Teenage dating. Itโs something every parent has to deal with sooner or later, and something that must be handled with care. Everyone knows that their child is eventually going to take an active interest in the opposite sex, and eventually want to start dating. Some parents see this as an extremely exciting time for their children, taking pictures and oozing with excitement, whereas others see it as scary or worrisome, which is sad, because it doesnโt have to be so. What should you do? How far should you go into their dating life, and what kind of rules should you enforce? Parents all have differing opinions on this, but I think everyone can agree that we should never hide our children away from the world, and that dating is something that we all have to in some respects, embrace.
The most usual dilemma for a parent is feeling unsure as of what role they should take in the dating life of their teenager. You have two choices โ you can be the โbest friend,โ supporting their exploration into the world of dating, or you can take a stance of being protective, enforcing your own rules to ensure their safety. Which is the right answer? Actually, both are needed. Teenagers need both of these roles due to their unique circumstances, and as a parent, it is going to be up to you to play this balancing game. Since they are still young, teens do not yet have the ability to completely utilize reasoning. They arenโt on par with the adult ability to think in terms of their future, and this is completely natural. On the other hand, their increased chances of making mistakes is partially because of their limited life experience, and the only way to solve this is for them to actually have experiences form which to draw wisdom.
The fact is that all teenagers make mistakes. As a parent, you must allow your child to have enough room to learn on their own. You see, teenagers are at a time where they are learning about the world around them at an incredible rate. Some lessons, however, can only be learned by doing things wrong, and making mistakes is a very valuable way for teenagers to learn and grow up into more mature, well-adapted adults. If you are over-protective of your child during these years, they will have a hard time coping once they leave your protection. They will have to make mistakes to learn, but wonโt have your protection to make it easier. So you need to allow them to really live life while they are still under your guardianship, ensuring that the mistakes they do make, you will be able to control and steer back toward the right path.
Does this mean that they should be given no rules and the ability to run free? No! Definitely not! We have already stated that teens do not have the mental ability for logical thought and reasoning that an adult has. โ Of course, this means that when left to their own devices, and allowed to do that which they please, you can almost guarantee theyโre going to screw up. The secret is finding the key balance between staying out of your childโs dating life enough not to be pushy or overbearing, but being active enough to ensure that youโre a positive role model to your child. Meet whomever they date, and make sure to go out of your way to ask about them and seem genuinely interested in what theyโre up to. โ Showing a real interest in those that your teenager cares most about is a great way to show your teen that you’re not there to disapprove of them and that you honestly, genuinely care about their life.
Teenage dating does not have to be something big or scary, and is actually an exciting new adventure for you and your child! Ask your child questions about their date, fun questions, like what they find most attractive about them, or what their favorite hobbies are. โ Questions that will instill a sense of bonding and trust in your teen that you arenโt there to be the parental police unit. Of course, make sure not to take this too far, and let your child know that youโre still the parent and still in control. โ By striking this perfect balance, you are ensuring that your child will have the safe and enjoyable dating experience growing up that we all should be able to look back fondly upon.
Posted July 15th, 2008
by admin
Is your student body planning a high school prom, dance, or party? Do you need ideas for your themes? Well look no further we can help spark your creative juices by going over several factors that determine a successful prom.
High School Homecoming
Most High School Homecomings are organized by Student Council Advisors. Now the main idea for a homecoming is to promote school spirit. The planning that goes into a homecoming or party is not as involved as your High School Prom. This does not mean that the decorations should get overlooked at your schools homecoming. We will discuss those ideas later.
High School Prom
At a majority of High Schools, their Proms are planned by the Junior Class Prom Committee. The prom is the send off for the schoolโs upper class students. There can be two separate proms depending on the size of your junior and senior class. Some schools in different districts go as far as to combine proms due to smaller class sizes. Since the High School Prom is a formal event, it is usually receives more attention and funding.
