Tips To Dealing With Troubled Teens

Parenting : Tips To Dealing With Troubled Teens
by: Kelly Hunter

Adolescence is a chaotic time at best. It’s like you go to sleep a child and wake up something else, not quite an adult. Not only are hormonal fluctuations causing your body to change dramatically pretty much overnight, but your place in society is kind of in limbo as well. It’s enough to make even the most well adjusted person question his place in the world. Even though it is a phase in life that every living thing must go through, it’s not at all a smooth transition. Some graduate into adulthood relatively unscathed, but for some it’s the start of a long, tough road that spirals down to a life-long path of despair and destruction.

Of course there’s a certain amount of teenage angst that, though sure to being some upheaval to your home, is perfectly healthy. It’s important to know what to expect so you, as a parent, can detect anything that might be a sign of trouble. Adolescence is when kids start to pull away from their parents emotionally so they can prepare to separate from the family unit and form their identity as an individual. So don’t be overly concerned when your teen starts spending more and more time in her room or out with friends. At times it might even seem like she’s trying to drive you away. Try not to take it too personally. This process may be painful for all involved, but it’s absolutely necessary for your child to grow into a happy, stable adult.

Drama is just a standard part of the teenage years. Surging hormones are making their emotions go crazy. That’s why everything is such a big deal. Be considerate of your kid’s feelings, and know that she is not just being a drama queen. Try not to add to the problem by making her feel like you’re not taking her problem seriously. Yes, she will most likely look back one day and realize how silly she is being, but telling her that right now is only going to make her thing you don’t care about what’s going on with her.

Teenagers tend to gravitate away from the family unit and cling to their group of friends. This is their way of testing how they will interact with society at large. You will probably have concerns about these creatures your child is trying to spend her ever waking hour with. Keep in mind that all these other kids are in the middle of the same turmoil yours is going through. You can visit http://www.troubled-teens-help.com for more information on dealing with troubled teens.

Be patient, and try not to judge her friends by their appearance. Under all those chains, piercings and bright blue Mohawks might be some completely decent kids. They’re just trying to find themselves. What you need to pay close attention to is how these kids behave. Keep an eye out for signs of drug use. Younger kids are probably not going to have the experience or contacts to access a variety of drugs, so you’re probably not going to see needle tracks. Look for more subtle signs like erratic behavior, bloodshot eyes, missing money or other valuables when they leave, paranoia or excessive nervousness. Also be on the lookout for any wounds that might be self-inflicted. Trust your gut. This is when you have to jump in and take action. There are a variety of treatment options, from talk therapy to inpatient hospitals. Keep in touch with what your children are up to so you can catch the warning signs.

About The Author :
Kelly Hunter operates http://www.troubled-teens-help.com and writes about Troubled Teens.

Your Child and Home Drug Tests

Parenting : Your Child and Home Drug Tests
By: Christopher Evans

Home drug tests can be a lifeline to parents who feel their child or teenager may be taking drugs but who are frightened initially to seek help. The internet now provides parents with a means of obtaining information and advice about drug use anonymously, and this anonymity can be preserved a stage further by using home drug testing to ascertain whether or not their child requires professional help.

In the NHS report ‘Statistics of Drug Misuse and Young People: England 2006’, 19 percent (one in five) of secondary school children claimed to have taken drugs within the last year in 2005. 4 percent of 11 year old children had sniffed a volatile substance and 1 percent had tried cannabis. In children aged 15, 27 percent had taken cannabis.

A disturbing 4 percent of secondary school children in 2005 admitted to having used a Class A drug in the last year (cocaine, crack, ecstasy, amphetamines when injected, heroin, LSD, magic mushrooms and methadone). 12 percent claimed to have used cannabis, currently a Class C drug.

With these statistics in mind, it is only natural for parents to be concerned about their son or daughter taking drugs, and the negative impact of this on their lives, from poor school performance, social / behavioural problems and severe health risks to the simple and frightening fact that they are breaking the law.

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 states that it is an offence to unlawfully possess or supply a controlled drug, even if the drug is supplied free of charge rather than the traditional ‘dealing’ whereby drugs are exchanged for money.

