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College is even more necessary to find a good job, and even more expensive. While the financial aspect is certainly something to consider, your child’s attitude is equally important to make college worth their time and your money. Here are a few things you should consider when thinking about how to put your kid through college.

Prepare financially. Everyone talks about opening a trust for their baby for their college fund, but few actually do it. If you have money when your kids are small, it is incredibly wise to find an investment. Don’t want to do it yourself? Hire an online trading broker who can invest your money wisely without you having to stress out about it. Even if your kids are older, investing your money is always a good idea.

Prepare mentally. Prepare your child to appreciate the benefits of a college degree. One of the best ways you can do this is by instilling a love of learning in your kid that will make them excited about (some) of their college classes. Encouraging them to find a major that truly interests them will help them appreciate their classes and excel. Remember, there is debate on whether it matter what their degree is in as long as they have one, so don’t squash their dreams of being an art major too quickly.

Do what’s best for your kid. Even if you have the money to cover your child’s college expenses, think about what will make them most appreciate the privilege of getting a college degree. Requiring them to pay a part of the cost of college could make them take it a little more seriously. Whether its through work, studies or a summer job, having them invest in their own future is a good thing.

College is a critical time in your child’s life, so prepare yourself early both mentally and financially to help them get the most out of it.

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You are raising a teen. That means that you have one of the biggest challenges to face. You need to take these people who were children and make them into productive members of society. It is not an easy task to do, though. Development of teens is often best in hands on environments.

Tips for Success

When it comes to teen development, you do have options. It is a good idea to spend some time focusing on what your teen’s need are and what your concerns are. The following tips can help you.

• When it comes to parenting teens, realize that it is a challenge. Everyone struggles at least a bit with the process. However, teens are testing the boundaries. They want to see what the consequences are.
• Realize that there is a great deal to teach teens. You need to teach them how to drive and how to note do drugs. You may need to teach them how to manage money, such as by using a Reach prepaid card. There is a lot to teach but taking it step by step helps.
• You need to realize that you are not the only one to educate your child. He or she will learn from teachers, other students and other adults. Sometimes this can be a challenge in itself.

As you consider the development of your teen, realize that if you take an active role in helping your child to grow, you will be fine. Most often, knowing their parents are there is all these kids need.

Time is valuable. A parent places value on their time, even if they don’t get paid by the hour in their work. Adults have priorities that are in different orders for different people. The parent may set aside time for their work and a hobby or sport like golf. This parent should also set aside time to relation to their child. Staying in tune with what is important to the youngster can help keep them on a productive path while evaluating their feelings and goals. An adult that doesn’t make time for their kids can find the children in trouble with no guidance from them. Tasks completed in this process range from asking about schoolwork, friends and even their wants and needs. Time with a parent allows children to check in and get feedback on how they are leading their lives.

Having patience is an important part of raising a child. As kids learn, they will make mistakes. A parent can have patience and help them learn during the process so, hopefully, the mistake is not repeated. These kinds of lessons can last a lifetime. Displaying patience can help the child feel comfortable coming to their parent with a problem or mistake. Building a good relationship with your child can lead to them making good decisions when they don’t have a parent to turn to. Setting a child up for success later in life is priceless.

Aside from medical needs and education expenses, one of the biggest money drains on parents is buying their teenagers clothing. Today, teenagers are under an enormous amount of pressure to feel like they fit in. They do this primarily with the clothing they wear. As a parent, you can aid their development by helping them understand the cost associated with clothing. Consider developing a yearly clothing allowance and using a Reach Prepaid Card to pay for the clothing.

Remember that your teen does not yet have the discipline to understand spending a budget over a period of a year. Because of this, it is important to reload the card several times over the course of the year. For example, if you have budgeted $1000 for their clothing, consider loading their Reach Prepaid Card at four times during the year, $250.00 each time. This will help make sure they stick to their budget.

Parenting a teen is costly, but, by enlisting their help, you can work to keep some of the costs in line while teaching them a valuable life skill.

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One of the most important things you can do as a parent is teach your teen how to manage and respect money. A young adult with good financial discipline has a better chance at being an independent adult.

