Father and Sons

All over the world, there is a growing epidemic of overweightedness and obesity, not only in adults but also in teenagers. In 2006, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control released alarming statistics to show that the rate for teen obesity has increased by 14 to 18.2 percent in teenage boys and by 13.8 to 16 percent in teenage girls.

A 2009 study published by the British Medical Journal likened the side effects of a weight problem to smoking. If a teen is overweight, he or she has the same risks as a person who smokes 1 to 10 cigarettes per day. More distressing, obese teens have the same risks as individuals who smoke more than 10 cigarettes per day.

Factors Why Teens Overeat

Comprehensive studies on teen obesity revealed several factors on why teens have the tendency to overeat to the point that they become overweight or obese.

Poor eating habits are cited as the primary factor. This is a result of the hectic lifestyle that most teenagers and their families live. Because they have packed, busy schedules, they don’t have the time to cook nutritious, balanced meals at home and instead dine out at restaurants serving high cholesterol foods.

With an increasing convenience in daily living, teenagers are less interested in exercise than before. While schools have exercise and sports programs as a part of their curriculum, an hour daily is not enough to help teens who are gaining weight. Outside of school, these teens prefer to stay indoors and play video games.

Let us not forget that the food market is loaded with junk foods and high cholesterol fast foods. Because they are highly affordable and convenient, teens are able to satisfy their hunger fast and easy.

Ironically, stress is also a factor for teens to overeat. Remember that teenagers are in a period of transition wherein they are torn between making independent decisions and meeting expectations by peers and the society in general. Unable to cope with stress, these teens find solace and comfort through eating. Unfortunately, when these teens develop weight problems, their stress is increased two-fold by self-esteem issues.

The Health Risks of Teen Obesity

Overweightedness and obesity during adolescence increases the risk of developing chronic illnesses, which the teen may still have when they are adults. These diseases include heart and vascular conditions (accompanied by a great risk for heart attacks and strokes during early adulthood), high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes.

Some research studies have also documented that consuming certain foods excessively during adolescence can predispose the teen to cancer when they are young adults. One good example is French fries. There is a substance in French fries that is produced during the process of deep frying potatoes. Eating too much French fries will cause this substance to stimulate the early development of breast cancer in women, as early as their 20s.

How to Prevent Teen Obesity

There are a number of ways by which you can prevent weight problems in teenagers.

First of all, do not encourage a sedentary lifestyle in your teenagers. Let them participate in sports in school. You can also have your teen join you during morning exercise or while jogging and walking in your local park. Make it a point to lessen the time that they spend in front of the television and playing video games.

If you haven’t emphasized proper nutrition in your child when they were very young, it is not too late to do so now that they are teenagers. Teach them what benefits they could gain from eating healthy foods and observing the right amounts of food to eat from each food group. Educate them on healthy alternatives to junk foods, such as vegetable sticks and fresh fruit juices instead of potato chips and colas.

Last but not least, be a good role model for your teen by living a healthy lifestyle as well. Eat a well-balanced diet and workout every day.

Learn how you can curb the growing problem of teen obesity today!

Nothing could be more frustrating for parents than having a toddler that is prone to tantrums. While these moms and dads ask for advice on how they can discipline these problematic youngsters, the hard truth is that it is impossible for them to discipline toddlers because they are too young to understand why they should be punishment for certain behaviors. As many child psychologists have discovered, scolding, hand-slaps, spanking, corner time and time outs are ineffective on toddlers. This does not mean, however, that you will tolerate your toddler’s inappropriate behaviors.

Many parents wonder why toddlers have a tendency to throw fits to begin with. It should be emphasized that this is not a deliberate ploy on the toddler’s part to get your attention or to annoy you. Ever since they were babies, it has become firmly ingrained in the toddler’s mind that they could only get attention from their parents and have their needs met if they cry and/or throw a tantrum. In some cases, tantrums are a toddler’s ways of showing that he or she is under a lot of stress, perhaps from their parents or with siblings.

Decades back, toddlers are “disciplined” by making them sit in a corner or by sending them away. Research studies have revealed, however, that you will only cause your child to develop feelings of resentment toward you because you have sent them away. These kinds of disciplinary acts will only make your toddler clingy, fearful and highly dependent upon you.

