If you’ve been going around in circles or hitting a dead end with your teenager when it comes to the conversation about the importance of getting good grades in high school in order to expand future career options, I’m going to suggest you try a new approach. To a teen, 25 seems really old and they often have difficulty making the connection between how their efforts in school now can enhance their career opportunities later. In their minds, they have their whole life ahead of them (what does Grade 10 math have to do with anything?). Rather than nagging, judging, or scolding your teen, change the conversation. Here’s how.
The toddler and preschool years are filled with discovery and exploration. We want our children to have creative experiences, and we expose them to new materials. We take our toddlers to art class, dance class, and parent-and-me music lessons. We take our preschoolers to hands-on museums; bring out the finger paint and glitter to make Valentine’s and other holiday crafts for class parties; buy coloring books, and chubby markers for little fingers.
As parents, we often hear stories about the shadowy side of social media. While problems can crop up, the networking tool can be instrumental in helping kids learn, connect, raise awareness, and grow into more mindful communicators.
As children develop, they begin to make friends and lose friends. As infants, they interact with adults and engage in parallel play when other children are present. As they develop, they begin to interact more with other children. By early elementary school, many children have a best friend or a group of friends with whom they play regularly. In late elementary school, groups of friends begin to develop and by junior high and through to high school, groups of kids associate with one another. This helps them to prepare to enter into adulthood and leave the family.
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