Don’t Spend What You Haven’t Earned

As soon as your teenager is old enough to get a job, you should demand he do so. The fastest way to get a kid to respect money is to make him earn his own. Once he understands the value of a hard-earned dollar, the rest of the money education will be pretty easy.

Kids need to know that it is best to pay cash for the things they want. Reinforce the importance of saving money for those things. Since you’ll be paying for medical needs, food, shelter and basic clothing, make your teen buy the extra stuff. Help him learn how to save and budget. As he develops a new responsibility for money, you might even want to give him a Reach prepaid card so he can begin to learn about credit, too.

Make Sure Credit Cards Are Your Teen’s Responsibility

If you choose to get your kid a prepaid credit card, make sure it’s his money that you use to set the limit. Make him reload it. This is a great way to help your child visualize money that he doesn’t necessarily “see.” People get into financial trouble with credit when they start to think about those loans as something to worry about tomorrow.

As your child learns to use his card, he’ll also be building his own good credit score. That will be a great help when he’s ready to step out on his own. Make money management a key part of your child’s education.

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Parenting teens can be hard on both the teen and the parent. Depending on the issues that are at hand, parents may feel like their teens are out of control, and that they need help. This is not a bad thing, in fact, reaching out for help and understanding your limitations will help your child correct their behaviors. Often times parents feel that they need to have all of the answers, but in reality they don’t.

Sit Down and Talk

Sit with your teen and talk about issue that you feel they are having. Instead of accusing them, inquire about their life and try to get a feel for what is going on with him or her. This will give you an indication is there is a problem. Sometimes teens just need more independence. Things like a reach prepaid card is a great way to let feel grown up without letting them go crazy.

Begin to develop a relationship with your teen so that there is a level of comfort between the two of you. If the line of communication are opened up, then the talking, bonding, and healing can begin. For teens this is a hard process because they either feel ashamed of their actions, or are afraid you won’t understand.

The biggest deterrent for teens to have a relationship with their parents is the fact that they don’t want to be belittled or scrutinized. Maintain a respectful flow of conversation, and allow them to speak. To relieve the pressure, repeat what they said in your own words. This will really help them see that you understand.

When a teen first starts to drive, one lesson that parents can teach is financial responsiblity. The teen has to understand how to budget money for expenses such as gas, insurance and car maintenance. They can learn this through using a reach prepaid card and being taught the basics of monthly budgeting. Parents are role models for their teen by showing them how to save and to put bills before personal desires.

Enrolling your teenager is a driver’s education course is the perfect way to get them solid teaching on how to drive. These are offered through local schools during the summer, where your child will get both classroom and hands-on experience driving. Safety is one of the primary lessons taught, preparing your teen for unlikely events that may come up while driving. This is a good choice if you don’t have the time to teach your teen yourself.

You should also discuss with your teenager the danger of drinking and driving, driving while talking on a cell phone and driving aggressively. There are many videos and information guides available on these subjects from various organizations and the government. The time spent teaching your teenager to be a better driver will give you peace of mind and put a safer person in the driver seat.

Know Your Budget

Once you have worked out how much you can afford to spend on the car, stick to it. Your teenager may have ideas on what they want that are way out of your budget. Be firm with them and explain that it won’t be any more than the amount you have designated. Or they can save up and chip in for the rest of the amount if it is over your budget. If you have an existing car loan, you can look into car refinance to add to the budget.

Do Your Research

If you are buying a new car do your research to find the most economical model. A car may have an affordable price, but the upkeep may be too much for you and your teen to maintain. Look at aspects such as gas usage per mile, service checks to keep the car under warranty, and the cost of parts. Locally made cars will have cheaper parts compared to imported cars. If you are buying a used car, enlist the help of someone who knows about cars to help you make your choice.

Talk to Your Teen

Once you have figured out your budget and narrowed the car choices down to a few, talk to your teen about the responsibility involved. By doing this you will be able to gauge their level of awareness and responsibility when it comes to owning and taking care of a car.

Keeping the above in mind will make the process easier for you.

Learning how to discipline your teenager is one of the hardest things parents have to learn. Parents are often afraid that if they discipline their teenagers in the wrong way it could lead to their children hating them for the rest of their life. It is this fear that causes many parents to ignore disciplining their teenager and allow the child to become out of control. However, if disciplining your teenager is done in the right way your child will have some structure and you will not have to worry about them hating you for the rest of your life.

