not to treat attention as a right.

Some people hold the view that the only child is generally very bossy. Again this attitude results not so much from being the sole child, but from the parenting received. In fact, many children with siblings are bossy as well. Good parenting will help children to learn to temper their attitudes.

When it comes to an only child, the tendency to feel alone or to become loners can be greater. This is true for children anywhere in the world. Parents should make every effort to provide companionship for their child. They should be allowed to spend time with cousins and other children to develop relationships.

While the style used for parenting an only child may be different than that used for two or more kids, the outcome is generally the same. The values children learn as they grow are those instilled by their parents and their environment.

Filed Under: Child Custody Tagged With: Child, Family, Parent

Teenage Pregnancy- How to Prevent Your Child from it?

Many are worried about being the parent of a teenager. There is an increasing amount of teenagers that are active and also a growing number of teenage girls that are becoming pregnant. With this problem comes the feeling of protection a parent will have to protect their child.

Parents will need to see how important their guidance is needed to help their child. If a parent wants their child to grow up and be a responsible adult then they will need to be there and provide the right guidance to them. A parent is considered to be the child’s first teacher so the discipline should start there. The parents of a teenage daughter has the added responsibility of teaching their daughter the proper behavior. A teenage son should also be taught the proper way to treat a young lady. You might not feel comfortable talking to your child about this but it is important to do it anyway. This is important to do for your teenage daughter or son’s safety.

There are 750,000 pregnancies in the United States each year.The rate is higher than that in the countries that are less developed such as Great Britain, France, and Germany. Studies have also shown that 31% of teen girls will become pregnant before the reach the age of 20.

Make sure to talk to your daughter about the consequences of being active at young age involve. Inform her of what becoming pregnant is like and what responsibilities that she will face in the event of a pregnancy. She should also know that there may be health risks for her unborn child. These risks may even be there after the baby is born.It is important to maintain good communication with your child to help establish a good relationship with them. The child will then feel like they can come to you to talk about anything.

Filed Under: General Law & Legal Tagged With: Parent, Pregnancy, United States

Using Empathy in Your Parenting Technique

When you interaction with other people and your children you should use the skill of empathy. One of the best techniques as a parent you can use is speaking to your child with empathy. This could be listening and making eye contact with your child. It may at times mean reflecting upon their feelings. The parents who use this technique with their child will often have a better relationship with their child. This may even lead them to have more successful relationships as they grow older and be significantly happier.

There are many ways that empathy can be used. Some parents may not feel comfortable using this method in their parenting. They may not know the right way to talk to their kids this way.The parent may feel that the method of empathy is not a natural way to parent a child.If their parents did not empathize with them they may not know the right way to speak to their child that way.All a parent needs to do about that situation is practice. They may be comfortable empathizing with them when they are feeling hurt but not when their child is breaking the rules. The parent may have a hard time because their child is complaining about the rules. The parent may feel like they should make their child be more respectful of them instead of emphasizing with them.

You are not condoning bad behavior by empathizing and listening to your child. There are ways that a parent can say things to a child that can direct them to behave better. Empathizing with your child is one way to do it. This will reaffirm a parents belief that their child will do the right thing.

Filed Under: Family Law Advice Tagged With: Emotion, Empathy, Eye contact, Family, Mother, Parent

What is the right Parenting Style?

Is there a ideal parenting style? Is a mix of different parenting styles better to use? There are 3 main styles of parenting. These are authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. When deciding among the 3 styles you should know what type of impact that they could have on the development and behavior of the child.

A parent that uses the authoritarian style of parenting has a set of rules that their child is expected to follow. They do not allow for exceptions to these rules. The child is not allowed to have any input on the rules and is actually limited on being allowed to think for themselves. The parent may not even explain the expectations of the rule and the child will not understand why the rule was put in place to begin with.The child will have a harsh punishment if they have broken the rule.

A more democratic approach to parenting can be found in the authoritative style. These type of parents will communicate to their child what the rules are and will take the time to explain why the rule is being placed. If the rules are broken the child will know what their punishment will be. Communication between both the child and parent is used. This type of parent will take the time to listen to their child.

The third parenting approach known as permissive has no boundaries or limits. The parents who use these approach will most likely have kids that are out of control. The reason behind this is because they have no rules or boundaries set for their child and give their child rein to do whatever that they like. Which also means that there is no discipline for any of their actions. This means that the child is getting no rules or structure and will not only be a problem in the school but in their home. It is most likely that a parent will display a mixture a these styles. However, a parent will tend to use one style more than another.

