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The Single Working Mother and a Teenage Son

April 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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If you’re in the situation of being a single mom with a teenage son, you’ve probably experienced some good times and some challenging times. Being responsible for financially supporting the family while raising a teenage son can be overwhelming. You want to be there for him and guide him through this important time of his life, but you are busy. LRG clothes, rap music and Nike sneakers may be some things you see and hear in the few minutes that you and your son spend together each day. It can be stressful to work all day to pay the bills and come home at night to cook and clean before doing it all again the next day.

The Challenges of the Single Mom

Single parenthood is never easy. It’s even that much harder when you’re under financial stress. You want to buy your son the LRG clothes and the rap CDs to see the joy on his face when he wears his favorite clothes and listens to music that moves him. You might put in those extra hours at work just to have the extra dollars to spend on your son.

Quality Time with Your Teenage Son

These are the years you won’t get back with your son. Before you know it, he will be off to college or in his own apartment with his own significant other. Make the most of each free moment. Get up 15 minutes earlier each day to have breakfast together. Make Sunday nights your family dinner night and chat away. Value each moment of free time you spend together.

Filed Under: Parenting, Working Parents Tagged With: , ,

Coping With Teenagers

March 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

As a parent, one of the most troublesome and stressful jobs that you can take is to raise your own children. Over the years, you bring them up in the best of manners and cater for them to the best of your ability. However, when the children are in their teenage years, you have another set of challenges to face. Teenagers are not easy to deal with, and this is true even if they are your offsprings.

What makes living with teenagers strenuous is the fact that they feel they are grown and try to assert their newly-found ‘independence’. This they do in various styles and forms. Some may decide to stop eating a meal they have been consuming for years while some of others take the more radical route of defiance.

As a parent, it is tempting to get angry and blow hot. However, this only complicates the whole issue. To cope and live harmoniously with your teenage children, you need to see the world from their own perspective. You will agree that the way a man in his 40s will look at the world will be vastly different from the way his daughter of fifteen would. Thus, it is important that you understand their pattern of thinking instead of asserting your authority angrily at every opportunity. You need to listen to them, reason with them and converse with them.

However, in as much as you may want to strike up a nice rapport, that does not mean that you have to give them too much latitude. You need to rein them in and even discipline them when necessary. Thus, it is all about balance and equilibrium. You have to give them space when needed or confined in a corner, it all depends on their circumstances. But, irrespective of the decision you make, it is important that you listen to their voices as well.

Filed Under: Child Development, Parenting Tagged With: , , ,

Tips for Raising Teen Girls

January 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

When your first daughter reaches their teenage years, it can be an exicting time.  Teenagers have to deal with a lot of issues such as dating, puberty, bullying and school.  Although a fun time, it can also be stressful to watch your child grow and change.  Here are some tips for raising your teenage daughter.

Don’t Be Afraid to Talk About Sex

Unforunately, many girls are having sex or fooling around at younger ages.  It is important to be open with your teen daughter to make sure that she knows all of the facts.  It is best for your teen lo learn acurate facts from you than to hear things from their friends and the media.  Also, establishing this kind of relationship will make your daughter feel comfortable to talk to you if she is ever in trouble or needs advice.

Remember to Keep Your Relationship Strong

Although your teen will begin to pull away from the family and want to spend more time with friends and boyfriends, it is important to still keep a solid bond with them.  Even if it is only once or twice a month, carve out a mother-daughter pedicure day or a father-daughter dinner day.  This bonding ritual will help you to keep a connection with your child.  It also gives your daughter an oppurtunity to share information about her life with you in a comfortable setting.

Give YourTeen a Chance

If your teen is showing responsible behavior such as getting good grades and coming home on time, it is important to give them a chance to spread their wings.  Extend their curfew an extra fifteen minutes or allow them to hang out with new friends.  Trust your teen until they give you a reason not to.  Keeping your teen locked in the house will only make them want to rebel more.  If your teen is hanging out with a new group of people, allow your daughter to have some of the friends over the house so you can meet them.

Filed Under: Child Development, Parenting Tagged With: ,

Teens Dealing with Drug Addiction

January 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

One of the most difficult things for a parent to have to deal with is realizing that your son or daughter is struggling with a drug addiction. There are a number of different reasons why you might suspect that your child is using drugs, but you must resist making snap judgments until you have all of the information that you need. Speak to a counselor or a drug rehabilitation specialist for advice on what to do. If your child is being secretive, then it is likely that something is up, and alcohol or drug abuse may be the culprit.

It is vital that you get help in helping your child find rehabilitation from this drug addiction. Getting help early is essential, because a casual addiction is easier to overcome than a more serious one. It will be difficult for you to see your son or daughter being tormented by a drug addiction, and so while it can seem difficult to reach out to them, this is going to be the best course of action for you as well as your entire family. If your teen is troubled, they may not be able to get help on their own, but you can take initiative and get your child help, and you are legally entitled to do so as long as your teen is under the age of 18.

Helping your teenager into a rehab facility is going to be the best thing that you do for your son or daughter, because it will help them recover from their drug or alcohol addiction issues. Rehab facilities like TheCyn.com work with troubled teenagers who are dealing with addiction all the time, and so they have the tools and the support necessary to help your teen through his or her problem as well. Help is out there, and it is within your power to take the first steps to ensure that your teen recovers right.

Filed Under: Parenting, Socialization Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Talking to Teens

December 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment

As your children grow and change, they go through many stages. Some are fun, such as learning to walk and talk, so are challenging, like tantrums. You have to grow, learn, and adapt as a parent along with your child.

Still, nothing prepares you for the tween and teen years. Parenting a teen is once of the hardest parts of being a parent. Navigating these years can seem like walking through a minefield, one minute everything is fine and the next there is a huge explosion.

If you have built a strong, open, honest relationship with your child already, you may fair better than some, but there are no guarantees.

Your child is becoming adult, and the process is complex and painful. Hormones, peer-pressure, sex, driving, jobs, friends. They will need your guidance and wisdom, but they often don’t want it. The best time to impart your thoughts and suggestions is during normal, calm conversation, not during a fight or tears. If they are upset, they will likely reject or tune out anything you have to say, even if it is useful and helpful. Make sure you spend time with your teen regularly, so there are opportunities to have honest open discussions when the need arises. One way to do this is to make sure you have dinner as a family regularly. This is easier to implement if you have been doing it all along.

Maybe you start a tradition of having date night with your teen, but not on Friday or Saturday, when they will want to be with their friends.

Find an activity you and your teen have in common – do you both play video games? Like to shop? Like to cook? If you have to, learn about something they are interested in. Having common ground can help keep the lines of communication open. Having a way to communicate will help you all get through the tough teen years.

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