Here’s a look at some tips on how to discipline your teenager.

Discuss Your Feelings

It is important to discuss your feelings with your child when you are disciplining them. This allows them to see where you are coming from and why you disapprove of what they did. At the same time remember to listen to your child’s feelings as many children feel misunderstood and that can lead to problems.

Consequences for Their Actions

You need to lay out consequences for your child’s actions. They need to know that if they do something that is not approved of, there will be consequences. Consequences can range from taking away their allowance so they can’t afford their Coogi clothes or taking away Internet access for a week or so. Just make sure that the consequences are appropriate for the situation.

Disciplining your teenager can be tough but following some of these tips can help you develop a system that works for you and your child.

Communications skills can be defficient in a student schooled at home. They spend most of their time interacting with a parent and perhaps a sibling. This can lead the student to being deficient at listening and conversational skills if they do not have the opportunity to practice. Joining clubs or associations can be a great way to explore learning opportunities beyond the home while getting a chance to mingle and communicate with people their own age.

Teamwork may be another skill that can be developed outside of the home school environment. Most traditional schools offer team activities beyond regular athletics like chess and science competitions. The skills from working together on a team are desirable in many workplaces and are thus stressed in the college environment, too. Again, joining a club or association that allows the student to work with their peers on projects or goals like sports can be a valuable experience that they may not be exposed to at home. But browsing educational resources like accredited online colleges from home is far more beneficial for development of kids.

Communication and teamwork can be vital parts of a child’s development. Making sure that students are exposed to these opportunities can reap a lifetime of benefits.

Teenagers may embrace technology far more easily than one or two generations prior. Parents need to understand the technology that their children use to understand how they communicate with their peers and how they receive new information. Looking into a child’s technological channels helps a parent understand why their child thinks the way that they do. They adult may learn how the child receives their news and who they look to as role models.In the era of technology, parents need to understand the technology for their own needs as well like to use prepaid card for budgeting purposes etc.

Communication is not easy between parents and teenagers. Teens are generally busy with school and/or their friends. Their bodies also require more sleep than adults, so they may not provide as much access as an adult would like. It is important to make the time on the child’s time line if possible to communicate and find out what is going on in their lives. This is not a time to make judgements but just to listen and provide some guidance if necessary. Serving as a sounding board can help an adult to head off small problems with their children before things get out of hand.

There is no silver bullet for effective parenting. The two steps listed here are basic but vital to keeping the door open between a child and their parent. Understanding their perspective and talking with a child can be very effective factors to provide support to children as they mature.

Considering Your Options

Before engagement rings come into the picture, take some time to consider the children in your choice and take it slowly. Take time to discuss the possibility with the children to get an idea of where they are on the topic before you make any steps forward. Moving into this slowly and keeping in mind what they feel about the circumstances is vital to making it happen as comfortably as possible.

You want to be sure that you children understand that you love them very much and they are not losing you in this change. You want them to see you getting married as them gaining something, not losing anything, and as a positive experience in their lives.

This having been said, no matter how you feel about it you cannot simply expect them to think things are great and that it is a good idea. Take the time to talk things over before you make any solid plans or shop for engagement rings. Letting them know that you hear them and that they are important to you in your decision making-process is vital to success in your future with your fiancé.

Cell phones can be a big distraction. Many states have enacted laws prohibiting use of a cell phone while driving without a hands-free device. While a hands-free device can free up the hand of the person behind the wheel, some research has shown that the real distraction comes from having the conversation-not the act of holding the phone to your ear. This distraction is different from talking to someone that is riding in the car with you. A passenger can see some challenges, like an accident ahead, or traffic that is stopped. They may instinctively slow or stop their conversation or, better yet, offer to help by spotting exits or big hazards. The person on the other end of a cell phone conversation, however, cannot see any challenges that may face the driver. They will carry on their conversation regardless of the number of challenges facing the operator like slowing down, swerving to avoid a cow in the road, etc.

There are some options to remain free of distractions on the road. 1. Turn off the phone in the car. It may make more sense to return all calls when you are safely stopped. 2. Use technology. Some vehicles can “read” voice mails or e-mails aloud to the driver. Other equipment can actually jam your phone and not allow any calls to come in when the car is running.

