TeenageToolbox

In the last 30 years the greatest negative influence I have seen imposed on our beautiful young Teenagers is SHAME. I know I have only just recently blogged on this subject but I believe it is the GREATEST STEALER of of our Teenagers' CONFIDENCE, IDENTITY AND DESTINY. It comes like a masked THIEF and robs, steals and destroys what is rightfully theirs. Watch a 3 year old run around giggling, carefree with no inhibitions and not a care in the world, and compare them to the 15

To all the WONDERFUL Teenagers out there. When in doubt EAT CHOCOLATE...... Even Winnie the Pooh used to sneak off to the Honey jar!!!! Visit www.teenagetoolbox for 'Changed Lives'

How do we release our Teenagers into their True Identity without putting 'failure' all over them? Firstly what does IDENTITY MEAN? Psychologists most commonly use the term "identity" to describe personal identity, or the idiosyncratic things that make a person unique. Sociologists often use the term to describe social identity, or the collection of group memberships that define the individual. Therefore each Teenager is UNIQUE. Our role as parents is to identify the unique

A child who is HEADSTRONG, TENACIOUS and STUBBORN can be one of the hardest to raise. "NO" can be thrown back at requests to get dressed, or get ready to leave the house. Arguments easily erupt and anger at being 'told what to do' can certainly make parenting hard. So how do we parent the less compliant child when we have other siblings to raise, timetables to meet and boundaries that we have put into place around behaviour? Firstly, remember that invariably the most annoying

Rows of exam desks glare at you and teachers wander up and down isles to ensure your glance doesn't move further than the paper that sits in front of you. The silence of the clock only reminds you that you are being timed. Your head feels overloaded with the information you’ve tried to remember, and facts and figures and dates are all jumbled around messing with your head big time. It feels so long ago that you could be carefree like those children walking to Primary School w

"Many people become STUCK in patterns of behaviour and mindsets not necessarily as a result of anything they have done but because of what has been imposed on them through the words and actions of others. Confusion is birthed in a child when their intuition is not aligned with what they hear and see. From there teenagers often struggle with identity crisis, anxiety, overwhelm and isolation. If not resolved these can manifest as depression, aggression, withdrawal, and relation

You have never been a Teenager before! We have never parented Teens before! As much as you don't know how to travel this road - NOR DO WE! You are the most cherished people to ever come into our lives. We have cared for you since you were a small babe in arms. We have fed you, watered you and nursed you in your sickness. We have walked you to the school gates on your first big day and invited friends to play so that you could enjoy the company of others your age around. We ha

Our Teenagers have so much thrown at them by the world: Conflicting messages, contrasting standards, varying boundaries and everywhere they look they are watching disturbing images, hearing negative comments and absorbing things that violate who they are. No wonder they at times need to lash out! The problem is parents often feel injustice because the very people who are looking after them and trying to meet their needs are the very ones who are on the receiving end of the ve

Teenagers with the aid of a few simple life TOOLS can excel beyond their wildest dreams! How do we allow them to excel? TWO vital ingredients: 1. Good healthy boundaries in which they are held secure. 2. Empowering them through decision making and choice. When living in various boarding houses as a Teacher and Resident Housemistress, over a period of 9 years, I experienced again and again Teenagers thriving when given enough freedom to find their own unique identity within a

"You were born beautiful. You were born unique. You were born desired, cherished and loved. You were born as a gift to us all. When you entered the world you had a powerful calling on your life and a label that said you were created for a specific purpose. To carry out your destiny you were gifted with unique strengths and talents that no one else had. No one else was created to go where you were meant to go, nor to do what you were meant to do. You are to be cherished, adore