Parenting
Teens have a developmental stage all their own. Its called “Identity vs. Role Confusion.” The main challenge at this stage of life is developing their sense of self, and therefore they are asking the question “who am I?” At the same time, the parents will find themselves asking “who is this kid?” As a teen, or the parent of a teen, if you find yourself asking these questions – its NORMAL. In this normal stage, teens will try on behaviors and attitudes like they try on pants and shirts. Some of the behaviors and attitudes can be quite alarming, and even risky. Continue
What would your life be like if television, the internet, and computers suddenly didn’t work anymore? The amount of uneasiness you have in reaction to that question is a good indicator of how influential electronic media is in your life. Most of us remember the days when there was no Internet and the television offered about 12 channels. What is more, we had to get up and change the television channels manually! Now the choices for what to watch are overwhelming. Continue
Parents are given the responsibility to create an environment for their children in which to grow and thrive. God created the concept of the family as a place for children and adults experience life to its fullest. Parents create this environment for their family. I’m going to use a metaphor to illustrate my point. A fish tank is a man-made environment for fish. If the environment in the fish tank is toxic, the fish will die. The fish are not created for the fish tank, but the fish tank was created for the fish. I cannot become angry at my fish for not thriving in the environment I created for them. They can’t just conform to the environment if it’s toxic to them! If I truly value the fish, I have to change the environment to suit their needs. The fish tank is made for them, not them for the fish tank. In the same way, the family environment is made for the children (adult children included). Continue
Parents of children with Asperger’s Syndrome have a particularly challenging role to play. To begin, the diagnosis is difficult to make. Asperger’s Syndrome can be understood generally as a severe and chronic impairment in social interaction and the development of rigid behavior patterns, restricted interests, and activities. While this “label” has become more common knowledge in the last 10 years, the disorder is not new. There is an increased awareness of the syndrome, which hopefully leads to more effective treatment and support for those who need it. A label or diagnosis is only useful if it helps secure the support and treatments to improve one’s quality of life. Continue