Whatever option is chosen, it is important to remember that avoiding distractions when driving is crucial.

Goal setting can be learned by students at a very early age. A good teacher will tell them at the beginning of a lesson or series of lessons what the goal will be. It may be to learn calculus or medieval history. The goal is probably to learn the material and demonstrate this knowledge on a test of some sort as part of their education. Learning how to look forward to a goal and make the needed changes to meet that goal are skills that most employers find very valuable. Also should have ability to choose whether to be self employed as an online trading broker or go for country service.

Social development is another key skill that students learn in an educational setting. They may not have formal classroom training in this subject but they experience it everyday in the school environment. Learning how to interact effectively with peers is a lifelong skill that comes naturally to some while others may need practice. In the workplace, it is often the social skills that outweigh the job skills that one has. A bad interaction with coworkers or a supervisor can torpedo the career of a highly skilled individual. Learning how to interact effectively with others can take place in school if students take advantage of the opportunity. Making friends, joining groups and organizations can be a great way to learn about working with others while effectively utilizing the individual strengths in a group to accomplish a goal.

There is more to primary education than the “numbers and letters” that are learned. The work habits and social skills developed in these crucial few years can build the foundation for a successful adult.

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Many parents find that helping out for their kid’s school play is a daunting task. The biggest task parents’ face is coming up with and finding great costumes the kids can wear in the play. Schools don’t always have a huge budget for school plays and it’s up to the parents to find ideas for their kids’ costumes for the school play, but keep it on a tight budget.

When it comes to costumes for kids, it’s best to keep everything simple. This is a school play, so there’s no need to be over the top. Here are a few costume ideas for your school play.

The best way to save money on kids costumes would be to use sweat suits. For example, if you’re dressing kids up as penguins, you can use black sweat pants, a white top and a black zipper sweater. This is a much better alternative than buying suits. Another option would to start with a black sweat suit, and then stitch on a white stomach, which will also be inexpensive if you know how to sew.

Many kids’ costumes will be superhero roles, which means he or she will need a nice long cape. Creating a cape is really easy. All that’s needed is felt or fabric to make the cape and some little sequins to decorate the cape. These items can be purchased at a craft store or online.

Baseball hats are often needed in kids costumes. Parents want to see their kid’s faces on stage so using a baseball hat could help.

The best way to find kids costumes for a school play would be by doing an Internet search. There are so many available choices online. You can try to use a classroom to create the costumes if there isn’t enough room in your home. Creating costumes for a school play isn’t difficult or expensive if you use your resources.

A key factor in teens that get into trouble in school or have brushes with the law or use drugs boils down to free time. If a child has a lot of time with no scheduled activities, unscheduled activities are likely to happen. There is nothing wrong with unscheduled activities on their own but trouble happens when a young person is unsupervised and the wrong type of activity fills the gap. That could be associating with kids who are a bad influence or just trying things that are dangerous with existing friends. Having sports in the life of a young person reduces the amount of free time on their hands. Being involved in sports involves practice for individual and team skills and competition. The competition also may involve travel to compete against other schools or regions. This adds up to less time that a child has to find trouble.

The second benefit of getting your teen involved in sports is the development of character. This term means different things to different people. A general definition of character that can be built through sports is a sense of following the rules, working with others and caring about others. Another trait that can be developed is the quest for success or winning. Organized team sports have rules that must be learned and followed to participate. This can be good practice for a young adult that must follow rules when they have left school and the guidance that it can provide.

Keeping a young adult busy is no easy task. Finding a sport that they enjoy and encouraging their involvement can pay big dividends.

For some people, there’s nothing quite like getting out a fresh piece of paper and a pen and writing down your thoughts. There are other journal options for those who don’t choose to write down their thoughts. You can have a loved one take a picture of your growing belly on a week-by-week basis, jotting notes on the back of the images. Use a video camera to record your thoughts and show how you changed throughout the pregnancy. Keep a digital journal by using a voice recorder to document your thoughts. The recording can only be transcribed at a later date if you want a hard copy.