Filed Under: Family Law Advice Tagged With: Authoritarianism, Gender, Home, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Parent, Parenting styles

How to Parent A Unruly Teenager

Everyday parents are reaching out and searching the internet for answers as to how to handle their unruly teenager. Parenting is difficult and there is not no one single approach that everyone can use. It consists of different approaches for each situation.

There is not no cure for the adolescence stage of life. We as parents just have to wing it and hope for a great outcome. There is just not one single source that will give us the answers that we need to be successful parents. However, you may need those answers today! Just think back before the time of computers when parents could not research for answers or advice from others. These parents still had to face the same challenges that we face today. Each stage of the development of a child has its own challenges but with the difference of the technology of the times have changed.

The parents that did not have computers to use for answers just had to wing it so to speak. These parents had to watch their grown children face the same challenges with their own children.

The parents of today have a advantage over the parents of years ago. They can just click their mouse on the computer and the answers are there. There is the answer of just toughing it out but why do that when it is not necessary. Who wants to let time heal the problems that are being faced when you do not have to. You can do all of this today with no need to wait it out.

If you can afford it you can seek the help of a child psychologist. Most of us however that is facing this situation wants to have help right now. There just is no real magic bullet to help make everything okay for everyone who is raising a child or teenager. You just do the best you can for your situation.

Filed Under: Family Law Advice Tagged With: answers, Family, Home, Parent, Single source publishing, Today (NBC program)

Raising your Child to be a Good Traveler

Raising your children to be good travelers will help them to appreciate different cultures and develop a love of travel from an early age. It is important to follow some guidelines when traveling with young children to ensure that you, your child, and everyone around you can have a safe and happy trip.

Plan Ahead
Talk to your child’s pediatrician before planning any overseas trips to be sure that everything will be okay. Children’s immune systems are not as strong as adults and they can be susceptible to many things you haven’t given a second thought. If you will on a long plane ride, be sure to allow plenty of recovery time on each side of your trip for your child to get situated. Jet lag affects children just as it affects adults and your child may be disoriented, cranky, or off-schedule for awhile upon arrival. Be patient and plan for it.

Pack Strategically
Dress your child in light layers for a plane ride and pack enough small toys or books to keep him or her occupied for the duration of the trip. Many children who fly from an early age will be fine with the experience and nap most of the way, others may be nervous. Offer plenty of information and reassurance to keep your child feeling safe.

Educate Accordingly
Before going to a new country, talk about the people, the culture, and what to expect. Looking at picture books, maps, or programs on television can help your child know what to expect. Talk about how to treat people that you meet, any new social norms that you may see while visiting, and all of the new things that your child can expect to see along the way. This not only prepares them for the trip, but is a great learning experience too.

Filed Under: General Law & Legal Tagged With: Child, Immune system, Jet lag, Parent

Parenting a Cautious Child

Many small children are naturally outgoing and loud, others are naturally a little quieter and more cautious in their ways. For parents of a cautious child, it is important to be your child’s biggest cheerleader, encourage them to go at their own pace when it comes to trying new things, and focus on the positives.

Stand up for them
Many other adults, even your relatives or the child’s teachers, may call your child shy or view their cautious personality as a bad thing. It is important that you stand up for your child and work with the adults in you child’s life to see that while they may need to do things a little differently, it’s okay. Never let another adult pressure your child into acting in a way that doesn’t feel natural.

Offer gentle encouragement
You want to encourage a cautious child to expand his or her horizons and try new things, but you want to do this carefully. Don’t put pressure on your child and make things uncomfortable, instead, help them to identify things they’d like to try and take baby steps to get there. Maybe your child would like to try an art class, but is worried about the other kids and the teacher. Arrange to meet with an art teacher beforehand so that your child will have a familiar face at the first class. A little extra planning can make a world of difference.

Help them see the positive
Be sure to remind your cautious child that while you don’t want them to be afraid of things in life, you appreciate their unique qualities. Cautious children are often very smart, very sensitive, and very in tune with their emotions. They learn about the world in their own way and it is important as parents to encourage them to always be themselves.

Filed Under: General Law & Legal Tagged With: Child, Family, Parent, Teacher