High School Homecoming Dance Ideas
So you and your committee are looking for ideas for your homecoming, dance, or party. Your themes depend mostly on the traditions of your school. Try to tie in what your school mascot. If your party or dance is something more casual, then it may be predetermined. The basic ingredients for successful school homecoming dance are music, hype, and energy. The company you hire for the Michigan DJ can make or break your ticket sales for the next dance depending on how the music was balanced. How well your committee hypes the party will determine the outcome as well. Do not forget that the energy level at your school homecoming dance will be based on how much decorating your group does.
High School Prom Themes
Your High School Prom theme deserves more attention than the typical High School Homecoming. This means spending more time selecting a reputable venue location, caterer, photographer, and Michigan DJ Company. Here is a list of High School Prom themes for you to choose from.
A Dream for Us
A Kiss is Just a Kiss
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Night at the Oscars
A Night in the Clouds
A Night of Mystery
A Night on Treasure Island
A Night to Remember
A Night with the Stars
A Red Carpet Affair
A Stroll down Broadway
A Taste of California
A Taste of International Flavors
A Walk in the Clouds
An Affair to Remember
An Evening in (Place)
An Evening of Stars
Arabian Nights
Between Your Heart and Mine
Big Band
Born to Be Wild
Box Office Bliss
Bright Lights, Big City
Broadway Backstage
Can’t Fight the Moonlight
Captured in a Dream
Caribbean Nights
Carnival
Carried Away
Casablanca
Casino de (School Name)
Cherished Moments
Come What May
Cupid’s Ball
Daring to Dream
Deep Blue Destiny
Depths of Love
Destiny Awaits
Destiny Awaits
Enchantment under the Sea
Escape
Eternal Elegance
Everything You Want
Fire and Ice (Worlds Collide)
Fly Me to the Moon
Forever Tonight
From this Moment
Garden of Enchantment
Glamour and Glitz or the 20′s
Got to Believe in Magic
Greek Paradise
Happily Ever After
Heaven in Your Eyes
Heaven on Earth
Here’s to the Night
Hollywood Night of the Oscars
Hollywood Nights
Horary for Hollywood
Hour of Enchantment
I Believe
I could not ask For More
I Promise you the Stars
If only for one Night
I’ll Always Remember You
In The Still of the Night
In the Still of the Night
It Might Be You
It’s a Jungle Out There
Larger than Life
Let the Good Times Roll
Magic under the Stars
Magical Memories
Mardi gras
Masquerade Ball
Memories of Tonight
Memories to Last a Lifetime
Moonlight In Paradise
Moonlight on the Nile
Moonlight Rendezvous
Moving On
Mystical Journey
Mystical Twilight
New York, New York
Night in New Orleans
Night with the Stars
Nightlife 200-
One Sweet Night
One upon a Time
Our Treasured Night
Paint the Town Red
Paradise Awaits
Parisian Romance/Escape
Picture Perfect
Putting on the Glitz
Remember Me Always
Retro Romance
Romance in the Park
Saturday Night Fever
Save the Last Dance for Me
Saving Forever for You
Shores of Venice
Show Me the Meaning
Simply Forever
Simply the Best
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Space Odyssey
Springtime in Paris
Stand By Me
Star Struck
Starlight Fairytale
Still the One
Sunset Serenade
The Perfect Prom
The Way You Love Me
These are the Times
This Magic Moment
Time after Time
Time of My Life
Tonight is the Night
Tonight’s Dream…Tomorrow’s Memory
Tropical Paradise
Under the Sea
Underwater Paradise
Unforgettable
Unforgettable
Voices That Care
Waiting for Tonight
Waiting for Tonight
Waltz under the Blue Moon
What Dreams May Come
When You Believe
With Upon a Star
Written in the Stars
Youโll be in my Heart
The Ultimate Dance for your Students
Selecting a theme and going over ideas will help guarantee a fun and memorable event. This is a key component in producing an unforgettable prom or homecoming dance. First, think about the type of prom you want to have, whether you want it to be romantic, fun, or mysterious. Most schools develop themes that generally set the guidelines for the prom colors and decorations. Some schools have become more creative by revolving the entire dance party around the theme and ideas. This goes all the way down to the students costume attire to decorations. Whatever theme your committee chooses, make sure it fits the personality and customs of your student body.
