Focus on Better Behavior

There are so many stages when parenting children. You may find that if you have a teenager you are happy to be done with the toddler stage. When your children reach the teenage years, they are more capable, can dress themselves, eat by themselves and you don't have to keep tabs on them at all times. Of course there are other challenges that come with parenting teens. They are at a point in their lives where they question who they are and who they want to be in life. They will challenge you with their independence and you will learn about yourself as a parent and a person. You have to pick your battles because some things will just be ...

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You may shy away from this topic wanting the health education in your child's school to handle it, but you really do want to take this on at home. It's important for you as a parent to be real with your kids and arm them with the correct information. With this in their arsenal they will be able to recognize the fact from fiction from what they hear from their peers. You may encounter some embarrassing moments but it's worth it if you are able to be open with them and allow them the space to ask questions and talk to you about what they might be feeling or going through regarding sex. There are many books that can help ...

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There may not always be time to play outdoors during the summer but that doesn't mean your kids have to be bored. There are several things you can do or have on hand to keep them entertained without putting them in front of the television. Play dough is a fun activity that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages. Break out the board games and puzzles and have some fun. Legos are a great way to encourage dexterity and critical thinking and have fun at the same time! Do some crafts using recycled materials, like egg cartons, tubes, lids or newspaper. Create an indoor obstacle course in the living room with pillows and blankets and create silly rules to ...

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We live in an age where many kids think they are entitled, believing that they don't need to contribute to the household. I am not a firm believe in giving money for chores and it's important to teach your children that the whole family needs to contribute to keep the house since all of you live there. It helps to create a plan together so that your kids feel that they are involved. Figure out how many chores to give to each child and let them pick the ones that they want to take on. If you can pick a day that you do chores so that all of you are working together to accomplish one goal. Picking a fun activity ...

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The stage between middle childhood and adolescence is usually the hardest between the ages of 10-12, this will prepare you for the teen years which have been known to be some of the most challenging years of parenthood. Tweens start coming into their own and may begin to back-talk, ignore and roll their eyes at you when you try to discipline or just try and talk to them. You need to stand your ground as a parent and let them know what is acceptable and what is not. Keep your cool when dealing with your tween, you don't to lose control and fly off the handle as they may model the same behavior. When explaining your reasons for discipline be ...

More about: Saving Your Sanity Parenting Tween

I read about a recent poll that asked people if birthdays for kids had gotten out of control. It was an overwhelming "yes". Many believe that in this age, parents go overboard and it's really to show off for other parents, not to have a party for the kids. When I was a kid, we had cake and ice cream and the age I was as a candle on the cake. Maybe 3-4 other kids would come and we would play in the yard. It's best for your sanity to keep it simple. If they are old enough let them choose a few friends to do something, the zoo, the park, a swimming pool, or just have a small party ...

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Gone are the days of time-outs, distractions and gold stars when it comes to teens,  new tactics need to be used at this age. However, routine can still work with teenagers, they do well with clear guidelines and limited choices. Kids may bring all sorts of contracts home once school begins, for homework or athletics. It is a discipline that shows their commitment not just because someone told them so. Trying contracts at home for enforcing positive behavior can work well. They spell out what is expected and the consequences when those things are not met. it encourages better behavior and making good choices. When writing up a contract keep the following in mind: Be concise, keep it short or ...

More about: Cracking Down on Your Teen’s Behavior

Sometimes kids go through a time when they don't want ton play "win or lose" games for fear of losing. Some kids can be very sensitive about losing a game especially when their classmates may  be better at some things than they are. At this age they begin to realize that they are moving away from the baby stage moving into the big kid stage, they don't want to feel like a baby. It can be hard to make them understand that it's ok to win or lose, that playing the game is what's more important. This is a crucial life lesson that can be challenging to teach to some kids. As parents we just need to be supportive and ...

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The use of social media by teenagers is on the rise and it's no wonder really, it's the a way. along with texting, that teens connect with their friends. I myself spend a lot of time on the internet and use social media sites. I think as long as there are some ground rules for use then it's a win win situation. Make sure they take care of their other responsibilities and balance their time between surfing the internet and getting homework or chores done. Having a computer for use outside their room is important so you know what sites they are going to and what they might be doing on the computer. Make sure you talk to them about ...

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Adolescence is a challenging stage for both you and your child. It's a stage where your child begins to separate from childhood. By establishing distance from childhood this means distance from parents and finding friends who are going through the same things. Striving for popularity seems so important at this age, that belonging with their peers will make things a lot better. There is a down side to popularity. It requires pleasing, it brings pressure, attracts inauthentic people, and it can go to their head and have them act inauthentically themselves. Popularity and friend ship are not the same. Popularity is political and friendship is personal. More importantly they find find a few close friends that they can trust and ...

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