I have seen my kid struggle into the kitchen in the morning with outfits that need only one accessory: an empty gin bottle. Erma Bombeck
The Process of Negotiating the Rules with your Child



We all know as parents that discussing and negotiating the rules with our children is never easy. Children are all very different, and what might need to be a rule for one, may not even be an issue for another. That being said, there are many parameters that we set as parents that are the hard and fast rules - those with no 'wiggle room.' Those are the rules set forth to protect our child's health, safety and well-being. These rules and their consequences should be very clearly defined and it should be understood by all involved that they are there for a very important reason and that they are 'all or nothing.'


Rules that keep our children safe are of the utmost importance. These could include everything from teaching youngsters not to touch the hot stove to teaching your school aged child the importance of obeying the laws while riding their bicycle. Children need to understand these rules are to be followed to the letter and there is no room for negotiation here.


For adolescents and teenagers, such rules should include expectations about drinking, the use of illegal drugs, or safe defensive driving. These rules are also imperative to a child's health, well-being and safety. There should be no room for experimentation or relaxing the rules in specific social situations.


There are rules that can be fairly and equitably negotiated with your children as well. Rules regarding how many hours per week can be spent on video game playing, what time a child is expected home for dinner, what time each night homework is to be completed, or how late a teenager is allowed to stay out on weekend nights are all rules that can be discussed openly and honestly between you and your child. These should also be consistent, however. Don't' allow 11 p.m. one weekend night and then tell your teenager 9:30 the following weekend night when going out with the same group of friends. If your teenager broke the 11 p.m. curfew the weekend before, the consequence of losing the privilege of going out that weekend should be strictly enforced. Don't bend the rule just because your teenager seems genuinely sorry and promises never to do it again. Consequences should be consistent, fair, and always followed through.

Parenting Style

If the parameters are muddled or the child learns that in one situation the rules hold true yet in another situation the same rule does not, it makes for confusion and frustration on both sides.

This can be a difficult chore for some students. Establishing healthy eating patterns is important to avoid problems such as obesity and eating disorders later in life. Make sure they understand that it's okay to make mistakes.

Lighting A Fire To Get Your Kids Moving
By Aydan Corkern

 Are your kids turning into a couch decoration that hardly ever moves? Can you be a proud parent because you always know exactly where they are? This could be a good thing for our nerves when we do not have to wonder where they are, but how good is it for their health when they are constantly sitting on the couch or floor playing video games or watching television. This has become a serious habit for some kids and many parents are at the end of their rope when it comes to getting them out of the house and being more active.

Parents are not the only ones concerned about how inactive many of our kids are becoming. Obesity among children it at its highest level since records were started years ago. A large part of this obesity is due to the technological world we live in. Children used to love playing outdoors because most of the time there was not much to do inside the house that was that much fun. That is definitely not true today. Kids are suffering from high cholesterol and sometimes even high blood pressure. This is stemming from the large amounts of fats in their diet and also from the lack of enough physical activity to burn off all of those fatty calories.

So, what can parents do to help get their kids moving short of starting a fire under their rear ends? The object is to get them to get outdoors and be more active. It is hard to get them away from computers, video games, and their favorite videos. The trick is to make outside activities just as enjoyable. This might require some movement on your part as well. This means that if you want then to become involved in exercise of the physical kind, you might just have to roll up your sleeves and get out there with them.

Many parents involve their kids is sports activities that go on in their community, but this might not be for all kids or fit into every family schedule. Sometimes spontaneous things like just going out and tossing a ball around or going for an unplanned bike ride is beneficial. They get their exercise, you get yours, and if your lucky you and your kid get to spend time getting to know each other again and have a smoking, calorie burning good time doing it.

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