PARENTING SKILLS AND RECESSION

In fact, a lot of experts' parenting advice says it is a good idea to be honest with your children about money - without going overboard. For instance, you could explain that they may have to wait longer to get that expensive toy because - like a lot of other families - you have had to deal with a lot of extra costs this year.

The key is to be open with the little ones without being scary. Make sure you are explaining things at an age-appropriate level and reassure them soundly that they should not be worried.Talking to your kids about financial struggles can be stressful, but there are also opportunities to use your parenting skills to yield some positive results.For example, has there ever been a better time to show your children - firsthand - that sound economic behavior such as spending within your means and saving for the future has benefit? And that delayed gratification can actually be rewarding?There is more to be cheerful about.

Many have suggested that as a result of the recession, hands-on parenting skills will become the norm, with families spending more time together and enjoying inexpensive and creative activities.Libraries, for example, have reported growing numbers of families using their services, particularly to attend story time and to check out DVDs and books.And in a holiday season in which retail sales are dismal at best, sales of family-centered video games - such as those for the

Nintendo Wii platform - are managing to grow, while traditional board games remain resilient.It just goes to show that with good parenting skills and the right attitude, your family can grow strong enough to withstand any financial storm.

By: Sarah Beldo

DOMESTIC VOILENCE

Most children will experience problems if they live in a violent home and witness a parent being abused. Children who witness abuse are more inclined to have behavior and emotional problems. Some children will develop psychosomatic disorders. This may include bed-wetting, school problems, night terrors, stuttering, excessive fear and crying.

Children may experience depression, suicidal behaviors and phobias if they are kept in a violent household.Older children may blame themselves for the abuse a parent receives. Older children may even step into the abuse to direct the attention onto themselves and off of the battered parent. There is a great risk that children who witness abuse may grow up thinking that violence is the only means to resolve emotional and relationship conflicts. Boys who grow up in an abusive home are more likely to batter their future partners versus boys who grow up in a nonviolent home.

Children who have witnessed abuse to a parent are also more likely to drink alcohol and abuse drugs.Children who live in a domestically violent home will suffer some form of neglect, be it physical or emotional. It isn’t always just the mother who is abused, but the children may be abused as well. Many adults who were abused when they were children report that witnessing the abuse to their mother was harder for them to deal with then the abuse they personally received.

Help for Battered Women:If you are a victim of domestic violence, help is available. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. They will direct you to places in your area where you can seek help. Please get yourself and your dear children to safety: YOU ARE LOVED.
By: Arthor Pens

MOM ! DONT BE OVER PROTECTIVE

I’ve seen moms say that they won’t let their children ride a public bus. I believe at age 13 they should be allowed to figure out to take the bus and if need be, take the bus with an adult their first time. For those saying, “Oh but that’s too young,” when do you think they might be ready to take this step?I’ve seen moms who really have strong influence over who their children choose to be friends with.

The moms really manipulate the situation so their child can not play with the other child. While you as an adult may see something your child does not yet see, how will your child learn to see and recognize these things if you continue to make friend choices for him/her? If your child is 8 and you’re making these choices, at what age do you believe your child can make their own friend choices? As a teen there are a lot more things to consider and look for when choosing friends.

If your child has not developed this skill earlier, they’re bound to make some poor choices as a teen.I really once again want to stress I do understand the dangers out there. I just also know that if we don’t let out children make choices and realize the consequences of those choices, they never learn the skills.What about going out with friends? Can your child go out on a school night? It’s ok to say no up to a point. At what age do you let them learn that going out on a school night and not getting enough sleep will result in poor concentration and poor performance the following day?

I can remember getting a phone call from another mom when my daughter was about 6. My daughter had done something to upset her child. While I agree 100% that my daughter was wrong, I also believe that the other child would have done much better to have her mom coach her on how to problem solve instead of her mother calling me. The only time I got involved was when a boy tried to light my daughter’s hair on fire. This was a situation that required adult intervention.

If we don’t allow our children to work on relationship problems at age 6, how will they prepare for adulthood and all of their future relationships?As I’ve stated, I have two kids of my own. I know how much there is to worry about. I also know that I want both of my kids to develop the skills and confidence to become independent, self sufficient adults.

By: Audrey Okaneko

AVOID COMPARING SIBLINGS

When the comparison is with a sibling, that answer is no longer valid. At one time or another both of my kids have said to me “but you let her do it” or “why doesn’t she have to do it?”The answer is actually very simple. No two children are the same. Each of our children is unique in many different ways. They each have different strengths and weaknesses.

