Cell phone precautions

A cell phone is no longer an exclusive adult tool. More and more children are using mobile phones, and a good percentage of them regularly. Parents would do well to take some precautions while entrusting their children with mobile phone.

For children, a basic version of the mobile phone that allows the primary purpose of communication and little else is the best. The cell phone is primarily intended for the child’s safety . An expensive gizmo laden mobile phone itself might be the source for danger, as it would attract muggers. Another danger of loading the mobile phone with many features such as games is that the tee would soon become addicted to them, and this has many negative consequences such a inability to concentrate, retardation of reading skills and the likes.

Another safeguard parent should take is while selection an appropriate service package from the mobile phone operator. It is always better to opt for a pay-as-you-go plan, as this will enable the parent to keep track of the usage of the cell phone. It is important not to fall into the marketing trap and hype and be tempted into upgrading the mobile at frequent intervals or choose a plan that allows unlimited and unrestrained calls.

Cell phones for teenagers

Whether to allow cell phones for children is a burning question every parent faces. On one side, cell phones have their obvious advantage, especially of being able to sty in touch at all times, while on the other hand, the propensity of abuse or misuse is also very much evident.

Whether to entrust a cell phone in the hands of a teenage child is best left to the individual parents and child, depending on the specific circumstances and the maturity of the child. Also, the cell phone need not be a permanent fixture. It need to be entrusted to the child only while making a trip to unfamiliar place, going on an excursion or the like. In routine places, like going to the school where the child will be under close supervision and can easily be traced, there is no need for a cell phone.

Parents handing over cell phones to children would also do well to check the usage history, especially the incoming and outgoing call register. While too much of a probing might be invasion of the teenagers privacy, such probing will help deter the child from moving to the wrong direction.

The children should also be made aware of the po5tential health hazards of using mobile phones continuously. The children should be trained to use the mobile phone as a emergency device and not a plaything.

Jobs for teenagers

Independence is always a good thing and parents should encourage their teenage children to earn some pocket money themselves. This will not only inculcate them with a sense of responsibility and teach them the value of money, but also keep themselves occupied so that they do not get distracted to other vices such as drugs and the likes.

However, going overboard in the quest to make money is also bad, for it would distract them from studies and healthy socialization, two things indispensable for a teenagers personal growth. The parents should ensure that the teenagers know they do not have to work for their living and their requirements will be met by them even if they run out of a job. The teenagers job in short should not be an end in itself, but only preparation for future challenges.

The jobs ideally suited for teenagers include tasks such as pet care, baby sitting, elderly care, and routine domestic sores. A more advanced level would be working as a part time clerk in the supermarket or at the gas filling station. The more enterprising of the lot could start selling some items such as old toys, comics or school books, mostly to their own family members and extended circle of friends.

Developing a child’s personality

Many parents tend to become frustrated with their teenage child’s temperament, especially since they would not b able to change it in spite of the best of efforts. This is a mistake, for the child is born with such temperament and it is not possible for the parents to change such innate temperament. For instance, if the child is naturally sensitive, it is unlikely he or she will change in this regard irrespective of what the parents do. Parents should rather concentrate upon is trying to shape and mold the personality of the child, which the child develops based on the influences he or she is subject to. In due course of time, the personality gets the better of temperament.

The development of the child’s personality depends on many factors and it is of primary importance that the parents understand such factors and ensures that such factors remain positive. Temperament also plays a major role, but in case there are undesirable temperamental qualities, the parent should try to work their way around such undesirable temperamental issues rather than trying to eliminate them altogether.

The parents should develop a strategy to deal with a child’s temperament and develop their personality very early on, so that the child can receive the best possible developmental assiatance.

How to raise a drug free teen

Attraction to vices such a drugs and alcoholism is a major problem facing teens. The role of the parents are paramount in ensuing that the child is not caught up in such vices.

The primary responsibility of the parents should be to make themselves available when the child is in a bad situation and help him or her get out of such situations. The parents should of course try to preempt such difficult situations from cropping up by knowing the teen’s circle of friends on a first name basis. The parent should ideally be the teen’s best friend and be aware of the teen’s whereabouts and activities.

As the saying goes, an idle mind is a devil’s workshop. It is imperative that the parents ensure the teenage child spends his or her time wisely. This could include enrollment in some after school programs, sports, community programs or the like, so that there is less time to wander and hang around with the crowd and become attracted to the many vices. It is also pertinent to have another adult keep a tab on the teen when the parents are not available to offer real time direct supervision.

Direct talk helps. It is important that parents talk to their teenagers and make the understand the evil effects of drugs and alcohol, even if the child shows no traces of being inclined to them. This will be a good preventive measure.