In your journal, you can document your pregnancy week by week. Comment on questions you have then fill in the answers as you come across them in your own research, from your friends, and from your regular doctor visits. Keep a record of the plans you have for yourself and for your baby. Make sure you include all the steps you are taking to ensure that you are doing the best you can for your growing child. Write down dietary changes such as avoiding caffeine and eating more fruits and vegetables. Keeping exercise records in your journal to show how you are staying in shape during the pregnancy.

Keeping a journal is a great way to sort through your feelings. It also provides a special time for you to concentrate on your own well-being as well as the baby’s. Journaling is also a great way to look back and remember the experience after your baby is born.

Regardless of the source, an addiction is condition in which the person is dependent. This person is addicted psychologically and physically. Thus the only way to allow him to leave this vicious cycle is to first prepare his mind and body to be weaned. For example, consider someone who is dependent on cigarettes. When a relative or friend that they liked most of all dies suddenly of lung cancer, the dependent person, who previously did not care a lot about what may happen to his own health, suddenly realizes he does not want to join their loved one. This can be a strong fear that gives him enough strength to resist the temptation.

The threat of death is an example of a reason to hammer into the heads of your son or daughter that will ensure that they will not be tempted. You can use heroin addiction as an example to explain to your child the dangers. The addict will pain associated with being physical deprived, but also with the behavioral symptoms and the constant habit of wanting a drug to make them lose control.

The successful completion of a practical test can lead to your teenager obtaining a driver’s license. Your teenager will need to keep a clean driving record and drive in a safe manner to do so. Therefore, understand that the learner’s permit entitles the holder to drive while accompanied by a person who holds a permanent driving license for a number of years. Thus, a your teenager may decide to practice driving between two choices either with a professional course or being supervised by a parent.

To do this with a parent, your teenager can go through quiet streets that are not too busy and learn to park in large mall parking lots in order to feel confident. This way they will learn how to drive correctly before driving in busy traffic. When he receives his permanent license, the young driver can drive without being accompanied. Once a young person starts to drive, he will need to be covered by car insurance policy from his parents.

However, he will eventually need his own car insurance in order to receive adequate protection. Keep in mind that it is more expensive to obtain car insurance for a driver under the age of 25 years old. Once he is fully insured with a permanent license, the new driver can put his driving knowledge to good use and finally go wherever he wants safely.

Driving courses for passenger vehicles have two distinct parts: a theory and a practical part. Before you get behind the wheel of a car, you must understand how the road system, and drive in a safe manner.  In the theory part of the driving course, the future driver will learn in detail about the traffic laws, the proper operation of a vehicle, the meaning of road signs and the different rules and procedures to follow to become a defensive motorist.

After his theory course, the student must undergo a knowledge test. If he has successfully completed, he will get his learner’s permit and is able to use for at least a year. The success of theory examination is followed by a practical course of driving. During these courses, the future driver shall learn how to drive a vehicle under the supervision of a qualified instructor who will provide guidance and monitor the driving skills of the student with each driving lesson. The instructors are dedicated to improving the confidence of young learner drivers and helping them have good driving habits while correcting their mistakes.

It’s considered an epidemic on college campuses. It eats away at the brain, sometimes leads to diseases, frequently leads to bodily injury, and flirts with death. What is it? Binge drinking. A very serious issue on college campuses. Binge drinking occurs when an individual decides to drink numerous alcoholic drinks in a short period of time with the intent to get drunk. While this may seem like fun at the time, there can be serious repercussions ranging from illness to death. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, 44 percent of four-year college students drink alcohol at a binging level.

Brace yourself for some sobering statistics. The Center for Science in the Public Interest highlights studies that show that students who binge drink often deal with broken sleep patterns (not good for grades or classroom participation);property damage; and physical, verbal, or sexual violence. It gets worse. TheNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism chartered a study that figured that an estimated 1,7000 college students die annually from unintentional alcohol-related injuries. Approximately 30,000 college students require medical treatment annually, after overdosing on alcohol. The studies state that each year, 400,000 students, aged 18-24, engage in unprotected sex, with more than 100,000 students reporting that they were too intoxicated to know whether or not they gave sexual consent.

This seems very depressing, but there is something you can do about it. Education is a powerful tool. It’s critical that you sit down with your college student and discuss the facts — even if they are a current teetotaler. The information can save them at a later date or even help them help their friends. Teach the difference between social drinking and binge drinking. If it seems like the temptation to binge is too strong, your child might want to go to a website such as earmydegree.com to learn about online education opportunities.

