 |
Services & Info |
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
It is one of those essential facts of life that raising good children--children
of character--demands time and attention. While having children may be “doing
what comes naturally,” being a good parent is much more complicated.
Raising kids today is arguably harder than ever before. But, there are some
ways to help ease the stress and strain of raising your little ones and prevent
behavior problems through good parentingkali has become a popular dance form
for all seasons |
It
is one of those essential facts of life that raising
good children--children of character--demands time and
attention. While having children may be “doing
what comes naturally,” being a good parent is much
more complicated. Raising kids today is arguably harder
than ever before. But, there are some ways to help ease
the stress and strain of raising your little ones and
prevent behavior problems through good parenting. Here
are ten tips to help your children build sturdy characters:
-
Put parenting
first. This is hard to do in a world with so many
competing demands. Good parents consciously
plan and devote time to parenting. They make developing
their children’s character their top priority.
-
Review how you
spend the hours and days of your week. Think about
the amount of time your children
spend with you. Plan how you can weave your
children into your social life and knit yourself
into their
lives.
-
Be a good example.
Face it: human beings learn primarily through modeling.
In fact,
you can’t
avoid being an example to your children, whether
good or bad. Being
a good example, then, is probably your most important
job.
-
Develop an ear
and an eye for what your children are absorbing.
Children are
like sponges. Much
of what they take in has to do with
moral values and character.
Books, songs, TV, the Internet, and
films are continually delivering messages—moral and immoral—to
our children. As parents we must control the flow
of ideas and images that are influencing our children.
-
Use the language
of character. Children cannot develop a moral compass
unless people around them
use the clear,
sharp language of right and wrong.
-
Punish with a
loving heart. Today, punishment has a bad
reputation. The
results are guilt-ridden
parents
and self-indulgent, out-of-control
children. Children need limits.
They will ignore
these limits on occasion.
Reasonable punishment is one
of the ways human beings have always
learned.
Children
must understand
what
punishment is for and know
that its source is parental love.
-
Learn to listen
to your children. It is easy for
us to tune out the
talk of
our children.
One
of the
greatest things we can
do for them is to take them seriously
and set
aside time
to listen.
-
Get deeply involved
in your child’s school
life. School is the main event in the lives of
our children. Their experience there is a mixed
bag of
triumphs and disappointments. How they deal with
them will influence the course of their lives.
Helping our
children become good students is another name for
helping them acquire strong character.
-
Make a big deal
out of the family
meal. One
of the most
dangerous
trends in America
is the
dying of the
family meal. The
dinner table is not only a
place of sustenance
and family
business
but
also a place
for
the teaching and
passing on of
our values. Manners
and
rules are subtly
absorbed over
the table. Family
mealtime should
communicate and sustain ideals
that children will
draw on throughout
their
lives.
-
Do not reduce
character education
to words
alone. We gain
virtue through
practice.
Parents
should help
children by
promoting moral
action through
self-discipline,
good work
habits, kind
and considerate
behavior to
others, and community
service. The
bottom line in character
development
is behavior--their
behavior.
As a parent we need to create an environment in which
our children can develop habits of honesty, generosity,
and a sense of justice. For most of us, the greatest
opportunity we personally have to deepen our own character
is through the daily blood, sweat and tears of struggling
to be good parents.
|
|
By the National Association for the Education of Young
Children (2000)
We have learned so much recently about the importance of
play for young children that many families may overlook
how meaningful work can also nurture development.
Young children flourish when allowed to enter the world
of real work that surrounds them - from picking up toys
or feeding the cat to grating carrots for salad. In the
company of family or other adults, children eagerly engage
in work. They want to 'help' with the pursuits of adults,
and this work can be a crucial part of their early learning.
If you shield young children from a whole category of activity
simply because it is called 'work' and not 'play,' you
may be limiting their developmental opportunities.
On the other hand, if you invite children to participate
in work and play, you give them many more ways to grow
and learn.
Through work that is meaningful and a real contribution
to the family or group, even young children can gain a
sense of purpose, and come to feel more a part of the family.
With proper adult supervision, there are many types of
chores that families can consider for young children, which
can help them begin learning about responsibility, independence
and caring for themselves. Here are a few examples:
Gathering, preparing, and cooking food
Even when they are too young to help with lunch or dinner, children can play
a role in preparing snacks. And by taking your children to the grocery or market,
you can help them better understand where food comes from and how we buy it.
