Any parent who has a teenage daughter or son faces a challenge in coping with all the stress their young ones need to endure. Teens nowadays are more prone to stress than many of us twenty years ago because of the changes in lifestyle and the pressure of accomplishing many tasks quickly. We live in such a fast paced world that teens seldom have the time to enjoy themselves with friends and peers. Why exactly do teens feel stressed? Here are some of the reasons why.

1. Pressure from school – Getting good grades to qualify for a prestigious college or a college scholarship is an enormous pressure for a high school student. Academic performance is also not the sole requirement of these colleges and universities a high school student also needs to be well rounded by being part of various civic groups and other extracurricular school activities. The amount of time a typical graduating high school student spends on studying, organizations, projects, group work and other extracurricular activities basically leaves them with no time for relaxation and fun.
2. Self Image and Social Acceptance – A teen is exposed to physical changes that normally takes place in their adolescent years. To look good and be in style in the current fashion trends are just one of the many concerns a teen has on his or her mind. Acceptance by peers and friends who are popular is a dream comes true for some. The onset of menstruation signifies that a girl has now turned into a woman and the idea of sex has now come into picture.
3. Premarital Sex – Some adolescents are pressured to having sex in their early teens. In boys, being a “virgin” is a complete turn off and there is much fuss on how to lose virginity the soonest possible time before they graduate from high school. Pressure for sexual experience is high among peers and friends and often becomes a problem when premarital sex leads to teenage pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.
4. Romantic relationships – being a teen also is a time where romantic relationships are nurtured as both partners aren’t too young and neither to old to commit into marriage. This can be a memorable experience of a first crush, first dance or even a first kiss. A failed relationship at this time is also equally challenging as this is considered to be the first heart break and can be a traumatic experience for some.
5. Parents getting divorced – If a teenager’s parents are on rocky ground and end up getting a divorce, this situation puts a heavy burden to the teens in the family as they feel the responsibility of caring for their younger siblings and are needed for help and support of the whole family financially and emotionally. Teens may not finish school and opt to get a job to help support the single parent in financing for the household. This brings an enormous amount of stress from being exposed to the difficulties of life at a younger age and might cause teenager to lose hope in the future.

Household chores can be tiring for a mother who takes care of a family with many children. Assigning household chores to children is never easy as most children and teens would rather play, watch tv or go out with their friends. But most experts agree that assigning household chores in children can help in teaching them to be responsible and make them feel needed in their family. Furthermore children will realize that running a household is not as easy as they think it is and by helping out they can give back something in return to their parents. Teaching them household chores early in life will help them transition into adulthood and will make independent living easier for them in the future.

How can we make our children participate in household chores?

1. Explain to children that in a family everyone has his or her own responsibility to help out in every way they can.
2. Make a list of all the household chores and help you children pick which chores they would like to partake in.
3. Set flexible deadlines in their household chores. Make them feel that doing chores can be fun and fulfilling. Avoid giving them pressure to finish a certain task rather remind them the value of doing the assigned task promptly to avoid delay.
4. Be specific in giving out instructions. Instead of saying “clean your room”, specifically tell them what they need to do in order to make their rooms clean like fold clean clothes and put them in the cabinet, gather dirty clothes in the hamper, put all toys in container box after use, fold bed linens and arrange the bed every morning after getting up from bed.
5. Be generous in giving praise. Don’t wait until they have finished the chore to offer praise. As they start to do the chore you can commend them right away for taking initiative.
6. Teach them the chore and don’t expect perfection. Let them learn little by little and with constant supervision at the start. Once they get it you can let them do it on their own to give them the sense of carrying the task independently.

In determining what tasks or household chores to be assigned to your children you need to consider if the chores assigned are age appropriate for them. Here are some suggestions of age appropriate household chores.