Online survey software tools are being used to measure drug, alcohol and cigarette use among adolescents nationwide since 1975. The survey is conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. Categories of drug use broken down by grade as well as by life-time use, past year use and past month use.

According to the study results from 2009, cigarette smoking dropped among all three survey groups. This is significant because addiction to tobacco is considered one of the top preventable contributors to many U.S. health problems.

Lifetime use of methamphetamines also dropped significantly from 2004 to 2009. For 8^th-graders, lifetime use went from 2.3 percent to 1.6 percent. Amphetamines, alcohol and cocaine use also showed steady, five-year declines for 10^th and 12^th graders.

Teen attitudes toward substance abuse also showed many positive changes which is a good indicator of future changes in use. Senior perceptions of the harmfulness of LSD, amphetamines, heroin, cocaine and several other drugs have increased while their perception of the availability of several drugs has decreased.

Despite these positive notes, the study results show some points of concern. Marijuana use which had been declining consistently since the mid-1990’s, has remained virtually unchanged over the last five years with past month usage up in all three grades studied in a year-on-year comparison.

The use of smokeless tobacco also increased significantly for 10^th graders in all three categories. Prescription drug use has also been on the rise for 10^th graders with an increase in past year nonmedical use of Vicodin and Oxycontin for the previous five years.

Seniors reported that they were able to obtain prescription drugs which they used for nonmedical reasons either by buying them from a friend or relative or being given them (52 percent) or getting them by prescription (30 percent). Very few 12^th graders purchased these drugs over the Internet.

If you aren’t teaching these things to your child, it’s possible that your child will never learn them properly. They aren’t really talked about much in school, and peers often don’t have those skills, either, so they won’t be taught by friends. It’s up to you as a parent to make sure your child is prepaid. Teach that child (male or female) how to cook and clean, and get your child a prepaid debit card so that money management can be learned, as well. Make sure you show your child by example when it comes to things like humility and honesty, because it’s harder to tell a child why he or she should do something if you’re not doing it.

The old ‘do as I say and not as I do’ rule doesn’t apply very well today, and parents that want their children to grow up into strong, healthy, well-rounded adults should show those children how a person like that

acts. It’s a great way to further your personal growth and your child’s education at the

Helping your Teen Understand Nutrition Information

Understanding what she is taking into her body and how it impacts her can help your teen have a healthier attitude about eating.

Protein – is the main component of muscles, hair nails, skin, eyes and internal organs. It is necessary for growth and healthy red blood cells. Proteins can be found in dairy products such as cheese, milk and yogurt, soy products such as tofu and soymilk, beans, nuts poultry, beef and fish.

Carbohydrates – is a source of energy and an essential structural constituent of animal cells. It plays an integral role in the functioning of muscles, internal organs and the nervous system. Carbohydrates include simple sugars and more complex macromolecular sugars. Foods high in carbs include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. However, carbs that should be limited are the simple kind such as pre-packaged cookies, cakes and soda. Simple carbs have a negative effect on the body’s blood sugar and on a teen’s mood.

Fat – is your body’s energy reserve and it also insulates you. Your body will burn it like fuel when your diet doesn’t provide enough fat. Most people think of fat as bad but there are both positive and negative fats. Negative fats include saturated fats which are found in animal products and hydrogenated fats which are used in many pre-packaged baked goods. Positive fats include Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. A lack of these has been linked to depression, ADHD and learning disabilities. Good sources are flax, cold water fish, olive oil and avocados.

College rankings are important. Attending Harvard or Stanford might be the ideal, but few students get past the ivy walls that bar entrance to these elite universities. Even though attending an Ivy League university might provide students with the most opportunities, choosing the best college goes beyond ranking.

Will your child graduate? That might be the most important question to ask before deciding to send a child to a certain school. That requires determining a level of comfort. Some schools might lack the level of comfort necessary for a student to succeed. Students from a small town might not be ready to attend a major university. Going from a town of 4,000 to a campus of more than 40,000 might be too big of a leap for some students.

