There are many lessons a father teaches his son, lessons that instill confidence and risk taking, lessons we fathers can teach directly and indirectly like how to treat women and respect ourselves.

There was one lesson I got to give my son that I had dreamt off for many years, it would be a proud moment for me, a sign of my son talking his first steps into manhood.

I got to give my 13 year old son Christian, a lesson on shaving!

There was resistance, he wanted to hold onto the strip of fur on his upper lip, it had taken him 13 years just to get that far!
Christian also knows I will be growing a moustache for Movember which is done over the month of November, he now wants to join in too.

I assured him that once you start shaving there is no going back, shaving will now become a regular activity. ... read more >>

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” To many people 40 years ago, hardship was a badge of honor because it was the foundation of great accomplishment and a refiner of character.

Today, unfortunately, many of our young people seek only to do the easiest and most convenient thing. They bear some responsibility for their mindset, but so do many of us as parents with our basement-level expectations. So dads, let’s encourage our kids to do hard (not impossible) things because they are capable and because we refuse to indulge them with low aspirations.

Posted with permission from www.allprodad.com



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If you're the parent of a teenager, helping them get their first job is one of the first steps toward maturity and personal responsibility. Here are seven ways you can ensure that their job hunt is a rewarding one.

1. First, work with your teen to come up with a list of personal strengths and things they enjoy doing. If they enjoy working with children and animals or love the outdoors, make a note of those items. Any seemingly small and insignificant item can lead to ideas for potential jobs.

2. Take your child's schedule and commitments into consideration. How will your teen get to and from their workplace? What other school activities are they involved with?
Will they have enough time to study, work AND socialize? (Yes parents', socializing is a natural and necessary part of being a teen - you know what they say about all work and no play!) ... read more >>

So you're between the ages of 13 and 24. What makes you happy? A worried and weary parent might imagine the answer to be sex, drugs, and a little rock 'n' roll. Maybe some cash, or at least the car keys.

Turns out the real answer is quite different. Spending time with family was the top answer to that open-ended question, according to an extensive survey conducted by The Associated Press and MTV. And even better: Nearly three-quarters of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy. So the answer to the enigmatic question of what makes your children happy? You do.

Don't ever forget it!

Warmly,

Mark Brandenburg

Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
mark@eqnow.org
www.markbrandenburg.com
www.eqnow.org
Phone (+1) 651-766-9976 ... read more >>

Oh those dreaded teenage years. As parents you may experience anxious feelings about the coming years when your children will grow up to be young teens. Those temper storms, stubborn behavior, changes in ways of thinking and so many new and difficult situations to deal with. And above all, you know deep within there will come a day when your daughter will start going out with a boy.

As a parent, acknowledge that everyone does start dating at some point. Don’t forget your past years as a teenager and youth. Dating is both a normal and good activity. ... read more >>

At the moment I am watching a documentary on Teenage Binge Drinking in the UK, they are saying that the UK is the Binge Drinking capitol of Europe. It looks really bad, the teens in the documentary are insane, or are they just teens???

I have worked in Bars in both New Zealand and Australia, and have been around drunks of all ages, and as sad as it is to witness someone incapacitated by alcohol, I have always been concerned about the rising number of young people out on the streets, with their fake Ids trying to get past the night club door staff. Teenage Binge Drinking is clearly not just a UK problem.

* Do their parents know what they are doing; do they know where they are?

* What will my own children act like... soon?

* What can I do if anything?

* Is it just a part of growing up?

* It may be a part of growing up but there are kids killing themselves with alcohol

So what can I do?

I found a great site with some very useful information about effects of alcohol and more importantly talking to your children about alcohol that is appropriate to their age. ... read more >>

Mood swings of young teenagers can make it difficult for both the parents and teenagers. It can be distressing for both parents and teens and both have difficulty in managing the same.

Having an understanding of what is causing these changes will make it easier to face and handle them.

Emotional ups and downs can be caused by
• Hormones – which start the physical changes at puberty, also affect moods and general emotional responses in teens
• The teens worrying about the physical changes affect their emotions
• Skipping meals to loose weight can also affect their moods, making them more irritable.
• Lack of rest leads to moodiness, gloominess, irritability, etc.
• Changes in their thinking. (Thinking abstractly)
• Expectations ... read more >>

As a father of four, three of which are young teens, finding, deciding and negotiating activities for all three to participate in together has been a real strain on not only my creative side but also on my negotiation skills.

I have had conversations with many other fathers as well; this is clearly a common issue for many fathers...”what can I do with my children?” they are always saying “I’m bored” or “what can we do now?”...
I have found it’s not so much the ‘what’, but the how to come to a compromise that requires more effort and energy on my part. If my children had their way every time, we would spend close to $100 going to the movies, then a further $20 playing video games, then another $30 - $40 on takeaways. Not only is it expensive for me, it also offers no quality or creative time for me. ... read more >>

Activities with children that don’t break the bank can be a struggle for a Part-Time-Dad, as a PTD I am sometimes over keen to please.

However I have learnt it’s not about the money I spend on my children that makes for a great day but rather the quality of time spent with each of my children.

Quality time with my 13 year old son Christian

What to do with a young man who given the chance would be happy to play video games all day?
Easy I don’t own any video games, so what can I do?
With Wellington weather being cold, wet and windy what a better way to enjoy some quality time with my boy, than going fishing. ... read more >>

A Podcast hosted on International Dad featuring show hosts Scott Lancaster and co-hosts Eric Mooij and Stefan Korn from DIYFather.com.

Today guest is Richard Dudum, author of What Your Mother Never Told You: A Teenage Girls Survival Guide.


Stefan visits with Richard Dudum about his book,
What Your Mother Never Told You: A Teenage Girls Survival Guide. ... read more >>