Children ages 2 to 4

• Arrange toys back to shelves and containers
• Pile dirty clothes in the hamper
• Arrange magazines and books in shelves and trays

Children ages 5 to 7

• Help water the plants
• Help set the table and clear it up
• Make up beds
• Sweep floors and dust cabinets
• Rake leaves in backyard
• Fold clean clothes from the dryer
• Take out the trash

Children ages 8 to 10

• Help in laundry
• Arrange groceries in shelves
• Vacuum the floor
• Make own snacks
• Feed pets
• Mop floors
• Walk the dog outside
• Make breakfast like toast and cereals
• Help in washing the car

Gone are the days where children spend all afternoon playing outside under the sun with the company of their peers. Peek outside and you won’t see them running around the backyard or on the streets in gleeful play instead they are either engaged in homework, home group study, varsity practice or after school curricular activities. This has become an increasing phenomenon nowadays, the so called “superkids” or those children who are said to be pushed too hard by their parents. These kids are pressured into doing well in school and be well rounded through engaging in sports and other structured activities outside of school. Initially these kids are all excited and enthusiastic of these extra curricular activities but as soon as these becomes too much for them stress and fatigue comes in causing children to fail their subjects, become sick or depressed.

Let’s face it every parent wants their child to become equipped with all the skills that would make them become successful adults in the future. Parents enroll their kids in sports, make them join various clubs and civic groups and on top of that expect them to do well in school. Parents sometimes are mistaken into thinking that by having their children be exposed to a wide variety of experiences will make them more successful individuals when they grow up. They are not entirely wrong with the idea but cramming everything into your child’s day to day life can be exhausting and draining for the child to endure and even enjoy. Imagine your kid gets up early in the morning for school almost running unable to eat a proper breakfast then gets off from school to go to basketball practice to come home late for dinner too tired to even sit on the table. But it does not end there he has to do homework due the next day. On a daily basis your child will most likely become too stressed out from all the scheduled activities he has to do and accomplish he may not be able to have time for himself to reflect and ponder on things that are much more important like self reflection.

Let us remember that we should always support our children in things that they want to do and never push to accomplish everything too soon. Make sure to give them ample time to do leisure activities such as going out and being with their friends, talking with family members and basically doing nothing. Being free to have time for themselves will nurture their creativity and individuality because in this moment is where they become more of themselves and not what their parents want them to be.  Be a giving parent and release your child to explore the world and become his own self to be supported and guided by you. With this you will be able to avoid over scheduling your child and avoid the stress and fatigue brought by too many structured activities.

Everyone has a favorite cartoon show they enjoyed watching when they were still kids, some even watch it every now and then as adults and still experience being entertained by the colorful and funny antics of children cartoons. The cute little characters used to love and cheerfully imitate as we grow up truly leaves a sentimental memory of a child like attitude in each one.

With the advanced technology in film and cartoon making nowadays children are so lucky to enjoy vivid and more imaginative cartoons compared to the Mickey Mouse in black and white in the early times. With the high technology in 3D animation cartoons have become life-like and surreal that it is enjoyed by kids and adults alike.

Cartoons can be a good way in setting an example of good behavior in children and there are some cartoons that are not so ideal in teaching good manners to kids which is why parents should be aware and be meticulous in choosing cartoon shows for their kids. Here is a list of all time favorite cartoon shows that are beneficial for children as they are well entertained and can also be a source of good conduct and moral values.

• Scooby Doo – the scared dog who is loved by all. It teaches team work and the value of friendship while enjoying the adventures of Scooby doo and friends as they solve mysteries and discover endless adventures together.
• The Flintstones – a family oriented cartoon show that fosters love for parents and siblings and depicts a society in the modern rock age. It is funny and filled with lessons about love for family and friendship.
• Tom and Jerry – although some may argue that the two depicts acts of violence, it is still enjoyable to watch because of the humor and thrill of their adventures together. It will be helpful to watch these cartoons with your kids and remind them that not all actions they see in tv is okay to be mimicked and adapted in real life.
• Looney Toons – perhaps the most popular cartoon show of all time with lots of unique characters that are individually funny, wacky and exciting to watch. Each character has its own personality and when joined together an endless array of laughter and excitement awaits.
• Garfield – the relationship of man and his pet is an all time favorite. Garfield and Oddy’s characters are such a hit that their personalities even though opposite of each other jives so well together.

These are just some samples of children’s cartoon shows that are fun to watch and are also a good source for lessons about love and friendship. Children enjoy watching while learning at the same time. Remember the key to choosing a suitable cartoon show for your kid is to know what they are most interested at and the best way to do that is to watch these cartoons together with them.