The most damaging financial decision of a lifetime might be starting college at an expensive school and never finishing. Parents and their children need to perform proper research prior to deciding on a college. Web sites such as elearners.com provide parents and children with the necessary information to make informed decisions before deciding on a school. By doing research on the Internet, parents and students can widen their search and not be bound by travel budgets. Going across the country to look for a school might not fit a budget, but looking up all the relevant information online fits any budget.

How to Know Your Teen is Being Bullied

Many kids won’t broadcast they are being bullied so parents need to watch for the signs. Your teen might invent ways to get out of school or other situations in which they experience bullying. Trouble sleeping and concentrating can also indicate your teen is being bullied. Behavioral changes such as depression, irritability and even physical illness are also good indicators. Knowing your teen’s regular routine and watching for changes in it is a good sign he is being bullied.

If your child is being bullied, it is important to help him know that there isn’t anything wrong with him and that he is loved and accepted. Restoring his self confidence will go a long way toward moving on from bullying.

What Teens can Do

Avoidance is a good idea; however, your child should not have to drastically alter his life to avoid a bully. For example, your teen can take a different route to class if a particular hallway is a problem. If your teen is confronted, encourage him to walk away. Most bullies thrive on the reaction so no reaction provides little incentive to bully.

If your child can’t avoid a bully, tell him to stand tall and talk convincingly to show the bully he can’t be pushed around. Your teen should avoid physical violence which usually just makes the situation worse.

What Schools Should Do

It is incumbent on your teen’s school to keep the attending children safe, including keeping them safe from each other. Make sure the school is informed of any instances of bullying and follow up to make sure the school takes action. If you feel your concerns are not being addressed, contact the school board or PTA.

Moving to a smaller place means getting rid of unnecessary items, which can be a painful process for many people. Try to distance emotions from items. After all, things can be discarded, but the memories endure. Keep the items that are treasures. There is almost always room from wedding gifts or college diplomas, but gift shop items from a trip to a museum or old DVDs might have to go. If moving from a Richmond home to a location such as Virginia Beach apartments requires sacrificing some clutter, consider it a healthy exercise in managing items, rather than downsizing. To assuage the guilt of getting rid of items, consider finding them a home. Try giving away items with sentimental value to family, or try finding a charity that needs toys or old furniture.

Do not let a move to a smaller place cause unnecessary stress. Moving to a smaller home is a natural part of life as family members grow up and move on to homes of their own. If a financial situation forces the move, consider it an example of the process of life accelerating. Moving to a new location might not always be by choice, but the move does not have to be unnecessarily stressful. Manage the move and make careful decisions with cherished items to make the move more a transition than an extreme change.

Mood swings are when your teen’s feelings fluctuate between euphoria and depression. As a parent of a teen, you have probably seen your child ecstatic one moment and crying the next. With extreme mood swings, there is no in between and moderate behavior may be almost completely nonexistent. When will this end?

A Teenage Brain

First, we must look at what a teen’s brain is doing developmentally. A teenager’s brain, especially the pre-frontal cortex, is still undergoing major growth. This area of the brain is responsible for a teen’s judgment, self-control and planning. The lack of completed development is evident in a teen’s risk-taking behavior. Or, you might remember a time when you’ve asked your teen why he did something, such as eat the lasagna you made for dinner, and he didn’t have a good answer. That is his lack of judgment showing.

So this is good news because eventually, your teen will mature; however, the bad news is there isn’t much you can do for mood swings in a teenager, except tolerate it. As a parent, you also need to know when your teen’s mood swings aren’t normal.

Clues Mood Swings are Something More

• Depression that persists for more than two weeks and is disabling
• Casual comments or queries about suicide
• Destructive or aggressive behavior. It is important to set limits but also teach your teen anger management skills
• Eating disorders such as teen bulimia and anorexia. Watch your teen for extreme fluctuations in weight.
• Alcohol and drug abuse

According to research, the inexperience and immaturity of teen drivers is aggravated by speed, drinking and driving, not wearing seatbelts, driving at night and distracted driving.Therefore, the NHTSA has developed a site to provide information about increasing seat belt use, implementing graduated driver licensing (GDL), reducing teen access to alcohol and parental responsibility.

Seat belt use – In 2006, observed seat belt use among 16- to 24-year olds stood at just 76 percent, the lowest of any age group. For the same year, 58 percent of people aged 16 to 20 who were involved in fatal crashes were unbuckled.

