Counselling | Parents Anonymous

Meeting People Made Painless for Parents Online

Going out and meeting new people can be an exciting experience at any age. For a divorced or single parent, it can mean a new beginning or a new outlook, on life. After deciding the time is right to seek out companionship or an intimate relationship with another, the possibilities are endless.

Dating is an American custom that goes back to the end of World War I. Only back then, it was customary to date on a more formal level. It was not until the 1970s that girls began asking boys out on dates. Before that time, the guys paid for everything, practiced chivalry by opening the door, pulling out the chair and so on, for his date.

Single parent dating, whether single by choice or after divorce, was a daunting task before the Internet. Trying to figure out where to go to meet other parents, or how to know if someone you meet shares your interests, were things parents feared about going out and meeting other singles.

Today, single parents have the advantage of online dating services. Online services allow busy parents the time they need to find that special someone they are searching for, without leaving the comfort of their computer chair.

Single parents can become successful at online dating because single parents no longer need to worry about whether the person they find interesting likes children, because they have children as well. With all the services these websites have to offer, single parents meeting other single parents, does not have to be a painstaking ritual. It can be a rewarding and satisfying experience.

Filed Under: Child Health, Counselling Tagged With: Dating, Online dating service, Single-parent

The Ramifications of No Child Left Behind

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If you speak to a teacher, regardless of her political affiliation, she will probably agree that the No Child Left Behind program has failed miserably. Rather than helping children, it has stifled teacher creativity, hindered children’s progress, and relegated each class to the lowest common denominator. The premise of the No Child Left Behind program was to hold teachers and schools accountable for the educational welfare of each child. While in theory this sounds like a good plan, the reality is that is has significantly backfired.

The reliance of the No Child Left Behind program on test scores to determine success has masked the true progress teachers can make. Instead of taking classes in the direction of fully online schools, teachers are forced to concentrate on old-fashion standardized test content, creating an environment where learning and teaching is drudgery for both the student and the teacher.

This focus on test scores has left children more inclined to learning relegated to the speed of the lowest common denominator in the class, essentially inhibiting their performance. By not allowing the teacher to develop curriculum tailored to her particular students, the government has imposed assembly line learning where there is no freedom of thought. In addition, there have been instances where unscrupulous teachers went over the tests ahead of time, essentially giving their classes the answers and making it impossible to measure student progress.

The No Child Left Behind program is an example of an educational reform that failed both the students and the teachers. It created an atmosphere where a teacher was held hostage by a child’s test scores, regardless of whether that particular child was inclined to learn or not. Society must realize that education is not a one-size-fits-all straight jacket. Each teacher and child has different teaching and learning styles, and both need to have the ability to produce results with those styles.

Filed Under: Child Health, Counselling, General Tagged With: Child, Education, Learning, No Child Left Behind, No Child Left Behind Act, Standardized test, Student, Teacher

What to do with a violent teenager

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Teenagers can get violent. When an explosion of hormones is brewing in them, they are susceptible to get volcanic once in a while. But not always. If it is always, then there is a problem. Violence is one among those teen issues that is dangerous. Because violence itself is dangerous. And dangerous is death.

Now the question arises, why are teenagers violent? Researchers dealing with teen issues feel that teen violence erupts from a lot of factors. The issues might be lack of harmony in the family. Addiction problems of the teenager. A general ferocious disposition. Attitude problems. Problems with the academic system. Substance abuse and so on.

Groups that teenage boys are part of play a big role in how the temperaments of a teenager shape up. Physically violent teenagers are mostly boys, though there are physically violent girls too. However, the percentage of physically violent girls is less as compared to boys.

Teenagers who have addiction problems have the highest violence problems. When their addiction is being treated at rehab centers, their violence reaches morbid peaks from the withdrawal symptoms they experience. Even before treatment is taken, teenagers with alcohol or drug addictions get violent the moment they are denied the addictive substance. The violence can take even fatal proportions. It is not surprising to see addiction-prone teenagers behind bars for murder, and assault.