Running errands
Letting young children run errands conveys your feelings of trust in them. When
you need something - another family member or the phone or a sponge - tell one
of your children you need help.
Caring for younger children
Even simple tasks (like reading or singing to younger family members) help older
children learn about responsibility and sharing.
Housekeeping
Children can help set the table and serve themselves at meals. If you are vacuuming
the carpet, you can empower your child by letting him run this most-adult-of-all
housekeeping tool.
Caring for animals
Pets and livestock require water, food and clean environments. Young children
can learn valuable lessons by caring for animals.
Gardening
Nurturing plants helps children learn about the wonders of nature. If you don't
have space for a garden, a small window planter can bring opportunities to explore.
In all of these activities, it's important to remember several points:
Keep in mind what your children can accomplish, and how much you need to supervise
to make sure the activity is safe.
Even young children can tell the difference between busy work and real work.
Also, remember that many chores actually take longer with the help of young
children,
but a little patience and a few extra minutes lets them reap real benefits from
assisting the family.
By matching your expectations to their abilities, encouraging and approving their
efforts, and allowing plenty of time for the performance of each task, you can
give your young children many opportunities to learn and grow through work.
|
|
By Elizabeth Pantley (2000), author of Kid Cooperation
and Perfect Parenting
One of the hardest parts of parenting is getting our
kids to listen to us, and then, of course, getting
them to do what we ask!
If you remember to use a few important skills this
job will be much easier for you.
You tell your daughter it's time to leave, then take
twenty more minutes to get yourself ready. You ask
your kids to clean up the family room, then allow the
mess to remain for the night. You threaten to cancel
your child's party if he sasses you again. He does,
but you don't. All these scenes create kids who have "selective
hearing." Instead, take a minute to think before
you issue a command, be specific, and your words will
become more accurate and meaningful.
Don't "hint" at what you want your child
to do: "It would be nice if you... " or "Don't
you think you should..' Don't make an incomplete request: "Soon
you'll have to get ready to go." Don't be vague: "You
know better than that..."
Instead, be clear and specific. State your requests
in a way that will not be misunderstood "Please
put your shoes and coat on and get in the car " or "Please
hang up your clothes and put your books on the shelf. " or "Sit
here and use a quiet inside voice."
When you lose your temper and raise your voice the
logical result would be that your kids would pay closer
attention to you. In fact, the opposite is often true!
Kids often key in on your anger, but miss the point
of your words.
Studies show that most of our communication is conveyed
through our presentation (body language, tone of voice,
etc.) Kids will focus on your emotions, and dismiss
your words. Instead keep your voice even and calm,
and your words clear and specific to get better results.
To do this, remember to think first, determine exactly
what you want, and make your words convey a tone of
authority.
While it's a whole lot easier to yell from two rooms
away, its much less effective. Children respond much,
much better to a parent who is facing them eye-to-eye.
In addition, when you are standing close by you can
determine if your child is paying attention to you,
without having to gauge the meaning of a few distant
grunts. It takes a few extra minutes to get face
to face, but will save you from getting angry as
you repeat your request over and over again.
It will take practice to master these skills. Simply
reading this article will not change your style. You
will need to remind yourself of what you are trying
to do, and keep your goals fresh in your mind. Its
important to give yourself time to learn how to use
these ideas, and to be kind and forgiving to yourself
when you make mistakes. None of us are born knowing
how to parent. Its a tough job, but with a few new
skills and enough practice you'll be successful!
|
Think
first.
Be specific.
Control emotions.
Convey authority.
Eye-to-eye.
|
|
By the National Association for the Education of Young
Children (1998)
Toileting (or using the potty) is one of the most basic
physical needs of young children. It is also one of the
most difficult topics of communication among parents, child
care providers, and health care professionals when asked
to determine the "right" age a child should be
able to successfully and consistently use the toilet.
Most agree that the methods used to potty train can have
major emotional effects on children. The entire process--from
diapering infants to teaching toddlers and preschoolers
about using the toilet--should be a positive one. Often,
and for many reasons, toilet learning becomes an unnecessary
struggle for control between adults and children. Many
families feel pressured to potty train children by age
two because of strict child care program policies, the
overall inconvenience of diapering, or urging from their
pediatricians, early childhood columnists, researchers,
other family members, friends, etc.
The fact is that the ability to control bladder and bowel
functions is as individual as each child. Some two-year-olds
are fully potty trained, and some are not. But those that
aren’t should not be made to feel bad about it. There
are also many cultural differences in handling potty training,
therefore it is important that families and program staff
sensitively and effectively communicate regarding these
issues.
