Sunday, May 30, 2010

How to Handle Rude Teens

Is your teenager rude and bad-mannered? If the answer is yes, parents need to pay close attention to this problem because it is not a normal behaviour for teens. Teenage is always considered as a difficult stage for both parents and teens but some teens are best friends with their parents. Occasional incidents of fight and trouble are normal but if it is taking place too frequently, parents need to find the cause and nip the problem in the bud. If your teen is rude to you, it is the duty of parents to let him/her know that, this is not an acceptable behaviour. However, parents should also ensure that they are not treating their teenagers in a negative way.

If parents fail to warn teens about their behaviour, teens will take it as granted. They will assume that their behavioural pattern is acceptable. Parents should take concrete actions. No child or parent wants to hurt each other, however, there might have been incidents that would have caused pain and hurt. The idea is to find those reasons and explain them to the child. Parents should not ignore teen’s desires again and again as that will lead to feelings of frustration in child.

It is important to check rudeness and disrespect at every step. Teenagers are quite vulnerable to the influence of peer pressure. Parents should never underestimate the peer influence. Communication is the key here. Parents should talk about all the problems faced by child and make him understand the causes and effects. Keep your cool and calm intact while interacting with your teen.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Making Your Children vegetarian


Turning vegetarians has become a buzz word all across the globe. There are movements taking place to make vegetarian food more acceptable. Growing number of people in different countries are turning vegetarians because of reasons including, environmental, ethical and medical. Meat and other non-vegetarian products are being avoided. Already, there are substantial numbers of people who are vegetarians because of their social, religious and cultural backgrounds.

It is natural for vegetarian parents to want their children to follow suit. But then, everyone has different opinions about nutrition. Parents are more concerned about whether a vegetarian diet can fulfill the dietary requirements of their growing children. There is no doubt regarding the immense health benefits of a vegetarian diet. There is a strong co-relation between vegetarian diets and reduced incidence of many diseases. People who are non-vegetarians are more likely to suffer from hypertension and heart diseases. They will also have higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It’s important for parents to instill the habit of vegetarian diet in their kids’ right from the very beginning.

If parents are aiming for a non-vegetarian diet for their kids, they should also ensure that children are not having any sort of junk foods such as potato chips and aerated drinks else the overall benefits of vegetarian food will be nullified. Diet should be nutritionally complete. Parents should make children a part of turning vegetarian process instead of forcing the vegetables down their throats. They should explain why vegetables are necessary and how they stand up against non-vegetarian foods. They should be given their favorite vegetarian diet. Parents should lead by example if they want their children to grow on a vegetarian diet.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Children and Computers

We are living in the age of computers. Wherever you go, whatever function you perform, you will find the use of computers in every sphere of life. There is no space for a computer illiterate person. It has almost become our second brain without which we are hard pressed. Parents, realizing the importance of computers, are making dedicated efforts to educate kids about the benefits of computers. Well, one thing here works in the favor of the parents and that is, children easily get addicted to the computers. The way technology is advancing, kids are also gearing up for all the works related to computers.

Children do get addicted to computers but it is never an easy task to make them learn the basics. Initially, the functions of computers are mysterious to children. However, parents should be patient enough to deal with such problems. The teaching process should start with introduction of the computers. Tell the child how it works and what it can be used for. Then, the next logical step is of showing how to turn the computer on and off. Explain him CPU, monitor and UPS.

Additionally, you should explain the function of printer, keyboard and mouse. Tell him about left and right click buttons. Show him how to hold the mouse and move the cursor. To make the process more interesting, you can introduce the kid to few games. That way he will learn to use the mouse. Also give them a free rein in using different keys on the keyboard. Slowly, you can introduce them to functions of different keys like Shift, Del, Caps, Space Bar etc. Don’t use complicated language while explaining the functions. Soon enough, your child will be able to maneuver on his own.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Encouraging your Child

Parenting is a great responsibility. All the parents try to provide best of care, love, concern and affection to their kids so that they have the best possible lives. Parents also ensure to prepare children in such a way that they can handle all the challenges thrown by life. Parents need to make sure that the child has enough self-confidence and self-esteem to face obstacles standing in his way. Some of the other important factors are accepting the child they way he is and not trying to mould each and every aspect of his personality as per our desires.