They each have different perceptions and they each have their own unique personality. Each of these will play into our decisions as parents.While it might not seem fair tonight that one child has to do the dishes while the other child does not, the word “fair” is very open to interpretation. The child doing the dishes might have just returned from a weekend get away that mom and dad helped finance. Or the child not doing the dishes might have cleaned the bathroom the day before.

Fair can not happen at equal times for all children. As a parent, if you don’t want your kids to compare themselves to each other, you also need to refrain from making comparisons between your children. One child might get better grades than the other. One child might be better at sports than the other. One child might have more artistic ability than that other. Each child is unique. Each will have those things they excel at and those things they need some assistance with. Offer praise to each child on that child’s personal accomplishments and achievements.

When discipline is necessary, don’t share this information with anyone but the child receiving the discipline. When you speak of discipline in front of other children, it can cause bad feelings amongst the siblings. Remember each of your children is absolutely unique. Remind them of this when they want to compare themselves to their siblings.

By: Audrey Okaneko

PARENTING WORKSHOPS

Parenting is one of the toughest jobs and many parents need help in managing their family life. Parenting workshops offer parents the opportunity to learn new strategies and concepts about parenting that they can use in their everyday family life.

Parenting workshops, like any other workshop, include different sessions on different topics such building strong relationships between children and parent, between siblings or between children; early childhood parenting such as dealing with children’s fears, helping parents adjust with separation, or starting school.

Many parenting workshops also help parents deal with children who have learning and/or emotional difficulties. These workshops are especially helpful because parenting children with special needs can be twice as hard so many need all the help they can get to manage their family life well.

Parents of adolescents and teenagers also experience a greater deal of frustration and stress because, as we know, children at this age bracket tend to distance themselves from parents, question authority, and are naturally curious and impulsive. Parenting workshops that help parenting teenagers educate parents to help them understand what their teens are going through and how to best approach or communicate with them.

Families who are going through a conflict such as separation or divorce can also get counseling through parenting workshops as well as education about children’s right and family law. Moreover, parenting workshops not only increase parents’ knowledge and skills on raising their children but at the same time develop confidence in them as parents and reduce everyday stress.

Aside from discussions and presentations on important parenting issues, parenting workshops feature videos and other media resources on a variety of parenting topics. Many parenting workshops are free but there are also groups that organize workshops for a fee and by request, customized to the needs of a specific group, for instance, single parents.

Generally, parenting workshops are conducted once a week for four to six weeks, depending on the organizer. If there is no one else to look after the child while the parent or parents attend the workshop, they can look for those that offer child-minding services.

Before attending parenting workshops, you can check the specific content of each session to make sure they will be useful to you and also check the qualifications of the people providing the workshop. The organization should be composed of qualified professionals who are well-trained in family and/or child development and, ideally, parents themselves.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Milos_Pesic

PARENTING - A LASTING CAREER

You need not attend any interviews and fill no application forms, though it is one of the most demanding and rewarding careers. Without the benefit of selection criteria, we discover that to be good parents, we need many skills and abilities that we do not learn at school. Some people hope that these skills will show up in the delivery room together with their first born. Others say you either have them or you don't. I believe that the magic of pregnancy and childbirth is not enough to make us parents and we can and should develop these skills over time.

If we had to advertise for a parenting position, the job description would include all of the following:

Nurse
Cleaner
Teacher
Financial Controller
Cook
Psychologist
Taxi driver

If you review your life, you will discover that school, where you spent many valuable years, did not prepare you for your most valuable career in life - being a parent. However, your parents either by being a positive role model ora negative role model contributed the most to your parenting abilities (or disabilities). It would not be fair to say that school contributed nothing to my becoming the parent I am today. My food studies teacher was very strict about cleaning after ourselves and I had way too many teachers that taught me in great details how a teacher should never be, but I am not sure I needed 12 years for that.

Rules of being a good parent are not engraved in stone but have evolved over time with different cultural, social and emotional needs. Unfortunately, the place where we spend most of our learning years is not preparing us well. Due to this, many parents and their kids face difficulties with their health, relationships and finance.

If you ever think of your teen as one day becoming a parent, remember that you are the most valuable contributor to their future success as a parent.
Be the parent you want your kids to be!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronit_Baras