Dealing with a violent teenager is tough. Before starting off, a root cause analysis has to be done. One needs to ascertain what causes the teenager to be violent. After finding the answer, concerted steps have to be taken to solve that problem.

Root causes can be plenty. It might be a personality disorder. Even a personal breakup issue. The teenager might be taking to drugs and alcohol. There could be a sex addiction problem. Academic grades might be low and so on.

By getting to the root of the problem and fixing it, teenage violence can be stemmed up to a certain level.

Filed Under: Counselling Tagged With: Addiction, Adolescence, Health, Root cause analysis, Substance abuse, Substance dependence, United States, Violence

Bankruptcy and Parenting: How They Go Hand In Hand

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Believe it or not, bankruptcy can affect your parenting skills in many ways. At first, you might tend to believe that only bad things can happen to those who file bankruptcy, especially since it affects your credit score in a negative way. However, there are many benefits that come from filing bankruptcy. Check out reliable bankruptcy information to learn about the benefits.

When you file bankruptcy, you will find yourself with financial freedom that you might not have had for a very long time. Keeping yourself in debt and always running from creditors can make you extremely stressed. You might also find that you have very little money to purchase all of the things that your children need. Bankruptcy allows you a little more freedom with your monthly income. Therefore, not filing bankruptcy in some cases can actually put more strain on the family.

After the bankruptcy is cleared, you will find that you are not as stressed out every day. You might even have a little more time to spend with the family since you will not have to work as hard. Parenting is so much more than just paying the bills, as you have to make sure that you are able to spend plenty of quality time with your children.

As you can see, there are actually many benefits that can come from filing bankruptcy when you are a parent. Even though your credit score will be affected in the short term and the filing will remain on your record for several years, the affect it will have on your parenting is more than worth it. So what are you waiting for? If you want to be free of that mountain of debt and become a better parent in the process, it is time to consult with a bankruptcy attorney to see what your options are.

Filed Under: Addiction Recovery, Counselling Tagged With: Bankruptcy, Credit Card, Debt, filing, Law, Lawyers and Law Firms, Services, United States

Dealing with Teenager Rebellion

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Teen issues have always focused on teen rebellion. Many questions are being asked on why teens rebel. Is it because of lack of freedom or too much of it? Is it a situation caused by hormonal imbalances? Or is it plain arrogance of teenage?

Teens rebel because of a combination of the above-said factors and a lot more. Freedom of choice is a must for any teenager. Denial of it causes rebellion. It is also because in those years teenagers are looking for identity. They are also attracted towards the opposite sex. In the search for identity, and for being unique they might be led to do different things. Some of them might be antisocial in nature.

Teenagers at their age are consumed in their own world. Oblivious to the events and realities of the outside world, they find wisdom in theirs. Indifference, lack of life experiences, and immaturity are the contributing factors to this state of mind in teenagers.

That’s why teenagers often do not listen what their elders are telling them. When teenagers come out of childhood to a teen age, they are most often than not caught in teen issues. Teenage is sometimes seen as a precursor to adulthood. It won’t be surprising to see teenagers acting like full grown adults. They might take to smoking, drinking, and promiscuity in hope of arriving at the adulthood stage faster than others.

Parents and educationists have to delve deeply into these teen issues related to rebellion. If unchecked it might cause the teenager to go unbridled. Lack of control will create controversy. Controversy will create calamity.

Teen issues can always be worked out with a combination approach. By getting them to sit and understand things, is the first approach. To make them understand is note that easy though. One has to be articulate and be very effective in communication to do so. Taking the help of a professional counselor who deals with teen issues will help.

Filed Under: Counselling Tagged With: Adolescence, Child, Child abuse and neglecting, Family, Health, Home, Parent, Rebellion, teenager, Youth

Signs of an Alcoholic

If you suspect someone might be an alcoholic, you may want to get help for the person. Besides sending the individual to a Nashville drug treatment center, you can help in many ways, but first you need to look for signs and symptoms that the person has a drinking problem.

