The Great Baby Name Debate

Written by Claire Kolarova


Winifred or Willow? Thomas or Troy? The name you choose for your child will last a lifetime. Whether you’re looking for something original that will stand out fromrepparttar crowd or a traditional name that people will instantly recognize, choosing a name for your new baby is a huge responsibility.

It goes without saying that you asrepparttar 110753 parents must likerepparttar 110754 name. Names that hold bad associations for you are out (Jeremy was a bore at school, you can’t stand Bella inrepparttar 110755 Tweenies), and if you consider your own name uninteresting, you may wish to choose something more exotic – or vice versa.

Think carefully about combinations of first name and surname. Are they compatible? You may like a mixture of an unusual first name with a more familiar surname (Zara Phillips), but be careful about rhymingrepparttar 110756 two names – Mark Clarke won’t thank you for it. Beware initials that could cause hilarity to your child’s future friends – Ethan Thomas or Peter Oliver Ogilvie won’t be joining inrepparttar 110757 giggles! Trying to be clever can also cause grief – Poppy Fields or Summer Winters may sound cute atrepparttar 110758 time, but can eventually grate on everyone’s nerves!

If she’s called Grace, will she turn out to be butter-fingered? Will Maximus grow into a Mr. Puniverse? Is Jordan a boy or a girl? What will Elizabeth grow up as? Lizzie? Beth? Liza? And as for Ashleigh, Ashley, Ashlee, Ashlea and Ashlie – all in circulation atrepparttar 110759 moment – how is anyone supposed to find a name that is both special and appropriate?

Fortunately, sources of inspiration can be found everywhere. You can avoidrepparttar 110760 throng of Chloes, Emilys, Jacobs and Jacks toppingrepparttar 110761 baby name charts forrepparttar 110762 past few years, and choose from a huge variety of names collected in specialist books and onrepparttar 110763 Internet. Some parents prefer biblical names - Rebecca, Abigail, Joshua, Samuel and Joseph are all very popular atrepparttar 110764 moment. Names inspired by nature include Blossom, Lily or Skye and even Tiger for boys. Place names (Paris, Lamorna), colours (Coral, Ebony), astronomy, music, and sport – all provide a wealth of ideas and choice.

How to Listen to Your Teenager Without Appearing to Have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Written by V. Michael Santoro, M. Ed.


In one ofrepparttar Family Circus cartoon strips,repparttar 110752 little girl looks up at her father, who is readingrepparttar 110753 newspaper, and says, "Daddy, you have to listen with your eyes as well as your ears." That statement says almost all there is to say about listening. Being a good listener means focusing attention onrepparttar 110754 message and reviewingrepparttar 110755 important information.

Listening can be considered an art, as well as a skill, and like other skills, it requires that you exhibit some discipline to be effective. However, in today's world where multitasking is considered essential to surviving inrepparttar 110756 workplace, it is not uncommon to be talking onrepparttar 110757 phone while we are reading mail or sending e-mail, and simultaneously conducting hand signals with a co-worker who needs your input about something important.

However, when it comes to communicating with your teenagers, you have to separate yourself from this multitasking communications style, and learn how to focus 100 percent of your time on her when she needs to talk to you. If you do not, she will perceive this distracted behavior as a lack of interest in her.

Thus, during your conversations with your teen, you must ignore your own needs, demonstrate patience, and pay attention to her. Hearing becomes listening only when you pay attention to what is being said, and can contribute torepparttar 110758 conversation.

So how good are your listening skills? Answerrepparttar 110759 following "yes or no" statements honestly:

1. I make assumptions about my teens feelings and thoughts 2. I bring up past issues during current disagreements 3. I interrupt my teenager's conversation 4. I respond to a complaint with a complaint 5. I respond to my teen with phrases like, "That's ridiculous."

If you answered "yes" to any of these statements, then there is some room for improvement in your listening skills.

What to do Userepparttar 110760 following guidelines to help improve your listening skills:

1. Maintain eye contact with your teen during conversations. Good eye contact allows you to keep focused and involved inrepparttar 110761 conversation.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use