The inclusion of boundaries in family planning seems natural to parents. Surprisingly to many, some families forgo boundary-setting for various reasons, ranging from a difficulty in saying “no” to an outright neglect of parenting. What all parents should know is how the lack of boundaries can negatively affect children.
Styling with side combs also requires you to have a banana clip and a few other basic items. Style with side combs with help from a professional makeup artist and hairstylist in this free video clip.
Identifying an inappropriate touch to a toddler requires a clear explanation to set an important foundation. Identify an inappropriate touch to a toddler with help from a former family case worker for CPS in this free video clip.
The right pair of heels can make you look much taller than you actually are. Learn about types of heels for short people with help from the owner and creative director for Ose in this free video clip.
Taking midterm tests can be a challenge for any student, but it is especially so if she has Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). A general lack of focus and difficulty retaining information may make studying more tedious; however, there are steps parents can take to assist their child with this necessary undertaking.
Blanching spinach in the microwave requires a microwave-safe bowl and a few other basic tools. Blanch spinach in the microwave with help from a culinary professional in this free video clip.
Hopefully your teenager will never have to deal with the death of a friend. However, the chances he'll have to are significant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 percent of teen deaths between 1999 and 2006 were caused by accidents, primarily car accidents. Murder, suicide and cancer comprised another 15 percent. A teen dealing with a friend's death may not only struggle with missing his friend, but also with comprehending mortality.
Pancakes with eggs and cheese inside require a cup of whole milk, flower and a few other basic items. Make pancakes with eggs inside, plus cheese, with help from a chef and owner of At Your Service NY Catering in this free video clip.
As our population ages, family members under one roof often straddle several generations. Your home may include your teenage children and elderly parents. Many elderly individuals also live alone or in care facilities. They may be less mobile due to problems with walking, joint pain, loss of eyesight or disability due to diseases or conditions such as a stroke. Teens can get involved and help elders at home and in the community to be more independent and perform tasks they can no longer do on their own.
Making friends isn't easy for every teenager. Whether a teen is new to a school or neighborhood, or just shy or socially awkward, finding a way to interact with peers is important. There are various opportunities for all teens to break the ice with other kids and make friends. Focus on interests about which your teen is passionate to find a starting point. Then find resources within the community that match those interests and provide opportunities to socialize with other kids in your teen's age group.
While some animals have rather independent natures, others thrive on nearly constant interaction and companionship. Cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) are decidedly of the latter category. These pet parrots are definitely not loners in any sense of the word. Friendship, whether from you or courtesy of another cockatiel, is a must.
Curing aching heels is something you can do by carefully stretching out any type of cramp or something of that nature. Cure aching heels with help from a family wellness chiropractor in this free video clip.
Moving is one of the many challenges military families face, sometimes as often as every two to three years. With each move come the challenges of settling into a new house, new school and new community. According to the National Military Family Association, more than 600,000 military children are of middle school or high school age. Constant moves can become tough at this age as your teen has to say goodbye to friends and surroundings that he’s familiar with. You can help make the transition smoother for your teen during your many moves.
Feta and spinach brioche starts out with a third of a cup of warm water, some dry yeast and a few other basic ingredients. Make feta and spinach brioche with help from a professionally trained chef in this free video clip.
Every parent wants her child to experience success in school from the moment she enters kindergarten. Learning can turn into a struggle for some students for many reasons, and needs to be addressed quickly and proactively. Not every child learns at the same pace or excels in the same subjects. Each child is capable of learning successfully, with parental interventions and guidance.
Infant developmental milestones have been proven to affect later cognitive function in a variety of interesting ways. Learn about infant developmental milestones and their relationship with later cognitive function with help from a former family case worker for CPS in this free video clip.
Think about your child’s favorite songs and books -- now can you think of one that doesn’t have any rhymes? If you do come up with a few that don’t include rhymes, it is likely a very small fraction of what your child loves. According to the British Council, “rhymes are portable playthings” and provide motivation for children to speak and read a language. Use activities with rhyming words to encourage these language-learning skills in your child.
It's not something people want to think about, but eventually, the older people in our lives are going to die. As parents it's important to take steps to help your children cope when the time comes. When your teen loses a grandparent -- and you lose a parent or inlaw -- remember that your child will be looking to you and the other adults in her life for clues about how to act.