If punishment is not an option, there are other ways by which you can deal with your toddler’s tantrums. First of all, check your own behavior as well. It is a documented fact that toddlers mimic the behaviors of their parents. If you tend to lose your temper when things don’t go your way or you have mood swings, expect your child to exhibit the same behavior. Be good role model for your child by not displaying inappropriate behaviors that you don’t want them to develop. Practice patience and avoid losing your temper.

Most child psychologists recommend that parents practice diversion when it comes to dealing with toddler fits. One very good example is when a toddler starts crying and shrieking whenever they see a toy that they would like to have. To prevent such an embarrassing tantrum from happening, distract your child before he starts throwing a fit. If you see your toddler staring intently at a toy or a piece of candy, take their hand and ask if they would like to play with other kids in the playground or if they would like to eat something nice. Or you could show him or her a different toy while, at the same time, making it more appealing than the toy they had been staring at earlier.

Stressed toddlers also have a tendency for tantrums. The reason for this is that you may not have a fixed routine for your child at home. One occasion when your toddler may be stressed is if you don’t feed them at appropriate times. This is a dilemma that working parents often face because they cook meals at much later hours. Stress may also develop in your toddler if they don’t have a fixed schedule for playtime, nap time, and going to bed at night. If there is predictability to their routine, toddlers will be less stressed and less prone to throwing fits. As an example, it will be a lot easier for you to get your toddler into bed if they are aware that they will have a nice warm bath and/or a bedtime story before they go to sleep.

Learn other valuable tips for disciplining toddlers today!

Ask any parent and he or she will most likely tell you that how challenging it is to raise a child. However, these difficulties are greatly increased for single mothers, who need to fulfill the roles of both mom and dad to their child. Not having a husband at her side means that she alone will carry the burdens of raising her child (as well as reap all the blessings). Aside from these problems, a single mom has to deal with the often times cruel views of society. From your own experience, you have probably heard some people remark about single mothers that they are partly to blame for their plight (because they have gotten pregnant at an early age or they have engaged in extramarital affairs, just to name a few of these offensive comments).

Truth to tell, a single mom should not be made to endure such difficulties and pressures. Here are some important parenting tips that every single mother should keep in mind.

First and foremost, as a single mother, you should realize that parenting is not a 24/7 job. It should not keep you inside the house until your son or daughter is ready to leave the “nest”. Always allot some quality time for yourself, even if they are short shopping trips to the mall or to check out a new book in your library. Also, spread your wings and get to know other people. Meeting new people can be accomplished when you take your child out for walks or while keeping an eye on them in the playground. There are other mothers who are sure to want to get to know you. Don’t be afraid to approach a fellow mom and introduce yourself. Or if another mother approaches you, give her a nice smile and say hello. Before you know it, you’ll be chatting up a storm and exchanging valuable parenting tips.

Next, you should build up a support team. Your support team may include family members, relatives, and close friends. You will need these people whenever you need advice on parenting, assistance around your home, or if you just want to take some time off from being a mother. When some of the members of your support team are living within your community, you can have them babysit your child. Truth to tell, family members and friends are the best babysitters that any single mom could have.

Other circumstances wherein a support team is invaluable is when you are suffering from depression following birth (also known as the “post-partum blues”) or you are depressed because of the tremendous stresses and problems that you are experiencing. Not only will these people listen to your problems and let you cry your eyes out, they will also give you advice on how to deal with them.

Being a single mother should not hinder you from seeking a brighter future for yourself (and your child too). If you have dropped out of High School or College, continue your education by taking up courses online. During periods when your child is asleep or when he or she is playing at a neighbor’s house, take the opportunity to study and do the homework that is assigned to you for the day.

Most single moms would not want to do this, but if it is at all possible, try to maintain open communication with your child’s father. Certain circumstances may require the dad’s assistance. Also, if your child is older, be honest with him or her and explain why their father is not living with you.

Finally, you owe it to yourself and your child to be healthy. Make it a point to observe proper nutrition and a regular exercise regimen. If you smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs, now is the perfect time to quit. By being a good role model when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, you are also ensuring that your child will live healthy as well.

Discover other parenting tips for single mothers that you can incorporate into your daily life today!

It greatly disappoints me every single time I hear someone suddenly expecting a child out of wedlock. Especially if they’re teenagers who have yet to experience life and who should have experienced their own share of growing up before being burdened by such a responsibility.

And it’s really not only them that becomes burdened with the unexpected result of a dalliance. Parents of these teenagers would also bear the brunt of the consequence as well.