The purpose of toilet learning is to help children gain
control of their body functions. If a child is ready, the
process can provide a sense of success and achievement.
Here are some helpful hints on determining when young children
are ready to begin the potty training process and suggestions
on how to positively achieve that task.
Ready, set, go!
Children are most likely ready to begin toilet learning
when they:
show a preference for clean diapers--a preference adults can encourage by frequent
diaper changing and by praising children when they come to you for a change.
understand when they have eliminated and know the meaning of terms for body functions.
For example, "wet," "pee," "poop," and "b.m." are
words commonly used by children to describe bladder and bowel functions.
indicate that they need to use the potty by squatting, pacing, holding their
private parts, or passing gas.
show that they have some ability to hold it for a short period of time by going
off by themselves for privacy when filling the diaper or staying dry during naps.
There may be times during the learning process when children accidentally go
in their diapers or training pants. This can be very distressing and may cause
them to feel sad--especially if they have been successfully using the chair for
some period of time. When this happens, change the diaper without admonition--a
caring adult can then try to pick up the child’s spirits with encouragement
that she is doing well and will get better with practice.
The most common cause of resistance to potty training occurs when children have
been scolded, punished, or lectured too often about using the potty, or have
been forced to sit on it for too long. This learning process usually is not fast
or consistent. Children need your patience and support.
Parents and child care providers should decide together when a child is ready
and then negotiate a plan that will be consistent and manageable in both settings.
Some questions may include the following:
1. Is special equipment needed--step stool, toilet seat deflector, potty chair?
2. Are extra clothing items needed?; and
3. Are good hygiene practices in place, for example, handwashing for children
and staff, a system for handling soiled clothing, and a routine for disinfecting
equipment?
It’s a good idea for families and child care professionals to exchange
information on the words for body functions most preferred by each child in order
to avoid confusion and provide a consistent message for everyone engaged in the
process.
Successfully learning to use the potty is a major accomplishment for young children,
and patience and praise from the adults who care for them is an extremely important
component to their healthy emotional and physical development. Each child will
individually provide signals as to when he or she ready to make that leap. Good
communication, appropriate expectations, and a consistent plan on the part of
parents and caregivers make it easier to support this process and is the surest
route to success.
|
|
In order to understand why your child is misbehaving it
is extremely useful to keep a diary:
Identify one behaviour that you would like to change. Be as specific as you can
e.g. wont do as s/he is told, hitting, demands things, whines. Write the behaviour
down.
When the behaviour occurs, write down what led immediately up to it (triggers)
and what happened afterwards (consequences)? Also record how you behave and feel?
Please use (print) the form if this is helpful.
After a week try to see if there is a pattern to the behaviour. When is it occurring
(times, situations)? Who is it occurring with? What are the triggers? What are
the consequences or "pay-offs" for your child? Often this is related
to getting attention, "winding-up", getting their own way ("giving
in for a quiet life").
Ask yourself what is my child learning from the way I respond to the behaviour?
Am I setting limits and boundaries consistently ?
Once you have a clear picture you are ready to change the pattern by changing
the triggers and consequences. You may have to try and ignore certain behaviour,
try not to give in, remove certain privileges, look and sound as if you mean
it when asking you child to do something. Most importantly concentrate on encouraging
and rewarding good behaviour!
|
|
1. Why Is Play So Important?
Play brings you closer to your children; it helps them
to become more independent; they are more able to work
problems out; to develop their own concentration and imagination.
Key skills needed for life and learning at school.
2. Check-Out How You Play
Get a friend, partner or relative to watch you playing
with your child and to jot down a few notes. Try to
observe the following: Who decides what to play? How
long does it last? Who is most interested? How much
enjoyment is there? What good behaviour is praised
and encouraged? Discuss what was observed and work
out a plan from ideas within this article on how you
can develop your play skills further. Set yourself
simple and achievable targets. Involve your friends
and family and check your progress weekly. Make it
FUN! You could observe your friend playing with their
child in exchange for them helping you. REMEMBER you
are the experts on your own children so pool your knowledge
and experience! If you can't get a friend or member
of your family to help you can still make your own
personal plan.
3. Ask Yourself
Do I enjoy playing with my child? How often in an average
week do I play and for how long? What are the barriers
that can get in the way and how can these be gradually
removed? What does my child think about play-times?
