As a parent of a teenager, how would you describe your relationship with your teenager last year? Did it go as well as you had hoped? Are there any areas you would like to improve in the New Year? If honesty was required, than I bet every parent of a teenager would agree there is room for growth in their parenting relationship. Whether you are a veteran parent of a teenager or a newbie, here are some practical suggestions of how to improve your relationship with your teenager in the New Year.
1. Make a weekly time to have breakfast
The great thing about breakfast is it is usually the only time of the day when it is easy to be on time. No prior meetings can cause delays. No prolonged prior appointments will necessitate a need to reschedule or cancel. Some families find it helpful to find a morning during the week because they are already at home together. Others find a weekend morning better. Why not use this time to catch up on your teenager's activities for the day?
2. Make it a point to eat 3-5 meals together
I've heard there are studies that suggest eating meals together as a family decreases at risk behaviors in teens. I would attribute this to it provides a time for parents to stay consistently involved in your teenager's life happenings, more than just once a week. Use this time talk about what is taking place in their daily lives, not to lecture them. Out of 21 meals in a week, what 3 meals will you set aside to eat together with your teenager?
3. Improve communication with your teenager
Use your ears more than your mouth. If you are unsure what to talk about, find something to get your teenager's opinion on. If there is one thing a teenager likes to give, it's his/her opinion. Check out the popular culture blogs for some conversation starters. You do not have to necessarily agree, just have a dialogue with them.
4.Combine mutual hobbies and quality time
In today's overly scheduled society, both parents and teenagers can find it difficult to find some time to spend together. Why not combine the two. Does your teenager like be outside, and you like to exercise? Why not learn a sport together? Get your creative juices flowing!
5.Implement a Family Night once a month
A Family Night is simply a scheduled time where everyone in the family will be together. Even with hurried schedules, it is still possible to gather together once a month to spend time together. A Family Night has just one agenda: Fun, fun, fun - no lectures, no handling any conflict or discipline problems. Just some time to relax and be with one another. It can be as lavish as a dinner and play, or as relaxed as ordering pizza and watching pay per view.
6.Plan a family vacation
I know this sounds simple, and for some it even seems crazy given the difficult relationship you may have with your teenager. However, family vacations can also be healing for some parents and teenagers. A lot of conflict arises from miscommunication, short tempers, and just being exhausted. Family vacations allow parents and teenagers to relax and recharge. Involve your teenager in some of the vacation planning to give him/her a sense of ownership. This can decrease the amount of conflict and self reported claims of boredom on your family vacation
If last year did not seem to go as you had dreamed, then do not get discouraged! You now have over 300 days to strengthen your parenting relationship.
Colleen Mihelich has a tremendous love for animals and an understanding of the deep grief associated with their death, something she remembered when she lost her quarter horse Pepper when she was 16 years old. Many of us have been touched by the loss of a beloved pet, and since she understands the heartache of that loss, Mihelich chose to devote her career to the concept of helping others honor the love they have shared and grieve the loss of their pets through her website company that offers pet memorials.
Although Pepper was gone, Mihelich knew that the love she felt for her horse would never go away. That's why she decided that people needed a way to help keep their memories alive and created an online community, a pet memorial website. Here, grieving pet owners can choose handcrafted pet memorial products including custom pet grave markers, memorial pet urns, garden statue pet memorial stones, keepsake boxes, pet portrait and art and tribute paintings, glass art, burial boxes and more.
"We've all been through the difficult grief of losing pets, and people understand how hard it can be. Many of us found little nuggets of wisdom or inspirational stories along the way that have helped us move on," said Mihelich, founder of Peternity. "The loss of a pet is a very difficult thing. That's why grieving the loss is an important step towards healing; just as important as grieving the loss of a human."
Continually on the lookout for unique, handcrafted pieces of art to help her customers express their love, joy and memories, Mihelich believes that people wish to honor their cherished friends with elegance, dignity and honor, and that their pets deserve the very best. That's why her company searches for the finest craftsmanship and quality.
Her company also provides grieving support, and people can find links to pet loss information and pet loss counseling websites to help them say goodbye to their beloved pet. It's particularly helpful for parents assisting children with a pet loss. Guests on the website can create virtual pet memorials via a living pet memorial to share loving memories and favorite stories about their pets with family and friends, including a written tribute, and dialog and photographs that honor their pet's memory.
Bereavement counselor Marty Tousley says, "One of the biggest myths about the grief that accompanies pet loss is that it's somehow different than grieving the loss of a human. When love is lost it does not matter if it's a human or an animal, because we still feel grief."
The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) 2007-2008 National Pet Owners survey states that 63 percent of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 71.1 million homes, up from 56 percent in 1988. APPMA estimated the spending of $40.8 billion on pets in 2007 in the United States.
"It would be impossible to say how much we appreciate all that Peternity did in helping us with our stone for Buddy. It is just beautiful and we couldn't possibly be happier with how it turned out," said Alan and Stephanie Thomas.
Kristin Gabriel has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cure Anxiety, Heart Diseases and Aging Problems. A professional writer based in Los Angeles, California, Kristin Gabriel who works with Peternity.com, a place where people honor their pets for eternity.The company provides custom pet memorial products including grave markers, pet urns, garden statue pe. Kristin Gabriel's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.