Sanity Maintenance While Raising Teenagers

If you are like everyone else you see tons of articles about how difficult it is to be a teenager, but what about us parents?

Yes, I know the about the raging hormones, the importance of fitting in, finding your niche in the world etc. and yes that is all challenging.

But as parents of teens today we face even greater challenges with how the world has changed and become a different place since our day. With drugs, media and a violent world, guiding teens towards making the best choices is a treacherous feat. Peer pressure and influence is more important to them, but a good parent relationship provides a solid base from which they operate,

The mother of 3 boys (all teens at once) and now a teenage daughter, I have to check in now and then to make sure my sanity is intact and Im still rational.

I will never forget the day I got a new white dress. I never wear white, as it never stays white on me. But this day was an exception and I thought I would get in the car, drive directly to work and "stay white". After all, what could happen?

As most mothers notice from driving kids all over, from time to time there is a spare M&M or other candy that has escaped the kids in the car calling our name. While driving 60mph on a winding mountain rd. towards work in my new very white dress, I happen to notice a huge yellow gumball that had managed to elude all my kids. Aha! I thought, this one is for me! I quickly grabbed the sugary round and popped it into my mouth and bit into it immediately.

The first millisecond I noticed bright yellow liquid projecting out of my mouth and all over the inside of the windshield. EEEKKK! As I hit the brakes, since I could not see thru the window, the second millisecond I notice a strange, horrible and thick liquid draining down my throat, coating like no other I had ever experienced. The third millisecond as Im screeching to a stop, I see yellow liquid running down the front of my not so white new dress!

I open my car door to spit what is left of the "neon yellow liquid" out of my mouth to realize it was a paint ball! AAAAKKK!

Imagine my boss’s reaction to me calling in late to explain I had to go home change my dress since I ate a paintball. Teenagers!

Yes you see my sanity solution to raising teens is to keep them busy with sports and or music.
The advantages of both are:

And all of the above improves our mental health as it shows them we have an interest in them as we support their activity.

 Now keep in mind that a busy active teen is learning time management, prioritizing, how to achieve goals, and many other important positive attributes to benefit them as adults.

As parents we need to explore what their interests are, encourage them to pursue those interests and support that pursuit.

What if they don’t like sports? How about chess, music, art, gardening, cooking, carpentry or whatever they enjoy that is positive and productive! What a difference it makes in creating well-balanced independent young adults. And what a difference it makes for us parents while surviving the teenage years! Whew!

Suzanne Docimo

Since working at home for yourself has become the fastest growing segment of the job market today, it is no wonder people are getting fed up with the corp. world. Time spent commuting, rising fuel costs, and just plain working for someone else has little reward. So millions are looking for a way out or a better, more fulfilling way to live the life they desire.

You probably know that the only way to truly become wealthy is to be in business for yourself.

So with all the thousands of home businesses how do you know the scams from the honest, legitimate home businesses?

Here is a checklist to gauge any opportunity you are considering.

1. How long has the company been in business?
2. What kind of track record do they have?
3. What kind of competition?
4. Is the product something people actually need and want?
5. Is it priced fairly?
6. Is it a business you would be happy to promote?
7. Are they interested what your desires and goals are?
8. Do they have a strong training and support system?
9. Do they appear to just want to sell you on getting started or
10. Give you information for you to make an informed decision?
11. Is the person presenting the opportunity someone you feel comfortable working with?
12. And would they work with you

As many as 97% of people starting home business fail. as it turns out not to be what they had expected. Either the company fails to deliver what is promised or the home worker is not cut out to do the work. No motivation. Not a strong enough desire, or the person just isn’t consistent long enough.

But there are many people making in excess of 100k incomes

 Did you know?

  Over the past 10 years Fortune 500 companies have laid off 4.4 million workers! This workforce reduction has caused a record number of people to seek home-based careers.