The Real Deal Family and Relationship Guide

Teenagers are a real challenge to raise. While many parents will tells you the "terrible twos" are a real hard time to get through, this pales in comparison to the teen years. Teenagers today have so many negative influences in their  life that it is very hard for a parent to know where to draw the line between protecting your child, and letting your child have some space and privacy. Sometimes our best intentions can create far more negative outcomes than we can imagine. Teenagers are very resilient and should never be underestimated in how far they'll go to hide things from you. The question is, did you create a situation that prompted them to be this determined? If you are too protective, and too involved in your teen's private life you run the risk of creating just the opposite of what you really desire. Instead of making your teen feel like you really care and are looking out for their best interests, you will force them to seek privacy, and independence to a

                                                Dawn Gagnon Photography ©2023 As more of our children grow up in single parent homes, they are quick to assume that child rearing is a way to gain more love from another human being. Raising children is a difficult job for any parent of any age. More and more teens are entering this life changing decision only to realize too late how hard it is and how ill prepared they are for the undertaking. Recognizing an artistically gifted child Children are often born with a creative instinct of one type of another. Paying attention to the signals they give at a young age will help you, help them find their outlet and medium. A lifelong love and talent may be just within reach for your youngster. To read more on how to do this click here:   Recognizing an artistically gifted child Talking and connecting with your teen Parenting is one of the single most rewarding, yet difficult jobs there are. When they are young, you spend your time teachin

Image via Wikipedia What happens to our bundles of joy? In the beginning, these little delights gave our lives meaning, then suddenly in the blink of an eye they change.  Mom and dad become old and geeky and oblivious to everything relevant in a teens eyes. How did that happen? Moreover, when did we, become our parents ? Teenagers are a strange brood. They vacillate between happy and joyful and moody and obstinate. I do believe, in my experience as a parent for 23 plus years, and I'm not done yet...that the minute puberty sets in..the worm turns for our little former bundles of joy. My kids use odd terms that cover a wide variety of emotional expression. For instance, if I tell DJ , "my 12 year old version of Little Man Tate " to take out the garbage, I hear "taking out the garbage is gay ". Now, because I am no perfect, politically correct  parent, I usually retort by saying "Well then I picked the right person for the job then". Yes, I know..I

Image via Wikipedia I don't care whether you go to all your kids baseball games, volunteer to go on every field trip or let your kids and their friends have parties at your house. You will never be a "cool" parent. Well, not cool in their eyes . So if your motivation behind everything you do is for that title, you are wasting your time. Children have a code in their DNA , that will not allow for you to be acknowledged as anything other than someone they must put up with. In their case, DNA means Do not allow. They will not allow us to be so cool and while we are trying to very hard to be the cool parent they will inevitably do something to make us change our hat and have to be the authority figure we are supposed to be. Forever, we as parents are losing "cool points". No matter what your definition of "cool" is, it will not be theirs. In fact most acts we deem as "cool" are really considered embarrassing to your kids. Doubt me? Pick up y

Image via Wikipedia Today , the stay-at-home mom is a dying breed, finding fulfillment and contentment in this difficult decision is a struggle, but with the right sense of humor , and your families best interest at heart, you can survive this . To keep from being the couch potato , bon-bon eating diva, finding things to do shouldn't be a problem with any active family. A few suggestions to keep you busy are listed here: Staying active as a stay at home mom Related articles 10 Sanity-Saving Tips for Moms Who Blog (socialmediamom.com) Research Study of 692 Women Uncovers the Secrets to Losing Baby Weight after Childbirth (eon.businesswire.com) Stay At Home Mom : Overworked, Underpaid, AMAZING! (momblognetwork.com)

Parenting is one of the single most rewarding, yet difficult jobs there are. When they are young, you spend your time teaching, and keeping them safe. As they grow and need you less, you find yourself somehow feeling a disconnect. Teen years are a painful mixture of emotions, hormones, and pressure. Bridging the gap between them and yourself is a challenge, but with determination and patience it can be done. Reconnect with your inner teen - Think back to when you were a teenager. Remember how confusing, painful and fun it all was? Take a look through your high school yearbook. Remember the struggles, the tears and the laughter? Things may be a little different now with your kids, but those emotions are the same and we all had them. Tell your teen about your times, so they can relate to the person you was, when you were in their shoes. Find a quiet place - Offer to take your teen out to eat. Order take out fare and go to a local park and make sure you turn off the cell

Children are often born with a creative instinct of one type of another. Paying attention to the signals they give at a young age will help you, help them find their outlet and medium. A lifelong love and talent may be just within reach for your youngster. Many times you will notice a child has a love for some sort of creative activity that goes above and beyond a mere "liking". When A passion for something artistic is seen early it is imperative that the parent and/or teacher seize the opportunity and help the child develop it to the fullest potential. Helping to develop this passion and encourage it is easy to do once you see the signs they have more than just a passing interest. Signals should be fairly obvious in your youngster once they are able to show some sort of verbal or physical expression on their own that is not necessarily induced or provoked. Things to look for in your child that may suggest artistic and creative talent: 1. A passion for the a

Lets face it , kids are savvy negotiators these days. Long gone are the times when as a kid,one stern look from dad, or the sound of a belt buckle coming undone sent you into action. Here are some strategies and  tactics for getting  your clever kids to do their chores. Give them options - Let your kids decide from a list what chores they want to do. You make the list. Kids are far more willing to abide by their own choices than they are to follow your orders. Make sure you make the list according to their age and ability. When teaching young children to clean their rooms, make it as fun as possible, and break it down into small goals, ie: "pick up all the toys with the color red", etc. This keeps their mind active, and gives them small achievable goals. Offer Incentives - Give your kid an incentive list they can pick their own reward from. Here again, you want to have a limit and you want to name the reward. We don't want to promise things to them tha

Image via Wikipedia Is there anything worse than a spoiled child ? Yes, a spoiled adult child, the end result. Lets face it, we all have the yearning to always give our children everything they need and want, but to do so well beyond the childhood years is ridiculous. Being a constant "go to" for all your child's problems turns you into a crutch, they never learn to walk with out. Come up with a plan - Start teaching your children early on what you expect out of them. By the time your child is out of high school, they should have a plan in mind for life. Encourage them to discuss their plans with you. Offer suggestions, such as college, trade school , or they are going to have a full time job . If they seek higher education , via college or trade school and drop out before completing, teach them the err of their ways by insisting they pay back any money you spent to put them there. Make sure they understand what you expect by the time they reach adulthood.