Posted July 14th, 2008
by admin
To my slightly used brain it doesn’t appear that there is any real sanity in the world today, much less in the hallways of our schools. Kids today are not really a lot different from the ones I knew back in my high school years, except they have a few more challenges than I did when I was a teen.
While we had alcohol, we didn’t have to deal with it because we knew our parents would deal with us if they found that we were even in the presence of the devil’s brew. Growing up a good Southern Baptist, my mother believed that imbibing in beer, wine or whiskey was a mortal sin. As a result, the kids of my crowd in high school didn’t have much contact with drinking.
Drugs definitely were not a problem at our old high school, probably because most of us didn’t know anything about them. All we knew about heroin was what we saw on the huge screen at the drive-in and judging from the hell addicts on the screen were enduring, it didn’t seem to be worth the effort to even experiment with such a thing.
We wouldn’t have known where to find it even if we’d wanted to give it a try. Drugs, to us, were something the doctor gave you when you broke your arm or when the dentist was going to pull a tooth. We weren’t bombarded every day with television programming depicting dopers and drugs.
School violence today is a very scary concern for students and parents alike. There are many reasons for young people to kill each other today, but most of them have to do with drugs. In the high school years of my past, there was only one reason for a fight, always with fists and never with a gun or knife. Girls!
If violence had erupted in school yards back then, it would have been because of a girl! A guy’s honor had to be avenged if there had been a perceived encroachment into the vows of “going steady.” There was a lot of posturing back then, but I can’t remember a single fight. I would have remembered one, if only for the entertainment value.
The same thing happens today, just as it has since the beginning of time. But girls today are different. They’re all movie stars! Girls back then simply didn’t look as they do today. If today’s girls had appeared on our school yards, we would have thought they’d gotten there by way of a time machine! Violence is certainly more serious than it was at my old high school.
I can’t remember there ever being a serious fight from the time I was in the first grade until I graduated from high school. Sure, there was a certain amount of posturing by boys during that time, but I can’t recall a single punch being thrown. Maybe there was violence, but since it wasn’t scattered all over television, we never knew about it.
There was a menacing collection of characters that was called the rock gang, assumingly because they sat on a rock wall on the edge of the school ground, jeering and taunting anyone who walked within shouting distance. After a while they became more of a joke than a threat.
Today’s’ school shootings appear to have much darker motives than someone’s love life being toyed with by an outsider. Reasons for these atrocities range from someone emptying a shotgun into a crowded classroom because they were failing algebra, to slaughtering classmates in the hallway because the devil told them to do it!
A lot has been written about our “troubled teens”, but I can only recall one guy that you could classify as “troubled”. His nickname was Nickel Nelson because everyone he approached he shouted at them to “Gimme a nickel!” He would then roll his eyes, shake maniacally, then spit on the ground and shriek, “Gimme a nickel!” Everyone gave him a nickel! Twenty years later I heard that he owned a large Chevy dealership in Kentucky, an AA baseball team, hockey team and a Division II Arena football team. He was our most “Troubled Teen”. Who knew?
Posted July 14th, 2008
by admin
When our child turns into a teenager it often seems that we lose a connection with them, a connection we had built up over their younger, formative years. Some parents feel a deep-down โmourningโ at the loss of this connection, but really, you have not โlostโ your teen. Underneath he is still the little child you once knew, but is now re-learning life and the world. He is building his own identity and individuality, away from his parents.
Teenagers need their parents to reach out for a genuine connection. Their parents are still significant and fundamental to their lives, and they still need a loving and supportive source in their lives, especially with the changes they are going through.
A very powerful way to re-build a connection and get your teen back is to have โspecial timeโ, or one-to-one time together. This might be a block of time specially just for the two of you, with no other siblings or family members with you. Itโs a โtreatโ, could be a day out, lunch out, anything. Hereโs a few pointers as to best go about it:-
1. When organising Special Time, it is crucial that you keep your word. Once a promise has been made and a date set, you must keep it. Breaking your word can totally undermine your childโs trust in you and he may interpret this as meaning special time is not important to mum or dad, or that they donโt really want to do it. So when organising your one-to-one time then make sure it is realistic and achievable so there are no issues that can come up to get in the way.