The penalties for dealing in a Class A drug can incur a sentence in prison of up to life. Possessing a Class A drug such as cocaine, ecstasy or heroin is up to seven years imprisonment or an unlimited fine, or both. Dealing in a Class C drug such as cannabis currently carries a penalty of up to 14 years or an unlimited fine, or both. Possessing Cannabis can result in a prison sentence of up to two years or an unlimited fine, or both.

Results from an ICM Research poll which previously appeared in the News of the World on Sunday demonstrated that 82% of parents and 66% of children support drug testing in schools and of the 1,000 parents surveyed, 96% said they would want to know if their son or daughter was taking drugs. Unfortunately, few schools are yet signed up to testing pupils and many young people remain vulnerable to exposure to drugs with no formal programme to identify problems.

Home drug testing can offer parents the opportunity to test their child in the privacy of their own home as an initial step to determining if their child is at risk. The simple knowledge that a testing programme is in place at home can be an effective deterrent for recreational drugs use, plain old curiosity or peer pressure to share drugs handed out amongst friends.

A negative home drugs test result will bring peace of mind to anxious parents and if a home drugs test is positive, parents are forewarned and forearmed with the information to seek confidential, professional help from a doctor or a drug treatment centre.

About the Author :

Christopher Evans is the Technical Director of Drug-Aware Ltd. He is an expert in the field of drug and alcohol testing in the workplace, healthcare and of course home drug tests. For more information, visit Drug-Aware's home drug testing FAQ page.

Top 10 Very Early Pregnancy Signs

Pregnancy : Top 10 Very Early Pregnancy Signs
by Sally Moran

Some women don't have any symptoms at all. Some women have a few of these presented below. Some women may have others that are not listed. These pregnancy symptoms tend to be
the most prevalent, however.

1. Fatigue. Due to the increase in hormone levels, most women begin to feel extreme fatigue in early pregnancy.

2. Sore breasts and/or nipples. Many women feel that their breasts are fuller and more tender with their nipples being more sensitive during early pregnancy.

3. Cramping and/or bloating. This early pregnancy symptom tends to feel very much like your period is coming.

4. Light bleeding. This light spotting is caused by the fertilized egg embedding into the lining of the uterus. Many women feel that their period is beginning, but it is actually one of their first signs of pregnancy.

5. Nausea and/or vomiting. Normally, morning sickness won't occur until about a month after conception, and some escape this pregnancy symptom altogether.

6. Increased urination. This symptom of early pregnancy occurs due to the increase in blood and other body fluids, which is processed by the kidneys and ends up in the bladder. This increase in urination will most likely only worsen as your pregnancy progresses.

7. Missed period. This pregnancy symptom is the first sign to some women that they are pregnant, especially with menstrual periods that are pretty regular.

8. Increased sensitivity to odors. This early pregnancy symptom may be due to increased estrogen levels, but no one knows for sure.

9. Basal body temperature stays high. If you're charting your basal body temperature, one of the very early pregnancy signs is a higher-than-normal temperature for that time of the month due to increasing progesterone levels in early pregnancy.

10. Positive pregnancy test . Most pregnancy tests will not detect early pregnancy until your menstrual period is missed. Some tests are more highly sensitive, however, and can detect pregnancy as early as a few days after conception

About the Author :
Sally Moran helps women to increase their fertility and get pregnant more quickly at Getting Pregnant Fast - http://www.getting-pregnant-fast.com/

How To Enjoy Your Holiday Vacation With Your Teenager

Parenting : How To Enjoy Your Holiday Vacation With Your Teenager
by: Terre Grable

Here we go! It's that time of year again - the family holiday vacation. Some families historically travel this time of year, while others will choose to stay home. Perhaps you are having extended family coming in for the holidays. Or maybe your family has decided to fly solo and stay home. Regardless of the plans, many parents can find themselves feeling apprehensive about spending a vacation with their teenagers. "Is this holiday season going to be a disaster?" "What if he/she embarrasses me in front of everyone?" "We haven't been getting along lately, and what if this entire vacation is filled with conflict?" Here are 7 things you can do to help make it a great vacation:

1. Include your teenager in the planning

If there is one thing most teenagers enjoy, it is giving other their opinion. This is especially true if someone is asking for their opinion. Ask your teenager some ideas of what they think would be enjoyable to do on the family vacation. Even if you set the ground rules of where your family is going, ask them what they would like to do some of the time. It is after all there vacation also.

