Mindful Parenting Tips: Use Family Or Class Meetings For Problem Solving

How old should children be for family meetings? Never underestimate your child’s ability to participate and benefit from a family meeting. I have done them with success with children 15 months old and would not hesitate to include an infant. The thing to remember is that you are creating a format so that you can come up with solutions as a family. This makes the family unit the authority instead of just you (which is a set up for power struggles). So when you begin having meetings don’t... Read more »

Christian Parenting Tips and Advice

Well a week doesn’t go by that someone isn’t telling me about their problems with their teens. I wish the was a 100% right answer to there questions but all families are different and there’s no definite answer in some cases. I can only try to lead people in the right direction. The truth is that, while there are of course many common threads that run through the world of parenting, and methods that have stood the test of time, we are all quite different people with our own physical... Read more »

Is Learning a Foreign Language Abroad For You?

Study abroad programs offer the fastest way to fluency. There is no question about it. You get the language in so many ways: you read the street signs, the menus, hear the people at the bus stop, the list goes on and on. Yet, there are people that have had a hard time with language learning and don’t feel that study abroad will change anything. They don’t feel studying abroad is the answer because for them learning a foreign language is close to impossible. Well, nothing could be further... Read more »

From Cary and Woodstock, IL: How to Get the Perfect Counselor for your Teenager

Different types of adolescent counselors are not equal. Only if you have the right knowledge about teenage counseling are likely to succeed in getting the best results for their adolescent. Even though it may be difficult to find the right counselor, I am sure you want to know the best ways to find which type of counselor is likely to put your child back on track. The initial pool of skilled counselors comes from local professionals like social workers, psychologists and mental health counselors... Read more »

Cyber Insecurity vs Internet Security

Pandora’s box has been opened and the explosion of information both personal and non-personal seems to be limitless and increases exponentially. And according to the National Opinion Poll taken in January of 2007 half the UK harbors a “deep mistrust” due to security concerns. Not only is there a deep public mistrust but, the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology are inquiring into the need for personal Internet Security because of the growing use of home computers,... Read more »

Should You Monitor Your Child’s Online Behavior?

As a parent with a child that uses the Internet, you are inevitably going to be worried about what is going on in his or her cyberworld. So, how do you truly find out, without overstepping your boundaries? It’s a good question, and one that more and more parents are struggling with. Things to know: The largest group of viewers of Internet porn is children between ages 12 and 17 89% of sexual solicitations were made in either chat rooms or Instant Messages. One in five children who... Read more »

Easy Christmas Party Games, Plans & Ideas

Christmas party games and ideas are easy to plan with a festive mindset. Think fun! Whoever is heading to your house for the holidays, make it a Christmas to remember. These ideas are a breeze to plan and will inspire the joys of the season for you and your guest to share. With all the hype and consumerism that has taken over the pleasure of Christmas, don’t forget that nothing can replace the joys of a simple celebration at home with close friends and family. Think of Christmas past - the... Read more »

Teen Driving Tips: Flashing Lights

During your tenure in driver’s education training class, you are learning a great deal about obeying the law and how to handle the car. But do they always cover the specifics of what to do when you see flashing lights behind you? Flashing lights indicate that police officers are on the job and they are there to do their job. Their job is to cite you for a traffic violation. First, take a deep breath, not every time the flashing lights appear behind you is related to receiving a traffic violation.... Read more »

Teen Driving, Beaches, Piers and Drinking

Summer time is here and it’s a great time to grab the guys and hit the road to hit the beach. How cool is it to be a teenager with a license, a girlfriend or friends who can load up into the car and head to the beach for a day of fun in the sun? It’s exceptionally cool, but it’s only cool if you take a few precautions to along for the ride. Friends Don’t Bring Alcohol Alcohol and driving never mix. Point of order: different people metabolize alcohol in different ways. There... Read more »

How Do I Block MySpace?

How do I block mySpace and similar websites? There are many ways to accomplish this task, but first lets find out if you really want to completely block sites like these or if want to restrict access by children, or allow teens access and monitor their online behavior. The latter choice/option being the preferred way to go. You know as well as I do, if you make restrictions on teens or you stop them from doing something as a form of punishment they will find a way to undermine your authority. They... Read more »