2. Show your teen that you really want to spend time with him. Make sure he sees that. Your excitement about the up-coming event will show him how much it means to you.
3. Get your teen to choose what you are going to do together. This is the time when your teen โcalls the shotsโ. Itโs his special day. Follow what he says, and give him the freedom to choose.
4. When out together, relax and enjoy yourself. Be willing to let go and listen. Do not bring up sore subjects. Avoid those subjects that youโve brought up before that bring about the same negative responses. Special time is about disconnecting from those old habits and reconnecting with the real person inside your teen.
Out of this time your teen can derive a sense of closeness and caring which will build their confidence in their ability to think, to love, and to learn. You can build wonderful memories for both yourself and your child, memories that will most likely stay with him for life, and of course, build a close connection with your teen which will be valuable at his times of insecurity and confusion.
Posted July 11th, 2008
by admin
An official study predicts that around half of the population of US could be obese in the next 25 years. And this trait is slowly emerging in the rest of the world too. Young teenagers who are obese are about 25 percent more likely to have weight and health problems just like the adults have while for the older obese adolescents, that figure rises to nearly 80 percent. So, teenage obesity has really become a troublesome phenomenon today, globally.
Although there is genetic disorder problem in some cases of teenage obesity, unhealthy eating pattern and a general lack of physical activity or both the causes together make the problem of obesity and weight problem in our teens.
Well, you can tackle this teenage obesity. Encourage your kids to make changes to their lifestyle. Lead them towards a more physically active life style. Also, set an example to them by yourself. Try to engage them with reading, playing and doing some creative job, instead of idly watching television.
A big cause of teenage obesity is nutritious disorder and a major portion of it comes from the junk foods. If your kids like junk foods, try to keep them away from it and try to make delicious dishes yourself to amuse them and engage them in the preparation itself.
Engage them in more physical activity. Physical activity is the best method to combat teenage obesity. You can be a good example in this. Go for jogging everyday with your kids. It keeps the whole family fit. Also, if possible, build a small gym in your home itself to engage them in more exercises.
Be sure to set examples before them since kids love to follow. So, be your self the example and that’s the best thing. Don’t scold them for being obese. Instead tell them that they should be more engaging in actions not merely to look good but for leading a healthy life ahead.
Teenage obesity is although a big problem today, but a cautious process can let you tackle the growing fat in your kid.
Posted July 10th, 2008
by admin
Teen Birthday Party and Celebrations for Teenager Party
Planning a teen birthday party is different to planning a party for a younger child. For a start it is not always easy to get your teen to talk about any interests they may have and so using a theme is not as clear-cut as it was in the past. Another thing you should bear in mind when planning a teen birthday party is whether they are young teens or older teens.
Some teenage birthday party themes that work well are based around popular TV programs or a book or movie character. One theme that some mothers have used and which proved to be a popular theme for a teenager birthday party is a detective theme. This theme works well when it works with the traditional who done it, murder mysteries such as those written by Agatha Christie.
When you order personalized teen birthday party invitations, you can include in the custom text that the teen birthday party guests dress up in some way so that they represent different characters in a story. Before the guests arrive you can ensure that the clues to the mystery are hidden in different areas of the house. Once guests arrive at a detective teen birthday party then you can start the story off and send them away to look for the clues. You can choose whether food should be served before the search gets going or after the โmysteryโ has been solved. Nibbles and other finger foods are often popular with teens as they prefer to pick at things over a period of time โ even when they are searching for clues perhaps?
If you are holding a teen birthday party during the summer then perhaps a beach party would be a good idea although you would need to ensure that is well chaperoned โ beach parties that get out of hand can be dangerous. A teenage birthday party on the beach could include some beach games and perhaps a BBQ followed by some fireworks and a bonfire. If you donโt have a beach nearby, you can use the same theme for a teen pool birthday party. You could always get some sand delivered which could be put down near the pool or in a specific area of the backyard.