2. Carve out some alone time for yourself

Ironic as it may sound, vacations can be exhausting, especially for parents. Whether your children are toddlers or teenagers, fatigue can set in from trying to accomplish too much in such a short amount of time. Make sure you take some time to relax yourself. A relaxed parent makes for a more relaxed family vacation.

3. Carve our some alone time for you and your teenager

Even if you are vacationing with a lot of extended family members, make it a point to take some time to spend with your teenager one-on-one. It does not necessarily need to be a huge ordeal with a lot of fan fare. Perhaps grabbing something to eat unexpectedly, or going for a walk in the morning. Even a conversation in the car while running errands can be meaningful. Find those rare teachable moments, and seize them!

4. Allow your teenager to have some reasonable amount of time alone

As your teenager gets older, there is a normal part of you that desire to spend a lot of time with him/her. You want to cherish the time with your daughter, and make sure your son knows the importance of your relationship. Yet, today's teenagers' lives can be as busy as adults'. Like you, they may need some down time to just sit and loaf around.

5. Avoid placing any expectations or ideals on your vacation

Many parents visualize in their mind, and heart what they want their family vacations to be like. Their ideals are filled with holiday cheer, perfect children, and Norman Rockwell memories. Thereby, they unintentionally place expectations on their teenagers and family members. While dreams are not a bad thing, disappointment and resentment can arise when these expectations are not met. Take your vacation a day at a time, without any expectations.

6. Agree to put all major family conflict aside for the duration of your vacation

If there is a major conflict between you and your teenager, then agree to put the matter aside until after your vacation. Anyone can "agree to disagree" for a temporary period of time. No one wants a vacation filled with tension and conflict. Perhaps when your vacation is over, both of you will be in a better emotional state to discuss your conflict in a better manner.

7. When conflict arises between you and your teenager, talk it out

No doubt there will moments of frustration between you and your teenager. It is unrealistic to expect otherwise. As the parent, make it a point to pick your battles. Then talk it out in a manner that will resolve conflict, rather than placing blame. Avoid harboring grudges and resentments

Oh and here is 8) Take lots of pictures! They will mean more later!

About The Author :
Terre Grable
Are you looking for more common sense advice, practical solutions and even humor for parenting your teen? I invite you to check out http://www.parentingyourteenager.com where you will find tips for parenting teens, school, curfew, and more! Terre Grable is a licensed professional counselor. She enjoys helping parents and teens become better friends when they feel like enemies.

The Terrible Twos - How to Stay Sane When Your Child Is Not

Parenting : The Terrible Twos - How to Stay Sane When Your Child Is Not
by: Megan Hazel

If you have a little one who is anywhere between the ages of two and four, some days can seem like they last forty eight hours instead of twenty four. If you are the proud mother of a little girl this age, the only word in her vocabulary may be "No." If you try and counter her "no's" with "yes's", she may emit sounds so shrill your ears will bleed. If you are the proud mom of a little boy, his new habits may include coloring the dog with your lipstick or banging your favorite, and delicate, table with his toy trucks until they crack. How do you deal with this? One way of course is to leave the country and never return. There are, however, more reasonable ways in which to deal with your children's testing periods.

While you may not be able to move to China, you can remove yourself from the situation and help calm your frayed nerves. If your child is being rebellious or misbehaving, sometimes just stepping out of the room for a few moments, counting to ten, and taking some deep, calming breaths can make all the difference when you re-enter the room to deal with your misbehaving child. He or she may then start to associate your leaving the room with "Uh oh, Mommy is mad" rather than associate your screaming and yelling with being angry, which can only be detrimental. This may help calm the child enough that upon your return, he or she will be more receptive to your teaching him what behavior you didn't like. Since you will be calmer as well, the discipline will likely be more effective.