GDL laws – Three-stage GDL laws have been shown to address the issues of immaturity and inexperience, they primary factor contributing to deadly crashes of teens. These laws reduce high-risk exposure for new drivers. The District of Columbia and 46 states employ these laws and analysis shows that crashes have decreased as much as 50 percent for 16- to 17-year olds.

Teen access to alcohol – A major deterrent for violating youth access laws is enforcing in a highly visible way the laws governing underage purchase, possession and provision laws. Parental responsibility is also key in helping teens stay safe.

Parental responsibility – Setting standards for your teen and enforcing is central to safe driving. Remind your child driving is a privilege, one he will lose if he doesn’t follow the rules.

• No alcohol
• Always use seatbelts
• No cell phone or texting while driving
• Curfew
• Maximum of one passenger at all times
• GDL

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Tax refunds are always a source of great joy. Even though technically it is a refund on money that you have paid out elsewhere — to many people it can feel like extra money in their pocket. After the joy of getting that large tax refund has worn off it is time to start planning what to do with it. While many people will use the tax money to pay bills, the second most common thing to use arefund on is a family vacation.

Family vacations are a wonderful idea and something that not every family gets the chance to experience. With the economy being as bad as it is many families have decided to skip the family vacation and use the money for bills. Now with this tax refund it feels as if you have a bit of extra money to spend and a family vacation just might be that fun, relaxing time your family needs.

After making the decision to use your income tax refund on a family vacation the next hard decision is to decide where to go. There are literally thousands of vacations destinations out there to choose from. You can head to a traditional family vacation hotspot like Disney World or you could had to a more unique family vacation spot like skiing in Utah or mountain hiking in Montana. There are so many choices that there is certain to be something that your family will enjoy.

No matter where you choose to go or what you plan on doing on your family vacation one thing is for certain, you will be giving your family something that they will remember forever. The memories and family bonding time that you will have while on a family vacation will make the trip well worth it and something that your kids will thank you for as they grow older.

Symptoms of Stress

• Chronic fatigue — constantly tired
• Anger at people making demands and self-criticism for putting up with demands
• Negativity and irritability
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Exploding easily at seemingly inconsequential things
• Frequent headaches and stomachaches
• Weight loss or gain
• Difficulty sleeping and depression
• Shortness of breath
• Suspiciousness
• Feelings of helplessness
• Increased degree of risk taking

What Parents Can Do

• Be sensitive to any changes in your teen’s behavior or moods
• Once you recognize one of the signs of stress, try to identify what is causing the stress
• Spend time with your teen just having fun. Not only can down time help reduce stress but it can also help build stronger relationships
• Give your teen the opportunity to learn stress management techniques. These can range from learning time management to breathing exercises
• Help your teen have realistic expectations academically as well is in any extracurricular activities he might participate
• Encourage your child toward exercise or sports which can help prevent or minimize feelings of stress.
• Don’t pass your stress to your teens. This can only double their load, not lessen yours.
• Help your child to build their relationships with others. Being able to share their feelings with friends or family members who care can help relieve their stress.

Stress is a necessary part of our lives. Some stress is healthy. Like exercise, stress helps us grow stronger. Helping your teenager understand this will help them throughout his life.

Talk to them about what good makes up a good relationship. For many teens, media might seem like a good source of dating information but it really isn’t. It isn’t realistic and doesn’t necessarily demonstrate what it is like to be loving and supportive. It also helps to set a good example with your own relationship with your significant other.

Don’t stop talking to your teen about relationships when they start dating. Since dating doesn’t always go as one hopes or plans, your child needs to have someone he or she can talk to about problems as they arise. You can’t remind him too often about how he should be treated or treat others.

Be kind to your teen’s date when you meet him. It can be hard not to lecture another child about rules and responsibilities but the person who needs that talk is your teen. It’s her job to respect the rules. Only intervene if you think your child is in danger.

Not sure what the danger signs are? Here are some tips of a potentially unhealthy relationship:

Symptoms of depression

Signs of physical abuse

Constant contact – visits, texts, phone calls

Constantly having to check in

It can be difficult to see your child getting close to other people and dating but if you take the time to explain what good relationships are and listen to what your teen says about his own relationships, you can help him make good decisions.