Parenting Teens - Getting Your Point Across

Written by Carol Shepley


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Finally, is your solutionrepparttar 'best'? It's easy to forget that our children are different to us when thinking about a solution to a problem. The solution may berepparttar 110295 best one for you, but is itrepparttar 110296 best one for your teen?

Giving advice by telling teens what to do is only one way of passing on a parent's knowledge, there are other ways of achievingrepparttar 110297 same outcome and with a higher likelihood of success. And it's how you pass on that experience that makesrepparttar 110298 difference.

How to Get Your Point Across

1.Ask before you give. Always ask your teen if they want your advice before you start to give it. If they say, "yes please" then go ahead and have your say, if they say "no" respect their decision and keep quiet. 2.Question their intent. If your teen has refused advice, ask them specific questions about how they’re going to handlerepparttar 110299 situation. Asking questions about smaller 'parts' ofrepparttar 110300 problem is a way to at least get your teen to think about what’s involved. 3.Provide information instead. Directing your teen to a source of information that's neutral allows your teen access to information without having to agree to your point of view. 4.Give your teen time. Just because your teen hasn't given you an immediate answer to your question doesn't mean they’re ignoring it. Give them time to go away and think aboutrepparttar 110301 answers. 5.Highlight their qualities. Reminding teens of their strengths will focus their minds on choosing options that makerepparttar 110302 best of them. Focus on their weaknesses and they're likely to lose confidence in doing anything. 6.Listen to your teen. Often just listening to your teen without interrupting will show you that you don't even need to give advice; your teen already has a solution.

Carol Shepley has been involved with teenagers for over 10 years and, as the parent of a teen herself, fully understands the pressures placed on parents and teens today. She now shares this knowledge and experience through her website http://www.howtohelpteens.com so that parents can help their teens become resilient, resourceful and responsible adults.


Fitness – It’s A Family Affair

Written by Sue DeFiore


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Many who walk keep track of their steps with pedometers. They are inexpensive and people loverepparttar feedback of how many steps they did in a day. Get one for everyone in your family and see who walksrepparttar 110294 most steps in a week. Whoever wins gets to decide onrepparttar 110295 menu for a week, doesn’t have to do any clean up or chores. Or you could have prizes you give away.

Since I am into weight training and especially enjoy circuit training, you could try something like circuit training in your home. You could start with stretching; and then move to running up and downrepparttar 110296 stairs; then some floor exercises, such as sit ups, side bends, push ups. If you have some type of equipment, like a treadmill, bicycle, Gazelle or something along these lines you could also add that intorepparttar 110297 circuit. Do each activity for a couple of minutes or one repetition and then move torepparttar 110298 next activity or “station”. You could also place each activity in a different room and walk briskly or jog to each “station”.

Get those creative juices flowing and I am sure in no time you can come up with a whole bunch of other fun activities. Enjoy!

Copyright 2005, DeFiore Enterprises

Introducing Keep Kids Fit: A How To Guide For Setting Up And Running Your Own Business In One Year Or Less! Solutions for parents who want healthy children in body and mind! Our motto, “Eat Healthy, Live Healthy, Help Keep Kids Fit” Visit our web blog at: http://hbsblogs.typepad.com/keepkidsfit/ and visit our website today at: http://www.keepkidsfit.com


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