Many mothers are at their wits end when it comes to planning a teenager birthday party. This particular age group is notoriously hard to please and an over consumption of television programs and computer games have added to this. However, these can also provide ideas for a particular theme, perhaps based on a TV reality show such as Survivor or American Idle star. You might be able to get the teen birthday party guests to dress for a particular part at this type of teenager party โ and they are sure to enjoy an evening of fun and games based around this.
Trying to keep secrets from a teenager is not an easy task and you will probably need some outside help if you intend holding a teen surprise birthday party. It is a good idea to enlist the help of your teenagerโs friends if you want to provide something that will please them all. Whatever you decide, it is probably easier to keep quiet about a teenager surprise birthday party if you hire somewhere for the party to take place.
Here are some helpful hints when planning and organizing for a teen birthday party:
* Don’t make it a surprise party unless you know that your teen will not feel intimidated by it. Teens fear that if the parents do something embarrassing and spoil their image so they want to be involved.
* Make the central theme of the party โfoodโ since boys, at this age, generally are always hungry at this age.
* Remember the ’4-W’ decisions: What, Where, When, Whom. Always let your teenager make these choices.
* Keep you distance at the party since teens are often embarrassed by their parents and their funny, old-fashioned ways. However, be sure and not leave entirely unless you want to run the risk of your house resembling a riot area.
* Since it is your teenโs birthday, easy up on the rules a wee bit so he thinks the day is special. Allow the music to be a bit loud and hope your neighbors understand.
Posted July 5th, 2008
by admin
By Rev. Ned Wicker, drug-addiction-support.org
This is a story about a beautiful, bright and intelligent girl. She was the best player on her eighth grade basketball team and she appeared to have all of the requisite talent to excel in high school and perhaps earn an athletic scholarship. But she never went out for the high school team. โToo much time commitmentโ was her reasoning and she never played again.
That might have raised a red flag for some parents, but mom and dad supported her decision to drop basketball, and there was no cause for alarm because her grades were exceptional. She was a gifted student and even as a toddler, she surprised everyone by speaking in complete sentences. Articulate and intelligent, she was always an amazing child. She graduated at the head of the class.
But something happened. There was something disconnected in her life. There were no major signs of something wrong, at least on the surface. All teens rebel, itโs a part of growing up, but with her there was an uncomfortable, underlying militancy. Itโs like she never grew out of her teenage rebellion. She began to withdraw socially. Her circle of friends changed.
She went off to college. Mom and dad paid for everything. Some kids get homesick and have difficulty adjusting. Some love college life and they embrace the experience. She did neither. She got a job on campus, but did not enjoy campus life. She refused to allow her parents to see her grades at the end of the semester. She was a very bright student, so there should not have been any academic problems, so her parents allowed it. As it turned out, she was not going to class at all. She just took her parentโs money.
Her life became a series of bizarre events, too numerous to mention. All of the signs were there, but her family didnโt see it. They didnโt suspect drug use. They didnโt know what to look for. They didnโt believe it. Parents all over the country are in the same situation, they know thereโs something not right, but they just canโt put their finger on it.
The days of โLeave It to Beaverโ are over and parents need to be savvy, to recognize the signs of drug use. Yes, parents do have the right to pry into the lives of their children, especially if they have a concern they do not understand. Be proactive and learn the warning signs of drug abuse. Your beautiful, bright and intelligent girl might be in trouble, and you wonโt see it.
Posted July 2nd, 2008
by admin
It was funny, the other day I went into my childrenโs bedroom and found them watching an episode of โMy teenโs a nightmare, Iโm moving outโ! It sort of took me by surprise, seeing myself on TV a few years ago, looking at the situation unfold before me โ I had forgotten so much of it. Of course the children think the whole thing is hilarious and find great delight in saying, โMummy you say that at home, Mummy you make that noise when you are cross with usโโฆ
However, the most shocking thing for me was watching the parents and the teenagers interacting and seeing in a moment of blinding light the problemโฆ. a problem that somehow I missed when I was doing the programmeโฆit was the difference in basic needs. If, as parents, we could grasp this concept before the teen years, then I think they would be so much easier.