It is never easy for parents or a parent to hear your son or daughter say that she’s pregnant or he got someone pregnant. When you’ve worked so hard to provide them with the best you can and guide them as best you could in life only for them to throw it all…it’s heartbreaking.

Hey fellow daddies! How you guys doing? Me, I’m doing great. I currently stay here at home because of the typhoon Juaning – Absent from work.

Anyway, I’ve been browsing around the internet and reading stuff on the news and all other parenting blogs when I stumble upon this new (couple of months old) website – a parenting tips website – and I think that you may want to check out too.

Here are a couple of reasons why this parenting website got my attention in the first place. First is the design. You got to love it, check it out. It has a great big header text that says Parenting Tips website. Also, above the fold you will find 2 images of a happy family with children. Both photos has a boy and a girl plus their parents. They look so happy that is why, as a parent myself I got sunked in and got involved.

The website talks about many topics with regards to raising kids and bringing them up to be a great member of society. Some of the categories that I saw was parenting teenagers (which is a very broad topic). Oops, by the way, I should have started at parenting infants huh? Then there’s parenting kids and toddlers then the teens.

Of course there are other topics that this website will certainly talk about in the future like our own low blood pressure during pregnancy, toddlers’ ideal height and weight among other things.

Anyway, I just want to share that website to you and if you have time, please check it out.

It really pays off to plan ahead in all the aspects of your life. Most importantly, it’s important to really think about the future because it’s something that we really can’t control.

From experience, it really pays off to know what you want to be in the future and where you see yourself being some years from where you are today. It helps sets a goal in your life because it gives you direction.

There may be times when you get a little sidetracked and a bit lost, but if you know where you want to be and what you want to become, getting back on track won’t be very hard.

When I think about possibly working overseas to support my family in a better way and give them a life that they deserve, I find my self unable to contemplate even the briefest of separations.

This is why I really admire every single OFW who sacrifice their well being as well as the months and years they could have spent with their family. Wherever in the world they go to work, even with fellow Filipinos, I imagine that life their is still impossibly lonely.

Especially if you have young children and you’re forced to leave them to provide them a better future. It’s really sad to realize how hard life in our country is for people to be forced to seek work elsewhere.

Everybody wants to be happy. Not only do we strive to be happy, but we also which to maintain it for too long. Happiness, as suggested by some philosophers, remains to be the ultimate goal of each and every one of us. This fact was embodied in Will Smith’s 2006 movie The Pursuit of Happyness. If we look around us, we will see that some seem to be happier than others. Even people of almost the same economic circumstances sometimes have different levels of happiness. The question is, what makes this difference?

Positive Attitude. Happy people have a positive attitude towards life. It holds true that our thoughts have effects on our happiness. You need to appreciate the things you have, the job you currently hold and the people who loves you.

Trust your instincts. Happy people must also follow their intuition and never regret their decisions. Delving much into mistakes only makes life difficult. Forgive yourself for such mistakes and move forward. Use the experience for future references.

Have a healthy lifestyle. Happy people satisfy their basic human needs and be healthy. It is only through a sound body can a person function effectively to pursue his growth and development as a person.

Smile. People tend to forget but smiling helps a lot. So, do not forget to smile often. Laugh and live your life.

Becoming a father, especially when unprepared, is really difficult to deal with. Aside from being financially stable, what a father needs is the emotional as well as psychological preparedness. He should be firm enough to stand with the trials of becoming a father and of becoming a husband.

Nowadays, many enter fatherhood at an early age. As a result, they are being caught off-guarded—they do not have a stable job to sustain the needs of their families or worst, they lead to early breakup. As parents at a young age, of course, they do not exactly know what fatherhood really means along with the responsibilities that they supposedly carry on.

Again, fatherhood requires a lot of preparation – in finances, emotional and psychological setup – so, one should think twice before finally deciding to enter this stage of life.

As experts would say, a father-and-son relationship is vital in the child’s emotional and mental development. Once the father lacks guidance and connection with his child, there is a greater possibility that the son’s personality and attitude becomes altered. Thus, even when you are busy with work and any other else, be sure to include in your daily schedule your father-and-son activities. You cannot just prevent your kid in acquiring unpleasant habits, but you can also improve more the relationship between you and your son.

Playing with him and teaching him some wood crafts are very effective techniques in boosting the bond together between the two of you. Yes, it may be quite tough to find a perfect time to bond with your son, especially when you are working, but do find a time to know more about him, to explore with him, and to enjoy with him.