There are many reasons why children get angry perhaps just like adults do. However dealing with children’s anger is sometimes very difficult for parents as they have to consider their emotional state and immaturity in dealing with them. Children oftentimes argue with parents endlessly that it becomes exhausting. We have to understand that children lacks the maturity and ability to understand complex things unlike adults and sometimes they can’t get a hold of their emotions which at most times can become hurtful to others. Don’t get frustrated and take their anger bursts seriously, keep in mind the raging hormones that contributes to their sudden surge of emotional anger.

Children should be taught how to manager their anger before it gets out of hand. Dealing with anger effectively can prevent violence towards self and others. This is important because if anger is not expressed in a constructive way it can get resort into physical violence such as gun shooting, violence towards others and worst, suicide.

Allow children to feel angry. Being angry is normal for a person who is stuck in traffic, broken something precious or lost something valuable. These emotions are normal to everyone. What we need to know is how to express anger in manageable and accepted ways. For children being angry is a common response to various situations when they feel humiliated, embarrassed or nervous. These situations make children feel helpless which accounts to their frustration and sudden bursts of anger. We can help them by teaching those ways on how to address and manage their feelings of anger. Here’s how.

• Explain to children that anger is a normal occurrence but when they act out the anger to aggression then it is not ok anymore.
• Teach other ways on how to express anger aside from being aggressive and violent such as taking a break or a moment to cool off when they feel angry. Make sure that when they are able to calm down, you will have a talk with them about the situation that triggered the anger.
• Ask them how they feel, why and what caused the feeling. Avoid telling them what not to do but what they should do when they feel angry. We sometimes concentrate on telling our kids what to avoid and what is wrong without educating them the proper thing to do instead.
• Teach abdominal breathing when they are angry. Breathe through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth. Deep breathing will relax them and lower the stress of being angry thus reducing anger itself.
• Identify the body’s responses when they become angry. Knowing what’s happening in their body when they become angry like heavy breathing, increased heart beat and sweaty palms will help them know that these are normal responses and that they can control it by relaxation techniques for calming down.

A good part of helping your child manage anger is to make them understand that feeling angry is normal and happens to people but acting it out violently isn’t. Be firm in setting the limits and rules that will govern their behavior when they are angry. When they become calm talk about what happened and discuss ways wherein your children can better handle the situations that trigger feelings of anger.

Remember the times when your children were still babies how they are dependent to you for care, love and nurturing. As they slowly grow learning their many firsts in life you were there to guide and witness their small but remarkable achievements. But as they grow into their toddler years and into adolescence suddenly they become stubborn and hard headed. Every parent may have experience this at one time with their children where it seems they have gone wild with tantrums and become disobedient to your rules and defy your authority. It can be frustrating but as parents you need to take control and impose discipline on them cause if you don’t who else will?

Start off with these simple steps on how to set the rules for your children.

• Communicate effectively – getting angry at your children without telling them the reason will be harmful to your children. They will feel it’s alright to yell and get angry at someone without reason at all. Remember that children look up to adults and they most likely follow their lead. Foster a healthy relationship based on open communication. Find time to talk with your child either one on one or with the family. Make sure you are sending clear messages to them as to what the rule is and their limits. In this way when they disobey or break them they will feel accountable because it was already communicated to them clearly.
• Listen – being a parent does not give you the right to dictate all the time. Listening is a vital part of disciplining your child because it builds trust and makes them feel that they are being understood even if they have made mistakes they will feel that they can get over it and make up for it. By listening you can take into consideration your child’s needs and reaching a favorable agreement to both parties will be achieved.
• Consistency – parents need to be consistent with the rules because when they don’t children will think that these rules are not strictly implemented and this will give them the idea to try and persuade you to bend the rules.
• Always be fair – being a parent who imposes discipline should always be an example for their children. Part of being fair is to listen to your child’s needs and reasons and evaluate with them validity and fairness of their reasons.

Instill values – part of discipline is teaching your children to become better individuals and prepare them for adulthood wherein their values will be tested in the real world. Raising a good child into becoming a responsible adult is a triumph for parents. Teach them good values and while you are it make sure you bring with you a huge amount of patience as children can really get to your nerves, but keep in mind this is a normal phase in their lives and when they grow old both of you will laugh

We love our children and we always want to keep them healthy and away from harm as much as we can. Unfortunately our kids cannot be contained in one place and we cannot always dictate what they eat and do. In order to promote the path to a healthy lifestyle to our kids we as parents should take the lead in being a good example.

