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Big Kids

Tips to Help Your Teen Prepare For College

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It’s inevitable. Your child will graduate into the world of adulthood and one of the new challenges most will face is college. Most colleges have done their very best to become self contained little cities so that everything your child might need is within a short walk. However, there are events you will be responsible, as parents, for making sure your teen is prepared for. College life is not for the weak. Below are just a few of said events you can help them tackle before they get there.

Academics

First and foremost, college is all about the academics. Most colleges require your student to have at least a 19 on the ACT in order to qualify for admission. Check out their school. Be a polite critic, but make sure that your child is receiving the best education he/she can to the best of your ability. University level work is no joke. If your child is ill prepared or not prepared at all, classes will be hard and frustrating, and your young adult may drop the class or fail out of intimidation. In most cases, they will have to make up the class which ends up costing everyone time and money. [Read more…] about Tips to Help Your Teen Prepare For College

Tips For Helping Your Teen Prepare For Adulthood

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By the time your child has reached their teenage years you’ve probably already taught them all of these things, at least once. But they have been busy being a kid, so it’s during those teen years that they are in most need of a refresher course. Before they get to their senior year of high school, graduate, and run off to college, you want to make sure that you’ve raised an intelligent child that is going to be able to make a good life for themselves.

Being a parent isn’t easy, and if you have more than one child you’re going to need to do this stuff more than once. You don’t just want one of your children to be successful at life, you want that for all of them. [Read more…] about Tips For Helping Your Teen Prepare For Adulthood

Tips For Steering Your Teens Away From Addiction

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When it comes to teens falling into the grips of addiction, sometimes despite a parent’s best efforts, it can happen to anyone. Addiction is a disease that can be passed on through genetics. Although this doesn’t mean it will happen to someone genetically inclined towards addiction. There are ways that you can discourage your child from falling into the grips of this totally controlling condition.

Besides the most important tactic of all, which is unconditional love, there are a few other measures that can be taken to encourage your child to steer clear of the slippery slope which is drug experimentation. Take a look at some of the best ways that you can steer your teen away from addiction and out of rehab. [Read more…] about Tips For Steering Your Teens Away From Addiction

The Benefits of Swimming: You and Your Child Should Get Along “Swimmingly”

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RNLI lifeguard offering safety advice

Did you know there are many benefits to swimming? Bucknell University lists 9 physical benefits:

  • Improved flexibility
  • Increased endurance
  • Muscular balance
  • Heart strength
  • Improved physique
  • Increased circulation
  • Rehabilitates muscle
  • Improves ease of weight management
  • Low impact on weight bearing joints

All these are important, but for your children swimming is just plain fun.  What are some reasons to get your kids in the water and create a healthy habit for life?

Safe from the start

Helping your child overcome their natural fear of water comes from a safe and stress-free introduction to swimming.  Seeking out your local Red Cross approved swimming program will give you an age appropriate entry point.  From babies to adults, there are first timer programs that will ease their way into swimming, by developing proper techniques and safety consciousness.  Their ability to react calmly to situations in the water, because of good basic safety skills, could save their life or the lives of others. [Read more…] about The Benefits of Swimming: You and Your Child Should Get Along “Swimmingly”

3 Ways to Encourage Your Children To Develop a Healthy Work Ethic

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teen girl working

With today’s ever competitive workforce, it’s important for parents to give their children the best chance possible to be able to provide for themselves as adults. Too often we see young adults who don’t have the drive or determination to put in the work necessary to become accomplished in their fields or persevere ahead of their peers. So what can parents do for their little ones now in order to help instill vital work ethic skills into their small characters? To help you on this journey of self discovery, here are three ways parents and other adults can encourage children to develop a healthy work ethic. [Read more…] about 3 Ways to Encourage Your Children To Develop a Healthy Work Ethic

Road Safety Awareness Tips Parents Should Teach Their Teens

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Safety Tips for Teen Girls Driving Alone

Most teens always desire to drive their own car and the more they want to achieve this when the legal age to drive approaches. Many parents also look forward to this time particularly the dads. Those who can afford even surprise their teen child with a car as a gift on the day the teenager becomes of legal age.