The perils of using scare tactics with teenagers

One mistake many parents of teenage kids make is using scare tactics when communicating with them. Scare tactics entails presenting the worst possible outcome, often deadly consequences that could arise from following a particular course of action.

Experience proves that scare tactics rarely work on teenagers for the simple fact that teenagers are yet to come to terms with the realities of life, and they would not understand the gravity or consequences of what the parents are trying to scare them with. It could also happen that they would brush it off thinking that such an eventuality could happen to others but not to “us.” Using scare tactics can on the contrary backfire, with the parent loosing the respect of the teenage child, and the tactic loosing creditability, nullifying its potential usage later on.

Experts in the field opine that communication with the teenagers will lead the desired results if message dwells in the present here and now, and incorporates clear, specific and concrete information. For this it is important to listen to what the teenage child has to say first actively and then respond to their concerns. The communication should always be based on the predefined rules, regulations, and limitations that has been clearly communicated to the child.

Disciplining a teenage child

Disciplining a teenage child is a serious issue and parents will have to thread carefully. Teenage is a time when the child has tasted independence and overt discipline and strict rules will make the child feel that the parent is trying to impose their will on them, and this could turn counter productive.

The auto rewind-repeat discipline method is best suited for teenagers. Teenagers usually learn by making choices, and parent would do well to take away rewards such as pocket money or curfew time away if they make the wrong choices, and reinforce the correct choices with extra rewards like extended curfew hours or more pocket money.

A common misconception among many parents is that a teenagers social life is the source of all evils and should be restricted, if not eliminated altogether. This is a big mistake. An active social life is very much essential for the complete development of an individual’s personality and completing his or her education. Just about every teen makes a few mistakes during the course of their social interactions, but this should be considered as a part of the learning curved and taken in the fold. It is only when the intensity of the mistakes deepen or the frequency increases too much for comfort that parents should sit up and take action.

How to help child resist peer pressure

A teenager paces peer pressure in the high school, where failure to confirm to the norm results in one being unpopular and desisted. The problem starts when such peer pressure happens to be with bad company, incorporating vices such as drugs, alcohol and so on.

Parents play an active role in helping the child reject peer pressures whenever required. The first step in this direction is to help build the child’s self-confidence. The best way to do so is discover the child’s niche, be it sports, hobbies, creative talents or anything else and divert the child’s mind and matter to that direction. Parents should take care to give the child a few constructive choices, so that the teenage is free to select for himself or herself.

The diversion of the child’s mind to creative pursuits should be reinforced by encouraging the child to stay aloof from the “popular” crowd, especially if such popular crowd is the source of bad influences. Make the child understand that real friendship lies in quality and not with quantity, and encourage the bonding of friendship with a few nice peers instead of allowing the child to hang around with the crowd. Continuous mixing with the crowd, even if shorn of vices impedes the development of real friendship in any case.

Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is one of the influences that every teenagers face when making decisions. Teenagers tend to be inclined towards the decisions made by their friends even if such decisions do not happen to be in their own interests.

Peer pressure need not always relate to careers and decisions such as life partners. It could also relate to the dress to wear, hairstyle and other aspects. In such cases the parents would do well to give in, provided such fashion styles are within the norms of decency, rather than oppose and trying to impose their will, which will create unnecessary friction and tension. Issues such as drugs and alcohol also stem from peer pressure and these are issues where the parents would have to put their foot down.

However, peer pressure need not always be bad or negative. The role of the parents is of critical importance, for it is the parents who would decide in the first place who the peers would be. It is the duty of the parents to keep a close track on the teenagers’ circle of friends. If the parents discover that the school or the neighborhood is the source of undesirable peers then the parents should take steps to cut off such peers and infuse new peers by relocating to another area or changing the school.

Parenting teenage boys

Parenting teenage boys is a daunting task for the simple reason that they do not open up to anyone and it becomes difficult to ascertain their state of mind. Most of the teenagers feel it necessary to suppress of mask feelings such as fear, uncertainty, and loneliness since the society teaches them as undesirable or unacceptable qualities, and rather consider that they should be handling their problems alone. Thus, a teenage boy may be cheerful and resilient on the outside, while the reality might be much different. Those who would be in a position to help would thus be deceived into thinking that no help is required.

Parents would be in the best position to see through the “mask.” Early signs on trouble include falling grades, pans of irritation or violent behavior, remaining quiet, which would be the earliest signs of depression and the like. Parents should start probing on discovery of such early signs. However, it is important not to push or nag him. The key to make them reveal their true feelings is patience. It might take several attempts or even days before the boy decides to open up and it is important that the parent remains gentle and kind all this while.

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