Five Key Play Skills
1. Creating Time
Try to plan ahead. Identify 10-15 minutes per day when
you can play with the least interruptions. Turn the television
off and involve brothers and sisters.
2. Involving Your Child
Ask your child what they enjoy playing. Let them choose
what they want to play. You would be surprised how
many parents automatically decide how, what and when
they are going to play. Children learn best and enjoy
play more when they decide how they want to play and
at what pace. Importantly their concentration, enjoyment
levels and good behaviour increases as a consequence!
Hence there are strong "pay-offs" for both
the child and parent.
3. Getting Down To Your Child's Level
Preparing for play is important. Make sure you are close
to your child, have eye contact and show that you are
interested e.g. if your child is playing on the floor,
sit on the floor with them.
4. Describing What You See
Let your child pick a play activity and as your child
is playing just concentrate on describing what you
see in a very positive tone of voice e.g. "you
have picked up the red brick and are placing it on
the blue brick". This skill will need a lot of
practice as you will inevitably want to direct the
play by saying such things as "I know lets put
this brick on top of this other brick". Avoid
asking questions and copy your child's play.
5. Praising What You See
When you feel totally comfortable with describing what
you see, try to begin to use descriptive praise i.e. "what
a good girl for putting that red brick on the blue
brick". Be close when you praise, smile, get eye
contact, use touches, hugs and strokes. Be sincere
and genuine and praise as soon as possible after the
good behaviour in order to encourage them to repeat
it. Your child needs to know that you are pleased in
order for them to learn self-confidence and to explore
further. They are learning to be co-operative rather
than to be defiant.
|
|
Time out involves removing a child for a brief period of
time and is effective in helping to set limits for children
and teaching them what is appropriate. It is an extension
of ignoring poor behaviour (i.e. removing attention which
is inadvertently encouraging the behaviour) and helps parents
or carers remain in control. It has been shown to be significantly
more effective than smacking. It should be used sparingly,
practised and is most appropriate when a child refuses
to do as they're told. For more minor behavioural difficulties
such as demanding alternative methods should be employed
such as ignoring or removing a privilege.
Time out is most effective for children between the ages
of 2-6 and should not be used with very young children.
The following procedure has been developed from the work
of Forehand, R. & Long, N. (1996). Parenting The Strong
Willed Child: The clinically proven five week programme
for parents of two to six year olds.
. Hallway
. Parents bedroom
. Kitchen corner( for 2-3 year olds)
. Use a corner or chair where there is nothing for the child to be distracted
away from the punishment.
. Child's bedroom
. Bathroom
. Cupboard
. Dark room
. Know where a child could be frightened!
1. Issue a good direction
2. If your child does not begin to comply within 5 seconds issue a warning, " If
you do not ................, you will have to take time out"
3. If your child does not comply within 5 seconds state, " because you did
not ..............., you have to take time out"
4. Lead your child to time out without lecturing scolding or arguing. Withdraw
to another room.
5. Ignore shouting, protesting and promising to comply. Avoid eye contact.
6. Tell your child to sit in the time out chair or stand still in the corner
facing the wall.
7. When your child is sitting quietly, set the timer ( 1 minute for every year
of age up to a maximum of 5 minutes)
8. When the time is over, including being quiet for the last thirty seconds return
to the chair or corner and say that time out is over
9. Restate the original direction
10. Implement the time out again if your child does not comply
11. When your child complies it is very important to use praise so the child
learns what behaviour is expected.
1. Select time out place
2. Memorise the steps
3. Practice without your child
4. Tell your child about time out for non-compliance
5. Begin to use time out for failure to comply with directions
6. Begin using time out for other problem behaviours in the home
7. Begin using time out for other problems in public places
. Avoid giving lengthy explanations about why you are using time out.
. Avoid trying to make your child feel guilty or to give you an apology - you
are aiming to get them to do what you wanted.
. Don't let them make you feel guilty even if they say they are going to comply
before they get to the chair or corner. To stop it before it is completed will
give the message that - "I don’t have to comply until I have been
warned and until I have been sent to time out"
. The message you want them to get is - "I should comply when I am asked
to do something"
Problems and Solutions
. Refusing to sit in the chair - do not start time out until your child is seated.
. Leaving chair or moving - stop the timer.
. Place him in chair tell him to sit still and place your hand on his leg. Try
to avoid eye contact.
. Remove a privilege if he does not return to the chair (for 5 year olds and
up).