Let me explain it to you. In William Glasserโs Choice Theory, he explains that in a relationship we have five basic needs and if our needs differ from that of our partner, parent, teacher etc., then we will be unhappy and our behaviour will become totally irrational. Most relationship problems are due to the struggle between what your basic needs are and getting them met in that relationship.
So what are they?
The first is survival, and we are very lucky in the modern Western World that this need is met, however, if this were not the case, then it would override all others. If we suddenly lost our home and were out on the streets with no money, then the fact that our teenager may answer back in a less than desirable way would seem unimportant.
The next need is love and belonging. As human beings we all want to feel loved and we want to belong. Failure to find love may top the human list of misery. However, our need for love and belonging will differ from someone elseโs, and this is where the challenges can begin. For example, I love to feel loved, yet I am not a very loving person and I have a very low need to belong. My eldest daughter has a high need for love and is constantly kissing and cuddling me, which I can find too much. Instead of making her wrong for that, or thinking she has a problem, I can explain to her that her need is greater than mine and that we need to respect each others needs. She is fine with this and, since my husband need is so strong, she gets this met. It helps us understand each other more. My youngest is like me in this respect and when she started school, she spent the first few months sitting a few metres away from any other child. While the teachers thought she had a problem, I just knew she had a low need to belong and was exercising her right. She has now found her own way with this and has realised that if you donโt belong, you have no fun (which is a high need of hers). This need has a huge impact in your childโs school life, a child who appears to not mix may not have low self esteem, just a low need to belong and a child who is always out with friends may not hate their parents, but have a massive need to belong. It may also be important in the way they approach the family unit. If you have a high need to belong and your child does not, then you may always be trying to get them to do things as a family unit and they may be resisting that.
The next is without a shadow of doubt where a lot of the teenage problems occur and that is the need for power. Now, my enlightened moment in the bedroom while watching the TV show was about power. Both mother and daughter had a massive need for power. Mum is trying to keep daughter in and daughter wants to go out, hence war breaks out. Mum is sure there is something wrong with daughter and daughter feels powerless, as no one is listening to her or thinks what she has to say is important. I think that during the teenage years, the need for power does increase within them as they seek their own identity and independence. They need power to do this, they need to exert themselves. If, as a parent, your need for power is very high, then unless you figure out some solutions, there will be problems. Now I am not saying you have to give up your power and give it all to your teenager, you just need to think in a different way. A relationship with your teenager is not about always winning, always being right and getting them to do what you say. If that is how you treat the teenage years, then you will have an interesting time ahead, to say the least. Power, I think, is in essence the power to be seen and heard and I donโt think teenager are seen and heard enough in todayโs society. We want someone to listen to what they say. If no one listens to us, we feel the pain of powerlessness, the kind of pain you feel when you are in a different country and no one can understand you. I think what we must remember most is that we are the adults and it may be us that have to back down.
The next need is the need for freedom, which will again differ for each individual. Mine is extremely high, my husbandโs quite low and it is generally a need that will only bother us when we perceive it is threatened โ hence why grounding is never really a good way to go. If you are a parent with a low need for freedom and your child has a high one, you may not understand their insistence in being out of the house night and day and similarly, if you have the high need and child has a low one you may be going mad trying to get rid of them, wondering why they are still clingy. The key here is just awareness.
The last one is fun and is certainly very high on my agenda. If it ainโt fun, then I ainโt doing itโฆ. and believe me, children who are high in this will most likely have report cards that are say things like, โdoes not concentrateโฆ never takes things seriouslyโ. My response may be, โso what?โ We all need to start understanding that people want different things and we cannot treat all teenagers as robots.
What is I think so interesting is the way that all these needs are linked. Survival wipes out all others, although someone who wants more power could override survival, for example, in anorexia. Power destroys love and you have no power if you do not belong and are not loved. When we are loved we have fun and feel free and people with power can take these away. I mean, I could go on foreverโฆ. but I wonโt.
So what can you do?
First you need to be very clear where you are with these needs, score yourself 1-10 with 10 being high and 1 low, truly understand your need levels. Then look at how you act daily, observe yourself for a week and see how these needs come into play. How do they help and hinder you? What are your partnerโs needs, your childโs needs and how does knowing that help you? How could you act differently with this information to hand? What could you put in place that would help everyone get his or her need level met?