Teenagers realize that no one lives forever, but they don’t usually expect people they know and love to die. Religion offers some comfort for grieving teens and it may help them make sense of their losses, but it doesn’t take away the pain of losing a loved one. Christian teens grieve just like teens of other faiths and they also often need the support and guidance of caring adults to help them through a very difficult time.
Training pants are disposable and absorb water like a diaper. Use training pants with help from a former family case worker in this free video clip.
Toddlers are learning to do new things all the time, and those accomplishments give them a sense of independence. As he discovers he can do things by himself, your toddler's confidence grows. According to KidsHealth, you can help develop his confidence by giving him plenty of opportunities to practice his developing skills and let him make mistakes while being there to encourage him to try again.
If your teen is more comfortable with a book than a group of friends, you might fear that he's socially awkward around his peers. Whether shy, unpracticed or simply a loner, socially awkward teens can be ostracized for their lack of social graces. Help your teen feel more comfortable in social settings by helping him learn to interact with others, make friends and pursue interests outside your home.
Almost half of high school students have had sex, according to a 2011 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Having sex puts teens at risk for unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV. Discussing sex with your teen and staying actively involved in his life can help you encourage your teenager to wait.
Self-esteem is never more fragile than during the teen years. Young people are managing changes in their bodies and emotions. They are finding their way in new kinds of relationships. Self-esteem is important because it protects the child from the normal ups and downs of adolescence. When a teen feels good about himself, he is less likely to suffer long-term depression, and is more like to bounce back from disappointment. He has confidence to try new things and set goals for the future. By definition, self-esteem rises from within the teen. But there are things parents can do to nourish…
Making strawberry jam requires sugar, strawberries, lemons and a few other basic items. Make strawberry jam with help from a chef instructor in this free video clip.
A superior vocabulary not only ensures your teen will be able to read advanced materials, but will affect her daily interactions because people with extensive vocabularies have better auditory comprehension. A poor vocabulary has been implicated in academic failure, and understanding a variety of words is linked to academic success. A key component of building vocabulary is books, although they might not be the tomes that initially come to mind when you think about vocabulary instruction.
Moving into a new home can be a bit unsettling or even stressful for children, especially if the move is to a new neighborhood away from old friends and familiar surroundings. Their old personal spaces are gone, replaced by new, unfamiliar territory. Including children in some of the tasks and decision-making for decor within the home can help the new space feel more familiar and welcoming in short time.
Parents, counselors and mentors contribute significantly to adolescent development. These authority figures use their years of experience and professional expertise to teach teens valuable life skills, such as setting goals and reaching them. Teaching teens to set goals and stick with them gives adolescents a chance to practice this skill, which is necessary for their growth and productivity in adulthood. Teens with experience in goal-setting also have the potential for increased "self-efficacy," the belief that they can successfully accomplish their goals, says researcher Karin Kirk with the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College.
Advertisers consider teenagers to be an important commodity. Parents should be aware of the constant and insidious manipulation that occurs as advertisers strive to capture a teen’s attention. If you help your teenager understand how advertising works and what companies are trying to achieve through advertising mediums, you give your teenager the power to resist these pulls and thwart media influence.
Losing a parent is hard, suffering this loss to suicide, even more so. When a teen loses his father in this unfathomable fashion, he must deal with both general grief and the complex emotions that specifically accompany a suicide. If unaided in his healing, he may suffer lasting damage. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that children under age 18 with a parent who committed suicide were three times more likely to take their own lives. Prevent the loss your teen has experienced from determining his future by helping him heal.
Helping out in your child's classes benefits your child, his teachers and his school. Showing support for your child and his school results in a better learning environment, quality learning time and, often, better grades. Volunteering keeps parents in touch with school personnel and informed about their child's progress.
Tragedy, as unavoidable as you wish it was, is all around. At some point, your teen is going to experience tragedy, whether it is the loss of a loved one or a friend, sickness or some other type of loss that he will never forget. You can’t shield him from pain, but you can help him cope with this tragedy and come to terms with the loss he is facing. Teens understand loss better than children, but that doesn’t make it any easier for them to accept when it happens in their lives.
You know that your teen is funny, smart, interesting and full of potential but your teen might not always agree. In fact, it can be frustrating to watch your child miss out on his potential and natural talents because of a lack of confidence or effort. While you can't force your teen to be successful, you can offer the tools that help him see what he can become, even if he doesn't seem particularly motivated.