. If you use a corner and your child attempts to come out before time out is
up, return him immediately without any fuss and stand close with your back to
the child.
. Insulting you verbally - ignore the results
. Yelling and crying - ignore
. Refusing to leave the time out - start the time out again
. Sibling interaction during time out - if feasible put the sibling in time out
in another location
|
|
By Kathy Gould, M.S.
With all that busy parents have to do, it sometimes might
be easy to forget to sit down and play with your children.
The purpose of this article is to extol the importance
of play to children's development and to give parents some
tips on games and activities. Parents are the first and
most important teachers that children will ever have: children
learn more from their parents than from anyone else. In
school they learn about history, math, science, and so
on, but from parents they learn about getting along with
other people, how to treat people they love, how to deal
with their emotions, and even how to learn. From the games
and activities that parents and children do together from
the time they are babies until they are teenagers, children
learn things like: how to focus on what's important, to
pay attention and follow directions, and how to take small
steps to work toward larger goals. They can learn patience,
persistence, and a desire to learn-all from playing with
their parents. When parents and children play games that
help children learn rules, working towards goals, and working
with others, studies have shown that children tend to get
better grades in school and get in less trouble.
Playing together also helps build strong bonds between
parents and children. When there is a strong parent-child
bond, children feel safe to go out and explore the world.
This makes them better prepared to learn, get along with
others, and develop high self-esteem. Children who feel
secure in their relationship to their parents also do better
in school. Later in life those with secure relationships
may be more likely to listen to their parents' advice and
to trust that advice. Another reason that play is important
to parent-child bonding is that it helps increase the number
of positive interactions in the relationship. Often, the
only times parents talk to their children is when the children
have done something wrong. When this happens, children
and parents can stop getting along well and may not develop
strong bonds. Playing games together is a great way to
spend time with each other in a positive way. Establishing
a strong bond early will make the relationship between
parent and child stronger and healthier long after the
child is grown, and may carry over into adult children's
relationships with their own children.
Infants love looking at faces. Pictures of faces are good,
but actual moving, talking faces are better. With children
younger than 6 months, good games are very simple ones
like, peekaboo, or hiding a toy under a blanket and taking
it out again. You must do these activities quickly, though,
because if your face or a toy is hidden for more than a
second or two, very young infants will lose interest. Infants
enjoy anything that gives them a gentle surprise, such
as a sound or motion in response to something they do.
By 18 months, children enjoy toys such as crayons, pretend
tools, push button toys and very simple puzzles. Puzzles
are especially good for bringing parents and children together
and for developing children's problem solving skills. Children
can learn a lot about how to figure things out when parents
give them just enough help so that they can figure it out,
but not so much that parents do the activity for them.
At this age, children are starting to use language more
and enjoy songs, books and rhymes. Songs and finger plays
really keep children this age entertained, and can teach
them new words and introduce them to counting and numbers.
I've included two examples of songs and finger plays at
the bottom of this article. For infants and toddlers, keep
numbers below three or they will lose interest.
Older pre-schoolers enjoy songs and finger plays also,
but as they get older the songs need to get more complicated.
Puzzles should get more difficult, too, and helping them
with puzzles that are just a little harder than they could
do by themselves is still a great way to teach them how
to solve problems. Older children also need and enjoy physical
activity, such as running and jumping, chasing, hide and
go seek, tag, and other fun outdoor games. Playing these
kinds of games with your children can help bring you together
as well as let you both get some exercise. Pre-schoolers
also love to pretend, so take their lead and be the characters
they want you to be as they direct a game of make believe.
Elementary age children enjoy simple card or board games,
hide and seek, sports activities, or projects that you
can work on together. As children grow older their interests
and preferred activities tend to vary more widely, so the
best way to find out what your child would like to do for
fun is to ask! The kinds of activities you do together
at this age will probably affect the things you do together
when they are teenagers as well.
Keep up with their interests and activities as your children
grow. When you show interest in who they are and what they
enjoy doing, they will be more likely to want you to participate
in these activities with them. If you adolescent is learning
a new sport, learn it with them, or offer to help them
practice if you are already proficient. Be wary of intruding
on their space, though; adolescents will want to participate
in some activities on their own. This is an important part
of their development as they are learning to become independent
adults. If you find that you and your adolescent are spending
very little time together, however, and don't seem to have
much in common, discuss your concerns and try to find a
new sport or activity that you can learn to do together.