A person may have a drinking problem if she can’t ever stick to just one or two drinks. Many times alcoholics can’t stop themselves and often don’t realize that it’s too late until they are already drunk. You may also notice that they often feel guilty about their drinking. They may tell you they shouldn’t be drinking, or they might even ponder whether they should have the next drink.

You might also catch this person in a lie when the topic of drinking comes up. He may tell you that he is going to the store but end up spending the whole afternoon or evening at the bar. People abusing alcohol will do whatever they can to cover up their problem.

Another sign of drinking problem may be frequent black outs. This usually means that the person won’t remember a large chunk of time. Typically, this time corresponds to a time when the person was drinking. She may find that she wakes up somewhere without having any idea how she got there.

Family and friends will also show their concern for the alcoholic. People who are abusing alcohol may not accept the help from friends and family. They may view the concern as bothersome.

If you know someone that exhibits these signs, he may have a drinking problem. The best thing to do for the individual is to get help. Try staging an intervention with close family and friends. Try to talk the person into going to rehab. Anything you can do to get the individual to realize the drinking problem is a great thing.

Filed Under: Addiction Recovery, Alcohol abuse, Counselling, Drug Abuse Tagged With: Addiction, Addiction Recovery, Drugs

Casino Style PC Games Provide Cheap Entertainment

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For those of you who enjoy your time at the casino, yet you don’t have the ability to visit one often, there are many PC style casino games available to choose from. All you need to do is search for the ones you are most fond of, and install them on your PC. Now you are on the road to hours of entertainment. For me, it’s not only hours of entertainment, but also a great way to relax and let loose at the end of a busy day. There are many others who enjoy this form of fun, especially since they don’t cost much (other than the initial low cost of purchase).

Online casino games can be downloaded from actual casino sites to show you the games they have available at their location, or you can purchase some from other download sites. They require minimum space on your computer and only need limited resources due to the simplicity of these games. I feel that for the older generation who enjoys their time at the casino, these games are a good way to entertain them at home. At the same time, they get acquainted with their own computer.

I know several people, especially from the generation before us, who are just as enthusiastic about computer games. However, they are not too keen on the complexity of the ones we are used to. For them, these casino style computer games are a simple and cheap source of entertainment. This is not to say that people from our generation are not fond of these. Many of us also enjoy casino games and I am one of them. I am not into the heavy graphics and I don’t have the patience it takes to master many PC games…but casino style games provide me with just the simple, low cost fun I need.

Filed Under: Addiction Recovery, Alcohol abuse, Alcoholism Treatment, Counselling, Drug Abuse Prevention Tagged With: Casino, Casino game, Gambling, Game, Online casino, Personal computer, Playtech, United States

Helping teenagers come out of alcoholism

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Teenage years are so much like a wandering kite. Carefree, high in spirits, and high on life. Teenage years are also the time when virtues and vice come to them in the same skin. Not knowing good and bad, and a lack of discernment leads so many teenagers to temporal bliss with earthy vices.

Alcoholism is one the chiefest teen issues in the modern world. The flurry of pubs that entice teenagers by the score, make them victims of the evil’s elixir. Consumed by virtues of hedonism or vices of it as you may call it, teenager are caught by the alcoholic leech.

A drinking problem always has its foundation in during teenage years. Just like any other teen issues that crop up during these years, even roots of alcoholism are planted here. These formative years are very sensitive, in that teen issue often do not digress away, and keep lingering even in adulthood.

So what can be done to shun teenage alcoholism? Although the question may sound simple, the answer is not. Restricting freedom of teenagers in not advisable. Neither can they be incarcerated in their homes. A large portion of them might be depending on pocket money. But this is not the case everywhere. In western countries, teenagers start working on a part-time basis, and are financially independent. So what can be done on a global scale to reduce impending teen issues related to teenage alcoholism?