Many teenagers are impetuous by nature and others always wait until the last minute to do something. They rarely understand the wisdom of careful planning and the consequences if they don’t. Helping adolescents understand how planning makes their lives run more smoothly and efficiently is possible if you incorporate real-life examples into your discussions.
The teenage years can involve a tumultuous time learning and growing as an adolescent works toward independence and adulthood. If a teenager becomes overwhelmed with the process and makes wrong decisions, it’s possible for destructive behaviors to appear. If risky and destructive issues arise, provide your teen with firm and loving support.
Learning that your toddler has a disability, whether you find out before birth or after, is an overwhelming discovery. Taking care of a child with special needs can be draining physically, mentally, emotionally and financially, but giving your toddler all your help gives him the best start in life and helps him survive and thrive, despite his disability.
As we get older, our relationships to the people around us often change. This can happen very rapidly during the teenage years as new friends come into our lives and others begin drifting away. Changing friendships can be difficult during a time when teenagers are often looking for stability and support. There are ways that parents can help with this transition.
A vast difference exists between your teen looking up news on a celebrity and becoming obsessed with a celebrity. Unfortunately, in the U.S. celebrity-worship culture and thanks to their accessibility through social media, it's easy for your teen to get caught up in the obsession with someone famous. By pointing your teen toward healthy influences and explaining the differences between real and staged emotions and traits, you can give your teen a better perspective on celebrities.
Although your teenage daughter might be thrilled that she’s got a boyfriend, the relationship might make you apprehensive. Rather than worry, however, consider it a valuable step along her journey to adulthood. The University of Minnesota Extension website notes that dating can improve a teen’s social skills, sense of identity and self-esteem. Even so, your daughter still needs your support and guidance as she navigates the world of teen dating.
As the parent of a teenager, it can be a challenge for you to allow her to be independent while keeping her safe. Giving your teen the freedom to spread her wings, make her own decisions and take responsibility for her actions is an important part of the transition into adulthood, but her safety will naturally be your paramount concern. The key is to equip your teen with the skills to deal with potentially dangerous situations without taking her freedom away from her.
Your teen might seem immature and silly at times, but he's actually making the transition from child to adult at a fairly rapid rate. As a parent, it's your job to equip your teen with the values that you find important as he heads into adulthood. Of course, you can't force your values on your teen. Instead, modeling behavior and sending a clear message about what you and your family find important should help him develop his own opinions on what really matters.
You might feel bewildered when your teen bursts into tears, but crying is the body's natural response to emotions like stress and sadness. Before you make light of your teen's tears or smother her with questions of "What's wrong?" you may want to take a gentler approach. Your teen might need to just cry it out once in a while and you can either help or hinder the process. As long as the crying jags aren't a regular occurrence, you can rest assured that you have a normal -- and emotional -- teen on your hands.
Teen angst is as quintessential to the teenage experience as having a first relationship or finally getting a driver's license. As a parent, your teen's sudden rush of emotions or cries that you "just don't understand!" can make you feel concerned and on shaky ground with your newly emotional teen. On the bright side, it's completely normal and in line with your teen's development. You just need to find ways to ride out the storm and let your teen know that you care.
Everyone could use a little conscience examination periodically, just to keep guilt and negative feelings from building up and to serve as a reminder when an apology could smooth out a relationship. Many Catholics do this on a regular basis before confession. Teens have so many temptations to step outside the moral straight and narrow. A little examination and confession is good for the soul.
Suicide is an experience most people are ill-prepared to deal with. If adolescents have lost a friend to suicide, they are likely to feel confused and frightened. They may not want to talk about what happened right away, so it is crucial that you take things at their pace. It is not an easy subject to broach, and you must be patient, understanding and supportive throughout the grieving process.
Attaching a brooch to a comb is a great way to breath new life into a family heirloom. Attach a brooch to a comb with help from a crafts expert in this free video clip.
Making carrot chips at home is going to require the use of your oven and a few other basic tools. Make carrot chips with help from a certified teen health counselor specializing in educating and coaching tweens teens and college-age young adults in this free video clip.
Fried wontons require canola oil, wontons and a few other basic ingredients. Find out how to properly make fried wontons with help from a food host and private chef in Los Angeles in this free video clip.
Putting people into motion on "Madden 10" is one thing - putting people into motion properly is something else altogether. Put people in motion on "Madden 10" with help from a video game expert in this free video clip.
Many people don't realize that you can reset toilets in just a couple of seconds. Learn how to reset toilets with help from a Foreman for Lighty Contractors in this free video clip.