For this to succeed, you'll need to keep an open mind and
be willing to try something new!
"
5 Little Ducks"
5 little ducks went out one day (wave five fingers), over
the hills and far away (hand bounces away)
When Mommy Duck went quack, quack, quack, (quacking gesture
with hand)
Only 4 little ducks came back (hand comes back w/ 4 fingers)
(continue as above with: 4, 3, 2, 1, no little ducks came
back)
Mommy Duck went out one day, over the hills and far away,
When Mommy Duck went quack, quack, quack, all the little
ducks came back!
"
The Grand Old Duke of York"
The grand old Duke of York, he had ten thousand men (if
standing, march; if sitting, swing arms)
He marched them up to the top of the hill (stand up tall;
or crawl fingers up child's arm if sitting)
And he marched them down again (squat low or crawl fingers
back down)
And when you're up, you're up (go back up), and when you're
down you're down (back down)
But when you're only half way up (stand at medium height
or move fingers to elbow),
You're neither up (go back up) nor down (go back down-sit
all the way down if you were standing).
|
|
By the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
(1998)
Talking to your children about love, intimacy, and
sex is an important part of parenting. Parents can
be very helpful by creating a comfortable atmosphere
in which to talk to their children about these issues.
However, many parents avoid or postpone the discussion.
Each year about one million teenage girls become
pregnant in the United States and three million teens
get a sexually transmitted disease. Children and
adolescents need input and guidance from parents
to help them make healthy and appropriate decisions
regarding their sexual behaviour since they can be
confused and over stimulated by what they see and
hear.
Talking about sex may be uncomfortable for both parents
and children. Parents should respond to the needs and
curiosity level of their individual child, offering
no more or less information than their child is asking
for and is able to understand. Getting advice from
a clergyman, paediatrician, family physician, or other
health professional may be helpful. Books that use
illustrations or diagrams may aid communication and
understanding.
Children have different levels of curiosity and understanding
depending upon their age and level of maturity. As
children grow older, they will often ask for more details
about sex. Many children have their own words for body
parts. It is important to find out words they know
and are comfortable with to make talking with them
easier. A 5-year-old may be happy with the simple answer
that babies come from a seed that grows in a special
place inside the mother. Dad helps when his seed combines
with mom's seed which causes the baby to start to grow.
An 8-year-old may want to know how dad's seed gets
to mom's seed. Parents may want to talk about dad's
seed (or sperm) coming from his penis and combining
with mom's seed (or egg) in her uterus. Then the baby
grows in the safety of mom's uterus for nine months
until it is strong enough to be born. An 11-year-old
may want to know even more and parents can help by
talking about how a man and woman fall in love and
then may decide to have sex.
It is important to talk about the responsibilities
and consequences that come from being sexually active.
Pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and feelings
about sex are important issues to be discussed. Talking
to your children can help them make the decisions that
are best for them without feeling pressured to do something
before they are ready. Helping children understand
that these are decisions that require maturity and
responsibility will increase the chance that they make
good choices.
Adolescents are able to talk about lovemaking and sex
in terms of dating and relationships. They may need
help dealing with the intensity of their own sexual
feelings, confusion regarding their sexual identity,
and sexual behaviour in a relationship. Concerns regarding
masturbation, menstruation, contraception, pregnancy,
and sexually transmitted diseases are common. Some
adolescents also struggle with conflicts around family,
religious or cultural values. Open communication and
accurate information from parents increases the chance
that teens will postpone sex and will use appropriate
methods of birth control once they begin.
-In talking with your child or adolescent, it is helpful
to:
-Encourage your child to talk and ask questions.
-Maintain a calm and non-critical atmosphere for discussions.
-Use words that are understandable and comfortable.
-Try to determine your child's level of knowledge and understanding.
-Keep your sense of humour and don't be afraid to talk about your own discomfort.
-Relate sex to love, intimacy, caring, and respect for oneself and one's partner.
-Be open in sharing your values and concerns.
-Discuss the importance of responsibility for choices and decisions.
-Help your child to consider the pros and cons of choices.
By developing open, honest and ongoing communication about responsibility,
sex, and choice, parents can help their youngsters learn about sex in a healthy
and positive manner.
|
|
| Parenting http://www.parenting.com
Parent Stages http://www.parentstages.com
Positive Parenting http://www.positiveparenting.com
Patent Talk http://www.parents-talk.com/
Practical Parent http://www.practicalparent.org.uk
|
|
|
|
|
|
