::Handling Teenagers Is No Child's Play ::

"SENSITIVE AGE: Educational institutions can effectively handle teenagers if they are aware and well-informed about teen activities and issues."

Being a teenager in the second millennium is more colourful, exciting, confusing, and challenging, all at the same time.

This tension is most apparent during the transition from school to college. The tension arises out of the same things that are exciting to a teen, such as new relationships, expressing oneself through the way they dress, the music they listen to, the places they frequent, etc.

The big question for college/universities then becomes: how can an educational institution support the teenager in dealing with these tensions, and keep her/him safe, and get her/him ready to go out into the real world?

In Bangalore, as also in India at large, colleges have gone one of two ways: The first kind of college maintains a structure, which is more or less similar to that of schools. An example of this is National College. Other colleges maintain a structure less rigid than that of schools. An example is St. Joseph's.

The conservative school of thought holds that fashion, relationships etc. are things that distract a student from gaining the best education. To help the students gain the best education, the college will set restrictions on things that can become possible distractions such as dress and seating arrangement.

Institutions with less rigid structure from one of two perspectives, either that it is not the role of an educational institution to have a say in other aspects of a student's life beside academics, or that education is in the classroom and beyond, and it is important that students be allowed to express themselves while in college so that by the time they graduate from that institution they are well prepared for the world.

There is no debate that all the above-mentioned perspectives are valid in their own right, and what is more important is that whatever the structure, it has to be consistent, caring, nurturing and responsive. Colleges and educational institutions will do far better by being aware and informed of teen activities and issues.

Some tips to stay informed and nurture the next generation:

Stay involved — as teachers, academics and administrators, make an attempt to know what your students are doing in their spare time. Find out what interests them, may be you will learn something new that interests you as well.

Remember to listen. The best ways to learn about the issues that teenagers are dealing with is to keep discussion open and to listen to what they have to say. Avoid the 2 `p' s — patronising and preaching — when talking to teens (Amy Fackler, 2004).

Don't jump to conclusions — just because a student is comfortable talking about a topic such as drugs, sex, alcohol, etc. does not mean she/he is addicted to it.

Keep your eyes and ears open — learn to recognise teenagers at risk and be there for them.

Just letting them know you are there might make a world of difference.

Don't be judgmental. `Different' does not necessarily mean `bad.' If a student is different from your definition of a `good student' it does not mean that he/she is any less capable of doing as well as the `good student.'

Set clear boundaries, but involve your students in the decisions that affect them.

Nurture creativity and expression — be innovative in helping them learn new skills and knowledge. Challenge their intellect.

Remember, teens today have the means to get information; what they need are mentors and role models.

Lastly, and most importantly, respect your students the same way you would like to be respected.

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Don't Get Stress...................

Handling failure
Trefor Lloyd
"How teenagers react when things don't go according to plan is closely linked with how they deal with emotions generally and what impact the failure has on their levels of confidence. But there are ways you can help to soften the blow."

Win some, lose some
Some teenagers take failure - whether in sport, exams or relationships - in their stride. Some others sulk for about 20 minutes - a very short-term crisis. The good news is, if your child deals with failure in either way, puberty and becoming a teenager are unlikely to have a dramatic impact on the way they continue to deal with it.

In contrast, however, if your child's misery lasts a day or two, boxes of tissues are used up and doors are slammed a lot more than you'd like, then failure and adolescence are likely to be a combustible combination.

If you think your child is at the combustible end of the spectrum, you need to help her deal with her emotions before you help her deal with failure effectively.

What's the problem?
Some parents think it's natural for a seven-year-old to get angry and kick out when seemingly small disappointments occur. But unless your child learns another response, she's likely to continue to get angry and kick out at 16, with a higher level of destruction.

Some teens - young men in particular - have a less developed range of emotional expression to call on. They may feel the full range, but have more difficulty with the subtleties. Embarrassment, irritation and disappointment are more difficult to find an appropriate response to and, for some, anger is the main emotion shown.

