Thursday, March 25th, 2010 at
10:33 pm
The excerpt below contains some subject matter that may be questionable for children. Parental Supervision Suggested.
It's the age old question that parents have struggled with over the years and many put off till the last minute, like writing out that tax check to Uncle Sam on April 14th at 10pm. Sooner or later though, Talking Sex With Your Kids is unavoidable. But when is the right time? When are they too young to understand? At what age do you wake to realize that you waited a bit too long? How do you approach the subject of sex without embarrassing your child or even yourself?
In her book, Talking Sex With Your Kids, Amber Madison points out that the middle school years, sixth, seventh and eighth grades, are critical years in your child's life. Though certainly not absolute, as maturity and exposure will vary from child to child, this time frame is representative of when the majority of children are dealing with the effects of puberty, sexual identity and attraction and an increase in peer pressure. I think you will find the following excerpt not only straightforward, but very informative as well and I encourage you to order this book yourself.
Oh, eighth grade. It was the year Sean and Anna got caught making out in the woods and “Damn, it’s a sports bra” became
everyone’s favorite quote. That was the year I had a boyfriend/boy friend/whatever he was, who wanted to talk to me on the phone for hours every day, otherwise he said he was going to kill himself. It was also the year I became aware of calories, and half the girls in my class developed eating disorders.
When I talk to parents, they always want to know: When does it all start? When do I need to start talking with my kids about sex — like sex sex. My answer to that is this: It all starts in middle school; grades six, seven, and eight (and possibly even before). Sure, the majority of middle schoolers aren’t necessarily having sex — though according to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2007) a good third do before they enter high school. But even middle schoolers who aren’t having intercourse may be starting to have romantic relationships, developing feelings about their bodies, starting to form opinions about sexuality, and beginning to engage in sexual activities (that may or may not include intercourse). Although most people’s sexual orientation isn’t solidified until later in their teens or twenties, middle school is the time gay youth may start to realize they’re different. It’s also the time when kids start tossing around the term “gay” as an insult or colorful adjective.
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at
12:55 am
We already know that your kid is the best, right? But is your kid also cute, adorable even? Well, if so, then you might be interested in this little site that I happened upon.
The site is named "The Cute Kid.com" and it gets a lot of attention from some high profile agents who are constantly looking for kids to feature in anything from modeling roles to television and movie parts. In fact, if you've seen the two twins on a Brawny commercial or if you are a fan of One Life To Live, you will recognize Courtney and Sabrina. Guess where they were discovered.
The site is associated with Parents Magazine and many of the children have ended up modeling clothes for vendors like Walmart, ToysRUs, Carters, J.C. Penney and Macy's. It's free to sign up and submit photos and you can also sign up for monthly contests and great prizes. You can even enter your child in the 2010 Cute Kid of The Year Cutest Baby Picture Competition and Win College Tuition, Prizes & More at www.TheCuteKid.com
And if your kids are not quite babies anymore, that's okay too because there are age groups ranging from infants to 12 years old. Who knows what a simple photo submission could lead to? Your child could end up being the next Disney star.
Monday, March 8th, 2010 at
5:41 pm
Of course they are! What parent or grandparent wouldn't feel that way? And as parents we all want the very best for our children.
Growing up in the world today is far different from when I was a child. Trouble will find you wherever you go, especially if you are looking for it. I wasn't usually looking for it, but it did nevertheless find me on occasion.
Todays kids though face so many more trials and temptations than some of us "more mature" folks. We want our kids to be the very best that they can be. For them to accomplish that goal, they need our love, patience, support and encouragement, but at the same time they also need our guidance and protection.
They won't always want it, and oftentimes will balk at it, but I think most of you would agree with me when I say, "The older I got to be, the smarter my parents became."
It is my hope that this site will be a help and a blessing to all who wish to visit.
Friday, March 5th, 2010 at
11:43 pm
Wow! It really has been a long time since I have updated this site. I apologize for my long absence, ( like anyone really missed me anyway…right?) but hopefully I will be getting back in the swing of things and updating the site with some different things.
When I updated the WordPress version I also decided to update the theme. What do you think of the new look? This is a pretty cool theme with lots of options that you can play around with. If you have a blog and like the layout, check out the Flexibility 2 theme. It’s a free download and there is a link in the footer where you can grab it.
Hope to see you soon!
