Keep Your Teen Safe on the Road

The time has come! Your teen has just received his license and the worry begins. Summertime is here and that means your teen will be spending more time on the road.

Here are some tips for keeping your teen safe on the road this summer and beyond:

• Set ground rules as to when your teen can use the car. Daytime driving in the beginning, at least for the first six months; then gradually allow your teen to drive at night; but only up until a certain hour.
• Teach by example. Don't: drive and use a cell phone; eat while driving; tailgate or speed; invoke any road rage when driving; drink and drive.
• Wearing seat belts is a law; therefore, follow all of the rules and regulations taught in driving school. Your teen will take note, and follow your lead.
• Limit the areas where your teen can drive, at least until he or she has been driving for a while.
• Do not allow any passengers in the car for at least six months. They need to understand the rules of the road, and not engage in conversation with friends. These can ultimately distract them causing an accident.
• Ensure your car is well maintained. Check the following regularly: tires; windshield wiper fluid; water; brakes; windshield wipers, etc.
• Accompany them as much as possible in the beginning; pointing out hazards they may come across such as potholes, construction, and the like. Mix up the routes so they become used to driving to different places.
• Take your teen to the gas station. Teach them how to pump the gas and which type to use in your car. Teach them how to put air in the tires as well.
• If you don’t already have one, purchase an emergency road kit, and explain each item to the teen.
• Teach your teen how to change a tire, how to use road flares, and what to do in an emergency.

These tips for keeping your teen safe on the road this summer probably need to be mentioned often to help them remember. Another thing to point out is that while they are a safe driver, others on the road may not be.

Back to School: Setting Rules Before the School Year Begins

Before teens begin to prepare for the new school year, it is important to set boundaries beforehand so they know what is expected of them as they continue on with their high school studies.

Curfew: A specific curfew should be set on school nights and weekends, especially if there are tests involved or they haven’t caught up with homework assignments, reports, or papers. If the teen does go out with friends, the parent should be told where he or she is going, and who will be accompanying them.

Homework: A certain amount of time should be allotted to homework and studying. No TV, video games, music, telephone conversations, or any other distraction should be present when teens study and/or work on their homework assignments.

After-School Employment: There are some teens who would like to earn extra cash, and working after school for a few hours a day might be considered. However, if it interferes with school work, or they begin putting in too much overtime, an alternative arrangement has to be made so that high school studies come before anything else.

Sleepovers: If your teen asks to stay at a friend’s house on the weekend, a curfew should be set in place and the parents of the other teen should be informed as well. In addition, unless a parent is present, it is recommended that your teen not be allowed to spend the night.

Report Cards: If a teen brings home a report card that signifies he or she is not doing well in all subjects, perhaps it would be time to discuss the reasons why the grades are low and find ways they can be improved. In the course of the discussion, perhaps your teen will open up and tell you about a certain problem or issue.

The teen years are fraught with self-image problems, physical and emotional problems, and anger and frustration. It is recommended that parents keep the lines of communication open with their teens. To let them know they understand and will always be available to listen or give advice if asked.

Remembering what it was like being a teenager, some may say it was great while others may say “it was no picnic.” Either way, teens need to feel safe, yet have room to breathe and grow. Though teens would never admit that parameters are a good thing, preparing and setting boundaries for the new school year is one way in which parents can help.

Tips On Avoiding Yeast Infections

We've all had them...we all hate them...yeast infections. If you have managed to escape the joy of one of these in your lifetime, then consider yourself very lucky! Those of us who haven't been so lucky...listen up! You know what a pain it is to get rid of one, so why not avoid one before it even starts?

Try these tips and you may just cut down on those nasty infections:

• Perfumed soaps are a no-no. They don’t lather well, but they make you skin smell great. After a week or so, you notice an itch down below that you can’t seem to get rid of. Itching turns to redness which becomes inflamed almost overnight. Perfumes may be okay for the rest of the body, but they irritate the vaginal area. Candida albicans, the fungus that causes yeast infections are allowed to grow out of control when the good bacteria of the vagina are decreased by the perfume in the soaps. Use a non-deodorant soap to clean this delicate area and rinse thoroughly.
• Avoid antibiotics when possible. Antibiotics, when taken for the full ten day course, cause vaginal yeast infections. One infection is cured, but another that is just as painful crops up. What to do? Eat yogurt. The live bacterial cultures counteract the effects of the antibiotics. As soon as your doctor prescribes an antibiotic for you, load up on the Dannon! Actually any yogurt will do. One container a day should be enough.
• Shed the wet clothing. Fungus and other kinds of bacteria love moist, wet places on the body. They are ideal spots for growth. After a day in the pool or a hard workout at the gym, change out of those damp clothes as soon as possible. You may not feel wet in the vaginal area after a workout, but if you are sweating heavily everywhere else, you are damp there, too.
• Tighter is not better. Tight fitting underwear and pants increase the heat in the vaginal area. There is no way for air to circulate and keep the genitals cool and dry. Loosen up, literally. Choosing cotton underwear over nylon will absorb the wetness and keep it away from the body. Pants don’t have to be baggy, but they should have room to breathe.
• Put away that vinegar and water. Many women feel the need to cleanse their vaginal area after their menstrual period. There are several kinds of douches and sprays on the market for that purpose. My gynecologist told me that there was no need to use anything but plain soap and water to clean the vaginal area. Using a cleansing product internally upsets the acidic environment of the vagina, wiping out the natural bacteria.

