Should Your Teen Get A Job? I was surprised to recently learn that when my oldest son turns 14 in a few months, he can legally get a job. I always thought you had to be 16 to get a job, but 14- and 15-year-olds can work as long as they work no more than three hours a day and 18 hours a week during the school year. They also can’t work past 7:00 p.m. during the school year.by Stacey Schifferdecker
Positive peer pressure? How can peer pressure be positive? After all, it is peer pressure that often lures our children and teenagers into skipping classes, experimenting with drugs and alcohol, and becoming sexually active. True, but peer pressure can also encourage your kids to strive for better grades, try a new positive activity such as a sport or drama club, and say no to dangerous activities.
Positive versus negative peer pressure
You have probably used the power of positive peer pressure with your children many times in their lives without realizing it. I remember a lunch play date when my children were toddlers and one of them did not want to eat his banana. Positive peer pressure won the day: when I pointed out his friend enjoying a banana, my son began to chow down too. READ More on Harnessing the Power of Positive Peer Pressure
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Juggling a family, a career and a relationship with our significant other can be a challenge for a family. With two children ourselves, a husband in a demanding career, and being a work at home mom, I know our lives can be very interesting to say the least. Here is a list of tips for daily living that can help manage your time and may help make things a little less hectic:
- Keep it simple, give two choices instead of asking “what do you want ____”
- Set limits on things like television, video games, and phone chatter … for everyone in the household. Eliminates arguing and gets everyone doing other things
- Make adjustments when you have to, you can’t be everywhere at once
- Don’t forget to consider your travel time, prep time, clean up time, waiting time
- Deal with things as they happen, (the mail came, sort it now instead of waiting until later – also eliminates clutter that you would have to clean up later)
- Get involved in a car pool to get kids where they need to go, school, soccer, baseball, football … sharing these tasks save you and someone else time and gas money!
- Follow routines and schedules, such as getting up at the same time and leaving at the same time daily…create a pattern/routine get home, do your homework, 30 minutes to watch tv/play game/read, dinner, get a bath, quiet time, bedtimeREAD More on Family Time Management – Tips for Daily Living
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by Stacey Schifferdecker
I was surprised to recently learn that when my oldest son turns 14 in a few months, he can legally get a job. I always thought you had to be 16 to get a job, but 14- and 15-year-olds can work as long as they work no more than three hours a day and 18 hours a week during the school year. They also can’t work past 7:00 p.m. during the school year.
by Stacey Schifferdecker
My mother-in-law has been talking about for years – taking my family and my sister-in-law’s family for a cruise. But the timing never worked out until now. This year, for the first time ever, my children’s schools and my nephews’ schools have spring break the same week. So hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to Mexico we go. I am a vacation planner junky, so naturally I am hip-deep in research about the best way to enjoy our cruise and keep six kids ranging in age from 7 (the only girl) to 14 happy and healthy for a week. So here is what I have learned – check back with me in March to see how the reality lives up to the research.
Filed under Family Vacations, Kids Activities by
by Stacey Schifferdecker
We usually think of peer pressure as being a problem for teenagers, but peer pressure is a fact of life for all of us, no matter what our age. At a recent school book fair, I overheard one child urge another to “Just put it in your bag” about the .45 cent eraser the first child did not have money to buy. Probably, neither child really thought that taking the eraser would be stealing, and they just needed to be gently reminded that taking something that doesn’t belong to us is wrong. But by taking steps now to teach your children to deal with peer pressure, you can give them the skills they will need as teenagers (and adults!) to withstand peer pressure.
"Are we there YET?" You've heard this for the thirteenth time in three minutes and you're nerves are about to shatter. "No, honey – we're a lot closer now than we were." Then you get the whines and the moans from the back seat. This is something that a lot of people have had to deal with during a vacation or other family trip. Long hours in cars and on airplanes do not mix with small children! They have short attention spans and their little brains are programmed to run, jump and climb like monkeys. They have no desire to sit for several more hours until you reach your destination. READ More on Keeping Kids Amused While Traveling
