Search Results for: blog giving teens a mental health day

Personal Day from School?

Do kids need to take personal days from school? I was watching “The View” the other day and they were talking about an episode on the sitcom, “The Middle.” The young boy asked his parents if he could take a personal day. Well that sparked a conversation between “The View” ladies about children being overscheduled. Actually, I tend to believe that there are times kids do need to take a personal day. I don’t have any hard-and-fast rules when it comes to this. But if one of my children has been working hard and doing well in school and hasn’t … Continue reading →

Giving Teens a Mental Health Day

I would like to take credit and say that I came up with the idea of giving teens a mental health day but it was actually a friend of mine. A few years ago, when my children were younger, our church had a special service for the graduating seniors in our youth group. Every year they do something unique and that particular year the seniors had put together a video where they expressed thanks to their parents and how their parents had helped them during high school. My friend’s daughter talked about a stressful time she was going through and … Continue reading →

Tearing it up for Father’s Day

In my last blog I threw out a couple unique Father’s Day gift ideas involving travel; specifically giving dad the chance to put the pedal to the metal—-legally. If your dad feels the need for speed you might consider gifting him with enrollment in a school that will allow him to get behind the wheel of a racecar. One of the most popular driving schools for racing fans is the Richard Petty Driving Experience. The program is offered at two-dozen tracks across the United States and has an annual enrollment of more than 100,000 drivers. (So, yes, it is very … Continue reading →

Father’s Day Travel Ideas—Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

Think about it; does your dear ol’ dad really need a new tie or yet another framed picture of you for Father’s Day? And those grill tongs you were considering gifting him with… are they really the way you want to honor him next month? If you are looking for a way to really wow your pop come June 15th how about putting your gift giving ideas in overdrive and letting him take a racecar out for a spin around an actual NASCAR oval. Driving schools are hotter than ever and for those who feel the need for speed it … Continue reading →

Setting Healthy Boundaries for Your Children (3)

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In the previous article in this series we looked at the most common violation of childhood boundaries: that of discussing adult issues such as financial difficulties and marital problems with your child. The other common boundary problem involves the physical boundary violation of childhood sexual abuse. So common is this phenomenon that, by the age of 18, over 70% of females report some level of sexual abuse. This issue is covered in several articles which can be found under the category of Sexual Harassment and Abuse. Today’s article focuses on more subtle boundary violations, in particular the inability by some … Continue reading →

Inexpensive Birthday Party Ideas

With Tyler’s birthday fast approaching it’s time for me to get into final planning mode. He’s really excited about turning six and not so much concerned about having a party, which is fine with me. I have promised him $50 dollars and a trip to Toys R Us to spend it. Other than that we will probaby keep things really, really simple. If you have an upcoming party to plan and are looking for ideas, especially those that won’t send you to the poor house, I have a few tips you may be able to use. I found them in, … Continue reading →

Does More Pressure Need to Be Put on Students?

I got an email from a website, “Online Degrees,” in which you can find a really interesting article, “Pressure from parents: Do students need more of it?” It was interesting to read this after coming off parent/teacher conferences. I have one child that truly cares about their schoolwork and is doing well. I have another child who could take it or leave it. Then I have a child that really doesn’t seem to care. Three very diverse students. The article cites a study done by the “Pew Research Center,” in which 6 in 10 Americans believe that parents aren’t putting … Continue reading →

November is National Adoption Awareness Month.

Every year in the United States, the month of November is set aside to promote awareness about the adoption of children from the foster care system. National Adoption Month, has been celebrated for over 20-years and started in May 1976, when Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis issued the first state Adoption Week proclamation. Later in the same year 1976 President Gerald Ford officially proclaimed National Adoption week by way of a letter to the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) conference. During the following years, Adoption Week was observed during the week of Thanksgiving in November. In 1986, NACAC coordinated … Continue reading →

What is Borderline Personality Disorder?

Although this disorder has a high profile, particularly in the media, there is often confusion about what this condition really is. As it is one of the most common of the personality disorders, manifesting in roughly 15% of the population, let’s firstly investigate some of the classic symptoms of borderline personality disorder. We’ll start by having a look at the typical lifestyle of Lila, aged 39, who was diagnosed in her late teens with Borderline Personality Disorder. Lila leads a tumultuous life. There always seems to be some drama happening that is causing her distress, but on closer inspection, an … Continue reading →