Expression and your teen
Your teen may have difficulty identifying what she's feeling. You probably know when she's a bit upset, tired or irritated. While feelings are natural, articulating them needs to be learnt. Asking: "Are you a bit upset?" may help you both to identify the type and the extent of her feelings, and to find appropriate responses.

However, there are alternatives. Some young people - boys in particular - find rigorous activity, such as sport, allows them to 'cleanse' themselves of emotion. Others may walk the dog, fish or climb, which again allows them to chew over events, situations and disappointments. If this works, then the ability to articulate emotions is still useful, but not always essential.

"Parents need to reassure their teenagers that their love and support is not contingent on exam grades."

If your teenagers don't get the grades they expected, help them to keep it in perspective - everyone has some setbacks in life, whether it's failing a driving test or an exam. They can always do resits. Reassure them you're behind them 100 per cent, and help them to review all the options.

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Love Before First Sight

Don't be surprised to find yourself loving your baby before you even meet. Soon-to-be parents are often hit by a potent mix of emotions and anticipation — and these feelings help set the stage for your relationship with your child.

If you're a pregnant mom, powerful mommy hormones also lay the groundwork for your connection with your baby. These kick in during pregnancy, growing stronger as the weeks go by.

As your due date nears, your brain starts producing more and more oxytocin, a hormone that literally helps bring out the mother in you. Also known as the love hormone, oxytocin is responsible for maternal behavior like nuzzling and grooming in animals from rats to monkeys. For pregnant moms, its main job is to ease feelings of stress while fueling anticipation for the new arrival.

Oxytocin has attracted serious scientific interest in recent years. Animal studies suggest that it plays a huge role in all sorts of social behaviors, from raising babies to forming long-term relationships. Animals that don't produce oxytocin ignore their offspring and find different mates every season. Species that do make the hormone tend to be doting parents that form lasting bonds with their mates. So when your body starts pumping out oxytocin during pregnancy, it's as if love is coursing through your veins.

Your baby is also developing a bond with you, even in the womb. Studies show that his heart will beat a little faster at the sound of your voice. It's something that will excite and comfort your child now and for years to come.

If you're a dad, the second parent in a same-sex couple, or an adoptive parent expecting a new baby, you won't experience the same hormonal boost and physical closeness with your developing child that pregnant moms do. But don't worry, your bond with your child won't suffer.

Babies and older children have the capacity to form tight bonds with any caregiver who responds to their physical and emotional needs. Attachment theory — the guiding psychological principle of human relationships — says that people of all ages become deeply connected with others who provide a sense of security and support.

People never outgrow their ability and desire to form these connections, so it's never too late to bond with a child, says Carol Wilson, a psychologist at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. "Any caregiver can become an attachment figure," she explains

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Having a baby is a special happiness. Moreover if this baby is normal and healthy.
What the characteristics of the normal and healthy baby. Along with this is the characteristics of the normal and healthy baby.

Several characteristics of the normal and healthy baby in part:

1.The baby cried hard and in a high-pitched manner.

2.The colour of reddish skin, from the front, the lip, as far as the hands and the part foot arms and the leg moved active, the hands kneaded and folded on the elbow, the leg half folded in the foundation of the thigh and knees.

3.The baby's breath is arranged and calm, the wall of the chest and the wall of the moving stomach is arranged. All complete in every aspect body members, from the end foot as far as the tip of hair. Including the mouth hole, the anus and the navel.

4.Excrement on the first day until 7th is green, the following day changed become yellow.

5.Whereas the colour of clear or yellowish urine.

6.The white colour of the eyes stayed white, not yellow.

7.If in the age 4 weeks are considered by all the functions of the good body, was significantly normal.
So several characteristics of the healthy and normal baby.
May this information be useful for you.
Congratulations with your
baby
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