One way of promoting health to our lovely children is to introduce them to organic food. In the world of instant food and fast foods we need to be cautious in what we advise our children to eat. The toxins and chemicals in artificially prepared and processed foods will greatly affect our children’s health over time and this will lead into the development of diseases.

Organic food is produced from organic farming wherein farmers grow agricultural foods such as vegetables, fruits, dairy products and meat in a non-conventional way. They don’t make use of fertilizers or insecticides to grow their vegetables and fruits. Instead of using fertilizers to enrich the soil organic farmers use natural mulch or manure or they practice crop rotation. For animals, organic farmers do not use antibiotics or vitamins to spur growth and keep them free of disease. Organic farmers instead feed the animals with organic feeds and maintain their surroundings clean to prevent diseases.

Organic foods are known to be enriched with vitamins and minerals that are necessary for the body to be healthy and strong. These foods are also free from artificial chemicals and toxins which can potentially destroy cells, the building blocks of the body. These toxins in the food we eat also contribute to the prevalence of cancer, a devastating disease with no cure. With all these benefits it is no wonder that it is ideal to feed our children with organic foods but why are there so many kids out there still eating junk foods? Many parents haven’t made the right decision yet because of factors such as costs, availability and taste. Organic foods are slightly pricier than their ordinary counterpart. In the groceries, an apple in the organic section may cost twice as much as the ordinary one outside of the organic section. This is because it is generally hard to grow organic foods because it cannot be mass produced with the help of conventional practices. Not all countries practices organic farming and exporting organic food from other places will add to the cost. When children are exposed to non-organic foods at an early age by media, friends and peers they will have a hard time switching into organic food eating. This is where parents play a crucial role. Although the price can be a little higher the benefits still outweighs the costs. With a little discipline and creativity parents can be able to prepare delicious and delectable dishes and snacks from organic foods.

Our society is slowly learning how to live healthy and many advocates of living a healthy lifestyle are becoming more available to the public with the growth of organic farming and organic produce being widely offered in the market within reach of ordinary families. Let us take this opportunity to build better eating habits in our children and promote health and wellness in our families.

All kids are naturally outgoing and sociable especially in their early years.  However, shyness could develop as your child grows older.  Children need encouragement and support from their parents for them to develop the confidence to be open, and therefore get used to different dense situations.

Shyness is a very common sight among children.  How many times do you see a child act timid and reserved when in the company of strangers?  You’ll often find them hiding at your back when being introduced.  Children are naturally friendly but as they mature, the way they interact with people becomes more complicated.

During our childhood years, we often interact with the other kids simply by sharing our toys or playing all sorts of games with them.  Relationships and contacts with other kids usually consist of actions.  As we grow older, our interactions with other people become more focused on conversations.  This explains why children may be able to play and interact with other children older than them, but do not necessarily have the ability to talk and converse intelligently.

One misconception is that silence is often taken as a trait of a good-mannered individual.  This is why when parents observe their child to be shy, they would see it as their child as being behaved and well-mannered.  However, as the child matures and begins to attend school, especially high school, socializing with classmates then becomes more difficult.

When you begin to observe this kind of behavior, remember that it’s important to take things slowly.  Never force your child into a situation that’s unfamiliar or situations wherein they could get terrified and intimidated.  This is a very critical step in helping your child to overcome shyness.  You could either help them overcome it or make it worse if you do it with the wrong approach.

Nowadays, a lot of parents may be too busy with work and may find it difficult to allot time to interact with their children.  Remember that it’s with family members where a child begins to learn to interact conversely and intelligently.

During the early years, you can observe them to be very vocal about their feelings.  However, being open to their parents tends to diminish.  You should try to make your home an environment where being open is encouraged.  This will prepare your child in being able to interact well with people as he or she matures.

Allowing them to open up and voice out their ideas do not necessarily mean that you have to agree with them all the time.  What’s important is that they feel what they’re saying is not being criticized, nor patronized.  They will know if you are being true or not.  As long as they feel you give them opportunity to express their ideas, they are going to turn out okay.  If you would not give them the chance to express these, they would feel that nobody else will.  This is ultimately how a person becomes shy, timid, and insecure.

All people, especially children, want to fit in but shyness could get in the way. Shyness can be a very difficult problem for children.  Not all people, including parents, may understand how this feels like.  Careful thought and spotting this problem early on can make a whole lot of difference.