Vaginal yeast infections are not life threatening, but they can interrupt your daily life. Pass these tips along to the young ladies in your household too. If they begin to follow these simple tips and incorporate them into their daily hygiene regimen, they can live their life hopefully yeast-free!

Kids CAN Help Out With Chores!

It’s never too early to ask your kids to help you with chores around the house. You can even start as early as two years old. While children mature at different rates, you can still determine what age appropriate chores are best suited for toddlers, kids, tweens and teens. Here's a little guide to help you:

Toddlers - These little balls of fire can certainly help you around the house. Start by giving them some of these simple tasks: making the bed; picking up their toys; feeding the family pet; helping you put laundry into the basket; or cleaning up split milk on the kitchen floor. These chores would be most suited to two and three year olds. You can teach your toddlers to do their chores by making a game out of it or singing a song while completing each task. It will give them a sense of pride and accomplishment. Yes, even at that young age.

4's and 5's - You can ask them to help you: set the table; dust around the house; help make cookies; help you carry grocery bags (as long as you make it light for them).

6 thru 8's - This age can really dig into the chores by: taking care of the pet they’ve always wanted; helping you vacuum the floor; taking out the trash or folding the laundry. You can even ask them to help you prepare meals. Think of the experience they are getting at this early age.

Tweens (9-12) - This age group really has their work cut out for them. Some of the more vigorous chores can be relegated to outside work: rake the leaves; wash the car; help clean out the garage. If you need help inside the house, they can certainly help you prepare meals; dust and vacuum the house; wash dishes or clean the bathroom. Certainly they would be old enough to make their beds; clear their room of debris; organize their toys, etc...

Teens - These 13's and up tend to pose a different problem altogether. Sometimes they are willing to help, and other times not. It depends on how you’ve raised them. If they have been helping out since they were two, you won’t have a problem. In fact, they can do almost anything you ask of them. Be sure they can manage whatever task you assign, however. If you’ve taught them well, they have the ability to prepare meals; clean the kitchen; wash windows; do the laundry; just about any indoor and outdoor chore you need.

It's important to build your child's self-esteem and self-worth by teaching them to be independent at a very young age. This can be accomplished with the assignments of age-appropriate chores and LOTS of guidance :)

Are You the Parent of a Teen? Check Out This Free Teleseminar!

You know I always like to let you know about FREE stuff that comes my way...here's a free teleseminar to help you help your teen:

If you’re like most parents of teens, you want to do everything you can to help your teenager be successful in high school. But do you sometimes feel frustrated because you aren’t sure how you can help? You want to help with homework, but don’t remember algebra?

Linda Hinkle, a veteran high school teacher, is hosting a free teleseminar in which she will discuss various strategies parents can use to help keep abreast of their teen’s academic progress. You will also receive her free report “The High School Journey: What to Expect From Freshman to Senior” as soon as you sign up for the teleseminar. You can sign up and see all the details at http://www.parentsguidetohighschool.com

Check it out and let me know how it goes...

Problem with Your Teenagers? Get Some Help Here

Do you have teenagers in the house? Would you sometimes like to kick them OUT of the house? There is help...and Lord knows, teenagers (and the parents of teenagers) could probably use it the most. With all of the crazy stuff going on in today's world, it's comforting to know that people still care.

A friend of mine, Aurelia Williams, is one such person. She has started a new podcast called Parenting My Teen. Aurelia sits down with and talks to parents of teenagers and attacks some of today's toughest issues involved with raising them.

Go over to http://www.parentingmyteen.com and listen to her most recent podcast with Marie Ynami. She is the mother of 2 teenagers - a 15 year old girl and a 14 year old boy. Like many parents, she often questions if she is doing a good job parenting her children. Together, Aurelia and Marie delve into the challenges she faces while parenting her teens. Topics they cover include cursing, punishments and communication. You don't want to miss this very touching, informative and eye-opening segment!

Check it out and let me know what you think!