When talking with your teen about their future, it can be difficult to find a common ground. However, there are a few ways around that which can make it easier to discuss things with your child.
For instance, when teaching your child about their future, why not discuss the various jobs they may be interested in? You might bring up travel nursing careers to those that are interested in the medical field or jobs with a veterinarian for those interested in animals. There is no limit to what you can discuss and by finding this common ground, it will be easier to have …
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Talking with Your Teen About Their Future
Preparing for College
Your teen has reached that all important milestone of graduating high school and it’s time to start looking at colleges. What types of things should the graduate and parent consider when selecting the right college for the student?
One of the first things to consider is a community college or university. Community colleges are a great starting place, especially if the student has not selected a major. They are also more cost effective than a four year university. If the graduate knows exactly what they want to do and is ready for the challenges of a four year university, explore those. Be …
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Modern Parenting in an Internet World
Teens seem to come into our lives all of a sudden, don’t they? What happened to the chubby-cheeked toddler we were so recently bouncing in our lap? At one time or another as the teen years approach, every parent wonders, how did they grow up so quickly?
Yes, every parent seems to feel that the issues of teen life come about with little or no warning—but deal with them we must, prepared or not.
One of the issues of parenthood today is in dealing with the many responsibilities demanded of us due to the rapid changes in technology. The Internet and the rapid proliferation of …
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Giving Your Kids a Good Life
For a parent who has been through a divorce, it’s easy to get your priorities mixed up. There are parents who get lost in the anger and resentment of divorce rather than getting back to what really matters, and that’s giving your kids a better life. If you are serious about giving your kids the best life possible after a divorce, here are some steps to help.
First, you have to make sure you are financially stable. That means that if you have primary custody, you should be getting child support. Child support laws are different in every state, so check the laws of your region. For …
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First Time Car Buying Tips for Teens
It seems like it was only yesterday when you were teaching your baby how to walk, then he was driving his plastic car around your driveway. Now, your child is taller than you are, and he is ready to take off in his own wheels.
Buying a car is an exciting, important step in the life of a teen. Just as you helped him learn to walk and were there to protect him as he rode around your driveway, now you can guide and protect him in the land of car dealerships. If, like most teens, your child is lacking for funds, he might want to consider obtaining a loan for his vehicle. This is perfect for …
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Talking with Your Teen about Divorce
One of the hardest things to do when raising a teenager is talking to them about a divorce. Even if the teenager has known or suspected for some time that the marriage is in trouble, when the decision to divorce is finally made, you will still have to break that news to your teenager.
There are several ways you can approach the subject, but the timing is just as important as how you give the news. So, the first thing you want to do is make sure that your teenager hears it from you, and not someone else. This can be especially true if you live in a neighborhood or community that operates …
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Navigating Through Teenage Dating
It’s exciting when your teenager is old enough to date – for her! It’s not always so exciting for the parents. Fortunately, there are parents who have been in this stage of life before…and survived…so there’s definitely hope for you too. Follow these simple tips below and you and your teenager will be able to emerge from this new stage of life relatively unscathed.
1. Give your teenager limits. She may be old enough to date now, but she still needs some rules and boundaries. Keep a strict curfew and make sure you meet every boy your daughter goes on a date …
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The Perfect Gift for Your Teen’s Birthday
Most parents of teens know that shopping for your teenager's birthday can be a stressful, frustrating time. Teenagers will often give you either a huge list of everything that they want (many of the items costing way more money than you can afford, of course), with exact details on what they can and can't have, or they won't tell you what they want at all. Either way, shopping for a teenager can be a frustrating thing for a parent.
One option that many parents are starting to consider for their teen's birthday is the Tom Joyner Reach Card. This allows your child to get what they want, and …
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So…Your Teen Wants a Pet
Being a teenager can be a very difficult time, both for the teenager and for their family. This is one reason why teenagers are often eager to have a pet, but it is also a reason why parents may feel that their teen is not responsible enough to have one. It is worth considering all the facts before you make a decision, however, as research shows pets can be very beneficial to teenagers, and the whole family.
A pet provides company during times that can be very isolated and lonely for teens. Many teenagers bottle up their feelings about hormonal changes, first relationships and family …
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Communication and Compassion: Addressing Substance Abuse
It was once the easiest of exchanges: words were traded across the breakfast table; smiles were offered; and the days were born to gentle communication. Now, however, only silence reigns. Your teen has forgotten his own tongue, has shaped himself to a grimace. He doesn’t whisper secrets. He doesn’t offer laughter. Instead he just ... stares. It’s a causal dismissal, and far too worrisome.
There was a time when your child’s most pressing obligation was to find clothes -- such as Dereon pants -- worthy of his schoolyard adventures. Now he's withdrawn, unwilling to ask for …
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