At the end of the day, really it is all about communication. You must communicate this information and then help your loved ones reach solutions that feel great for all.
I will be including coaching and information on this in both of my new group coaching courses, beginning in February.
Sarah will be covering this information in her group coaching courses http://www.sarahnewton.com/php/products.php?id=38 or sign up for her weekly newsletter http://www.sarahnewton.com/newsletter.phtml
Posted June 30th, 2008
by admin
Here are some interesting pointers so you can make sense of your own writing or show off in front of the others and interpret their handwriting.
SIZE: If your letters are large, you’re bold, action-oriented and can be egocentric. If medium you’re adaptable and practical. If tiny, you’re precise, with awesome power of concentration.
ADORNMENT: If your writing is relatively unadorned, you’re efficient and clear-thinking. If you jot big dots over the “i” and use other flourishes, you get tangled up in details and need help in making decisions.
SLANT: Strong right angles: You need frequent reassurance. Strong left angles: You can be independent to a fault. Straight up-and-down: Your head rules over your heart.
CONNECTIONS: If most of your letters are connected, you are logical. If there are occasional breaks within words …http://www.sitagita.com/view.asp?id=3086
Posted June 26th, 2008
by admin
When you spend part of every day behind the wheel of your car, it can be easy to take the act of driving for granted. You may have forgotten how much time and training went into making you a competent driver. You might not even think much about driving at all, reallyโฆuntil itโs time to for your teenager to take the wheel.
To help your teen get off to a good start, introduce him or her to three general categories of knowledge about driving: Theory, Mechanics, and Practice.
Driving Theory
The theoretical part of driving is the process of grasping mentally what is happening when one drives. It includes knowing what to do in certain types of traffic situations, or particular weather conditions. When two people stop simultaneously at a red light, who gets the right of way? What do you do when a car begins to skid? How far should you stay behind another car on the highway, when traveling at 50 miles per hour?
One option is to help with the โbook learningโ at home, through conversation and the use of learning aids such as instructional manuals and websites. Other possibilities are professional driving schools or school-sponsored driversโ education classes.
Driving Mechanics
The mechanical part of driving includes being aware of the car as a working piece of machinery. Before even turning the key in the ignition, teens should become familiar with the vehicle and its parts. They should know how to find basic foot controls like the accelerator and brakes. They should also be able to find the turn signals, headlights, and horn without having to look. If the vehicle has a manual transmission, be sure that they understand the shift pattern, the basics of how to use the clutch, and when the different gears are typically used.
In addition to vehicle controls, mechanics includes thinking about how fundamental laws of physics apply to driving. You donโt need to turn your driving lesson into a science lecture, but an idea like โobjects in motion tend to stay in motionโ translates neatly to โthe faster youโre going, the longer it takes to stop.โ
Encouraging your teen to think in physical terms can help him or her to understand, for instance, exactly why it is dangerous to tailgate another car, particularly at higher speeds. On the other hand, the corollary idea, โobjects at rest tend to stay at rest,โ could help to explain why a driver might use a lower gear when starting up a steep hill.
Driving Practice
The practical part of driving involves taking the theory and mechanics and putting them to actual use. Remember that being a passenger is not the same as being a driver. Even if your teen has paid close attention to your driving habits over the years, itโs not the same as actually driving. Emphasize the difference between theory and practiceโbetween watching, and actually doing.
It can take years for some of the theoretical aspects of driving to become automatic. Young drivers may know intellectually that slamming on the brakes could cause a car to skid on a wet roadโbut when an animal runs out in front of the vehicle, the first instinct is to hit the brakes hard and fast. They can learn to override these types of automatic responses, but only with practice and experience.
Of course, these broad categories are intended only as a starting pointโฆor possibly as a reminder of how much knowledge you actually have to impart. Detailed information in each of these areas, drawn from your own experience as a seasoned driver, will be the best instruction that your teen can get.
Posted June 26th, 2008
by admin