Teenage alcoholism is not a regional issue. Rather, it is an international issue. On a global scale, a lot of moderation has to happen on changing perceptions towards alcohol. It’s all right to have rehabilitation centers, and counseling centers. But does this fix the root of the problem? Can rehabs and counseling centers keep running for centuries like a parallel damage-fixing program?

Alcohol consumption is seen more as an emotional-accessory by teenagers than as truly as something that they enjoy. This is where the change can be made.

Filed Under: Alcoholism Treatment, Counselling Tagged With: Addictions, Adolescence, Alcoholism, Alcoholism Treatment, Binge drinking, Counselling, Health, Scott Frank, Substance abuse, Text messaging

Reasons Teens Use Drugs and Suggestions for Parents

There are various reasons teenagers decide to use drugs. The impetus for teenager drug use falls into three basic categories: peer pressure, desire for excitement, and need for release. Parents who are involved in their children’s lives can do a lot to prevent teen drug use.

Many teenagers begin using drugs to fit in with the group of kids they hang out with. Peer pressure is often the number one factor in why adolescents initially experiment with drugs. Parents should be aware of the group of kids their child is associating with.

Sometimes teens get involved in drugs because they are looking for adventure. They may feel bored, or they may be curious. Teens may just want a break from the routine of their lives. Parents should encourage kids to get involved in after-school activities, church programs and hobbies that will inspire them, keep them engaged and hold their interest.

Some kids use drugs because of the profound pressures they feel. They might feel overwhelmed at school or anxious about family problems. Teens that have been abused and/or neglected are at increased risk of using drugs. Some adolescents feel directionless in their lives and have concluded that life is meaningless. Drugs offer an escape. Parents should do their best to create a stable family environment, support their children and respond to signs of stress and depression their teens might be experiencing.

Parents need to talk to their kids early and often about the dangers of drug abuse. They should discuss the pressures teens may feel to use drugs and enumerate the negative and lasting consequences that will happen if they do. Young people have a difficult time imagining the consequences of their decisions since they usually live in the moment and feel invincible. It is parents’ job to provide the needed perspective on these important decisions that will negatively and profoundly affect their child’s life.

Filed Under: Child Health, Counselling, Drug Abuse Tagged With: Suggestions for Parents, Teens Use Drugs

Drug Intervention for a Teen

If you know your teen is using drugs, you might want to seriously consider organizing an intervention so that you can get your child the help that he or she needs. An intervention is one of the most effective methods for breaking a self-destructive cycle of drug abuse in order to get the adolescent into a treatment program to save his or her life.

Be sure that you and your spouse agree on a plan of action before you stage an intervention. A united front is essential for the best outcome. Talk with your spouse in a non-defensive, non-accusatory, non-hostile manner. This conversation will likely bring up some difficult emotions, so do your best to keep your cool and remember that your teen’s best interest is at the heart of this situation.

Decide with your spouse what the outcome of the intervention should be, whether it is counseling or in-patient treatment. It may be helpful to talk with a counselor beforehand to get advice. If feasible, you might even want to have your teen meet with the counselor as well.

It is also possible to hire a professional interventionist or counselor to conduct the intervention. These individuals lead family and friends in an intervention with a drug-addicted teen. Some intervention services also have escorts who drive a teen to a drug addiction treatment center.

It is important to be calm and collected when doing an intervention. Take time to allow your anger, fear, sadness, guilt and frustration lessen. This way you will be able to have a more effective conversation with your teen.

When you hold the intervention with your teen, come from a space of love. When approached about their drug addiction, teens usually deny it. Be prepared to encounter anger from your child. Remind your teen that you love him or her, are concerned and want to get the child the help necessary.

Though the teen has been singled out as the problem in the family, the family itself is almost always also experiencing difficulty. Family counseling may be appropriate and beneficial.

Filed Under: Counselling, Drug Abuse Tagged With: Drug Intervention for a Teen