But while the excitement is there to finally get to see their teen driving on his own, parents must not forget to remind their child about road safety. Being a model driver who practice safe driving techniques is one effective way of showing the young ones how to be safe on the road with or without passengers on board and eventually enjoy more affordable car insurance as they maintain a good record onward. [Read more…] about Road Safety Awareness Tips Parents Should Teach Their Teens

What are the Legal Rights of an Injured Child?

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Small children are fragile and as they explore their surroundings whether indoor or outdoor, they are at risk of hurting themselves. As such, they need to be given the right attention and supervision to keep them safe at all times.

It’s a reality, however, that kids can get involved in accidents wherever they may be. Sometimes, even the most attentive of parents can still get surprised when their child falls or slips right before their eyes either while playing or engaged in a sports activity.

injured-child

But what if your child is in school playing or doing sports with his team and gets injured? Do you have the right to sue the school or the team? [Read more…] about What are the Legal Rights of an Injured Child?

Learning the Value of Possessions

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Especially around the holidays, marketing efforts are typically focused on getting the attention of youngsters. From a very young age, children naturally desire to shove current belongings to the side in hopes of getting the latest and greatest innovative gadgets and toys available. However, once children become old enough to recognize right from wrong, parents must instill a sense of value. This attribute involves appreciating what one has and taking care to see that possessions last. There are many different ways of introducing this time-honored virtue.

Consistency

Similar to establishing any habit or converting short-term into long-term memory, children retain information and develop behaviors by repetition. Teaching value is no exception. Unless continually reminded, kids often let lessons slip by the wayside. Be consistent and in time, behaviors gradually evolve and become habit.

using gadgets at home

Lead by Example

Children often emulate the attitudes and behaviors of parents from a young age. If parents do not exhibit traits that include value of possessions, children are also not likely to display the characteristic, regardless of how many times they endure a lecture. [Read more…] about Learning the Value of Possessions

Dealing with Underage DUI That Brings Desired Results

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The one thing that can possibly be worse than underage drinking or taking drugs is underage DUI or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Alcohol drinking or taking prohibited drugs can be very damaging to young people and adults alike. The risks doubles if drinking or taking drugs and driving is combined. These drivers eventually end up hurting themselves or others and destroying properties in the process. Either way, they would need to get the services of an excellent DUI defense lawyer to get them through their troubles. It is either that or they straighten themselves up before they get themselves into real trouble.

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The Underage DUI Problem

Not a few parents  have had to deal with the problem of underage drinking or teenagers taking prohibited drugs right in their own homes. The problem is real not only because it affects the whole family but also other people who may be in harm’s way when a DUI teenager is holding the wheel. But it is never easy to bring up the subject with anyone, more so with a teenage kid who may interpret parents’ concern as a veiled way of establishing excessive control. Never the less, parents have the responsibility to talk with their children because no one else will care more to do so. The law will care but in an all-together different dimension than that of parents thus all efforts must be exerted to prevent or stop the practice early on.

What Happens to Underage Caught DUI

Any person under the age of 21 caught driving under the influence of alcohol or combination or alcohol and drugs will have their licenses suspended or revoked immediately. This should effectively prevent the driver from legally operating a motor vehicle until such revocation or suspension is set aside. The services of a good lawyer is necessary if there were properties destroyed , people hurt, or lost lives. Such morbid results can haunt a young driver for the rest of his life.

Dealing with Underage DUI

It is primarily up to the parents to make sure that their children will not reach this point. Here are some ways parents can effectively deal with underage drinking or drug-taking to prevent the deadly consequences of driving under the influence.

1. Talk with the concerned child. Do it using clear words so that the message is understood. Do it with empathy that shows that you understand what the teen is going through.

2. Explain the possible results of being caught under the influence. There is no need to exaggerate since the reality of accidents is real enough. Be upfront without resorting to scare tactics.

3. Guide your child. Know when to have your presence felt and when to step back. Be encouraging and never condescending.