For a more long-term approach, taking some time for yourself and "getting away from it all" is a good bet to restore your sanity. Take a good block of time on a Saturday or Sunday, 2 hours, maybe, and mark this time in your calendar in pen, not pencil, as a recurring activity. Keep a standing appointment with yourself, and honor it as you would any other. Think you are too busy on a weekend to do this, between your toddler's play dates, errands, and your other family obligations? You will feel much more productive the rest of the weekend allowing yourself this little ‘refresher', rather than trying to cram some time in on a random Tuesday or other weeknight. Moreover, you will feel much more able to cope with your child's behavior. For this special "adult time-out" time, you can book a massage or a facial at your favorite spa. Take a couple of hours to go window shopping or visit a museum, by yourself or with a friend. Take in a movie with a couple of girlfriends. If your husband is willing to fly solo on a Saturday night, you can even steal away to your favorite local pub with the girls once in a while and let off some steam. If you don't have extra funds for these activities once a week, you can sneak yourself off to the tub with a good book, a bubble bath and a nice glass of wine and come out feeling ready to face the world and your terrible-two-year-old.

Getting involved with groups that highlight child behavior may also help you cope with issues that seem to rear their ugly heads again and again. Your child may be going through a developmental phase that has you frustrated to say the least. It can be comforting to have a support network or group of friends with similarly-aged children. Many of these groups are "Mommy and Me"-type groups that can be found in your community directory. If no such local groups exist in your area, you can always consult some educational reading material on child behavior and speak with your doctor if it is getting more and more difficult to control. Sometimes, just a different approach can give great results. For example, if you are used to taking away a privilege or a toy when your child acts up, perhaps you need another tactic. Calmly tell him or her why Mommy is upset with the actual behavior, and explain and speak as if he were older than his actual age. Your own child may surprise you!

On the flip side, sometimes just not reacting at all can be the best approach. Just like you are getting to know what makes your child tick, he is getting to know what makes you tick as well and will quickly learn how to push your buttons and command your attention. Rather than play into this, ignore his pushy requests and the negative behavior may just quietly go away.

The Terrible Twos are challenging, to say the least, but using some of these approaches can help you keep the loving bond between you and your child without you losing your mind in the process.

About The Author :
Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about childcare and parenting topics, similar to what consumers read in http://www.magazines.com/ncom/mag?mid=3026 Oprah Magazine

Pregnancy Due Date Brings On Bills With Due Dates, Be Ready

Pregnancy Due Date Brings On Bills With Due Dates, Be Ready
by: John Reed

There is nothing quite like the joy of motherhood or parenthood. The birthing of a new life into the world is a wonderfully joyous occasion. That being said, lets get to the heart of the matter.

With a new infant come new bills and new expenses. Medical bills, formula, baby clothes, diapers, cribs, blankets, strollers, car seats, day care, school supplies, toys etc. and that is just the beginning. Unless your baby is born at home and you are somehow fortunate enough to have a special nanny with money , extra expenditures are in your future. Many women are single mothers. Some are unemployed and some are just not making enough money to afford the expense of motherhood. So many expenditures accompany the birth of a child that many mothers are required to leave their children in day care for long periods of time just so they can go to a second or third job.

This lack of necessary funding is widespread to say the least. With teen pregnancy and unemployment being two of the significant contributors to this trend, children having to do without and parents having to struggle is common. I am a single mother. says Janice Augusta, It is difficult to pay for the necessary items that my daughter needs on my current salary. This toolbar really helps to have a way to fill the gap between paychecks. I am sold. The most common strategy utilized to lessen the effects of single parenthood, and lower income parenthood is to get a second or third job. This method is a tiresome one and deprives the parent of treasured bonding and teaching time with the child. Not to mention the parents potentially not experiencing the irreplaceable firsts of the childs life such as first steps, first words etc.

Many times, job related issues take far too much away from parent child relationships. Nine out ten mothers polled would choose to spend more time with their children rather than work. 5out of 10 admitted taking more time off from work for their child than they had available as vacation days. In an effort to overcome the discrepancy between what they want to do and what they need to do, many mothers have turned to the internet to earn additional money . There are multiple online means to earn money. However, many dont provide much income for the amount of work required. Other detractors from some services is that they cost money to join and use.