While building up a child’s personality, it is imperative to follow proper discipline techniques. The rules regarding discipline must be consistent and parents should let the children know what are the reasonable expectations from them. One factor hugely affects the way a child grows up. It is the way we are praising or criticizing him. Mind it, there is a very fine line between criticism and being negative.

Parents should try to ensure that child is being nurtured in a positive environment. Negative criticism can adversely affect child’s psychology. Talking it out in a cool and calm manner is much better way than simply making sarcastic comments or criticizing kids in front of other people. Many parents don’t praise child for the good deeds performed by them. Praise is a wonderful form of encouragement. It needs not to be done only if child achieves something big. It could also be for small things like cleaning his room, completing his homework on time or helping mom in the kitchen etc.

There are always some admirable qualities in any kid and parents must recognize these and encourage those positive traits. Qualities could be honesty, organization skills, humor, neatness or social skills etc. Try looking for his positive traits and encourage it by complimenting him every now and then. This will tremendously help child in building his self-esteem.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Co-Parenting Responsibilities

Parenting is a very responsible job and no one can deny this fact. Parenting decisions are jointly made by both mother and father. Both are equally responsible and accountable about the ways a child should be raised. But not always, parents agree to same aspect of parenting. The basic reason behind this disagreement is that there are many ways to raise a child. Each parent has a different perspective and way of raising a child and he or she tries to do things own way. Combining together the best of parents’ ideas would a nice way to make everyone happy but that’s not always possible.

Co-parenting requires discipline and compromise from both of the parents. Sometimes, disagreements between parents can adversely affect the child because he witnesses everything. For example, there is no point arguing on an issue like discipline in front of the child. It is always better to discuss it separately and not affect the child negatively. A calm discussion will always lead to some mutually acceptable decisions.

Talking it out is another simple way to sort out issues and can even nip in the bud the problems that can potentially damage relationship between the parents. Argument is of no help when it comes to setting rules for the child. Parents should always discuss with each other when they are thinking of making some important decisions for the kid.

Each parent should respect the ideas of other one. Listening to the ideas carefully can provide some great insights. Two people can always come up with a better solution together.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Toddler Discipline


It is always a proud moment for parents to hold their beautiful baby in their hands. What a joy it gives! Children are no doubt, little wonders of nature. Your child makes you complete. Everything about them is fascinating and touches your heart. Right from that innocent smile, incredulous eyes to cute voice, they surely win us over. We all like to see our kids grow in full might. They must get all the happiness of the world and they be successful. That’s what we wish for the kids. But parents need to create the foundation for the future well fare of the kids. A child must be given right platform to grow on mental, psychological and physical levels. Successes of life require discipline. It is an important parental job to lay the foundation stone of discipline for toddlers.

The most important thing is the art of saying no to the kids. Parents who say yes to kids tend to suffer more when children grow up. This habit will instill discipline in kids and will make them aware about their limitations. It should be done gently and firmly without using any violence. Most of the parents can’t see their kids in any sort of inconvenience and discomfort. That is quite natural. But at the same time, make him aware of his responsibilities. Don’t give into his all his unfair demands. Children often do irritating activities. In such cases, it is best to ignore them. Try to distract them from unwisely actions. Prevention is always better than cure. Start discipline methods from early age and your kid will do just fine. Finally try to be consistent in your behaviour.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Managing A Rebellious Child

Parenting is a tough job and you know it very well. Parenting is a lot about responsibilities, challenges and trials. Children on their part are simply children. Some of them are quite obedient and some other well, defiant. Call them children with rebellious streak and they cause lots of problems for the parents. Different parents adopt different measures to handle such problems. Unruly kids are hard to control and manage. These kids are quite aggressive and behave as per their whims and fancies. Rebellious children don’t like to follow orders and give hard time to their parents.

Talking about defiant children, they are not an uncommon sight. Parents need to adopt right methods to handle such children. Resorting to high handedness will not fetch rich dividends. Parents need to be very patient while dealing with such child. They should try to know why kid is behaving in a certain way. What is the reason that’s causing their kid to be aggressive? It could be either because of bad company, fear of punishment or expectations of some favors. There is no point shouting on the child if he is misbehaving or refusing to obey. Children learn a lot from their parents so parents need to be rightful in their behavior as well.

Put down rules and regulations for your child. Also express your decision about how you will be handling his wrong behavior. Do not ignore his behavioral traits. Be very consistent in your behavior. Try to implement discipline factor in the household. Try to know what is going through his mind. Listen to him very carefully.