One method that mothers are using in increasing numbers is the free Baby Names It Toolbar" at the dot com of the same name. The internet is riddle with errors, and the Baby Names It Toolbar allows mothers and fathers to earn money to pay for their childrens needs by finding and reporting the errors they notice online. With an average price being paid for locating and reporting errors hovering around $2.00 per valid reported error, it is extremely easy to see why it is an attractive method of making ends meet.

Most web surfers are put off by errors on websites and web documents anyway. They just seam to interrupt the natural flow of a document. Did you see that? I wrote seam instead of seem in the sentence just before this one. Most people see errors like that but never report them. This has led to an internet with substantially lower standards than the average document.

Now reporting an error like the seam instead of seem error above, can be money in a young mothers pocket

There are trillions of errors on the internet. Errors such as misspelled words, incorrect punctuation, poor grammar, missing graphics, broken links and many more types of errors are just waiting for someone to report them and at an average price of $2.00 per find, it is relatively easy for moms and dads to make a difference in their financial situations. Now, with the help of the Baby Names It Toolbar errors on websites are worth money to the person that reports them. Help clean up the internet.

About The Author :
John Reed a father with 15 years business experience, has had the opportunity to use and review multiple online businesses. You can read more about moms and dad's making ends meet in the internet age by visiting http://www.babynamesittoolbar.com

Is The Anime Naruto Suitable For Kids?

Parenting : Is The Anime Naruto Suitable For Kids?
by: Henry Hsieh

Growing up from the US, most kids have grown up with cartoons such as Bugs Bunny and Popeye which portrays the good overcoming evil as well as satires that pokes fun of political figures in a none threatening way. For kids, majority of the time these cartoons have provided a positive impact rather then negativity or problems.

With the recent months in the rising popularity of Japanese animation especially the series of Naruto, many parents are now worried that it may pose as a negative influence for children. Not only does it portray a lot of problems shown within society, it also contains a lot of adult humor as well. Is this something that we should allow our children to be influenced with? Will this type of influence give children bad ideas about the society or their engagements with one another?

Before we further examine this topic, we have to first understand the background of the anime Naruto. The story revolves around Uzumaki Naruto, a kid that has an inner demon of a nine-tailed fox who has once destroyed many villages until a powerful kage or a leader of a village who sealed his inner demon away through a powerful jitsu or a mystical technique of a ninja. The demon is then locked away and the story of Naruto begins with the life and adventure that Naruto has to face. All the while knowing that the demon inside of Naruto may come out someday both from his friends and foes.

From the outer appearance and storyline, Naruto doesn't seem harmful for children nor is the general storyline provides any hint of negativity in anyway. However, with different Naruto Episode there has subtle hints of sexuality. For one, Naruto suddenly changes into a woman wearing a bikini from a man in ways through this Episode Naruto seduced his teacher. In another Naruto Episode, various characters posses characteristic of a woman although by nature they are being presented as man.

For parents, these are major signs of red flags that tells parents that they are not suitable for children due to inappropriate content. I however on the other hand dare to say that it's actually okay for children to be exposed for these type of influences. Children nowadays are exposed with sex, violence, and crime whether it is from television or in the public area although some may minimize such influences. Whether you believe it or not, children pick things up rather quickly from adults. Instead of prohibiting negative influences, I believe parents should really educate kids at an early age the right and wrong and lead by example which is something that is lacking at large in causing a lot of division amongst the family and the society as a whole.

Even if we have successfully screened out the popular anime Naruto from our children in an effort to protect our children, is this eliminating the heart of the problem? I dare to say no and that we really need to examine ourselves in our communications with our kids in an educational way in light to talk about such events and things. Animations such as Naruto will only increase in this age of globalization and we need to learn how to cope with it rather then excusing ourselves from facing the true reality of this world. With proper education and support, I believe we can still enjoy anime the same way that we had enjoyed various cartoons in a positive manner with our children.

About The Author :
Henry Hsieh has multiple interests and he enjoys talking about them. As a fan of anime, he likes watching Naruto Episodes at http://www.tailedfox.com