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Babysitting
and Your Teenager
by Rachel Paxton, © 2001
Babysitting has changed
a lot since I was a teenager. My mom didn't worry about checking out
the families I babysat for and spent time with. Maybe things were
safer then, but then again maybe not. Maybe she should have worried
more. As it was, I was very lucky that nothing really bad ever happened
to me. Just a couple of close calls.
I remember one time smelling something strange in a house where I
was babysitting. I didn't realize until I was much older that the
smell was marijuana. At the time I had my suspicions, but I was too
young to understand what was going on. I never told my mom. I have
friends that were molested while they were babysitting, by people
they didn't know. They never told their parents either.
I don't mean to scare you. Well, I guess I kind of do. Do you personally
know who your teen is babysitting for? Fortunately for my husband
and I, we became Christians before our daughter was old enough to
babysit. At one time I would have thought differently about the families
we chose to let our daughter spend time with.
That's not to say our daughter couldn't babysit for a non-Christian
family, or that all Christian families are safe. Our daughter's safety
is first and foremost in our minds. What's most important is being
at least acquainted with the family beforehand, and making an informed
decision on whether your teen should be babysitting for them.
As our daughter has ventured into the world of babysitting, there
have been many unexpected benefits. The most obvious being the significant
increase in her spending money. Much to her dismay, my husband and
I feel very strongly about having children work for their money. Our
daughter receives a small allowance in exchange for doing a few household
chores. Babysitting has become her most significant source of income.
Our daughter is an only child. She misses not having a little brother
or sister, and she can't at all relate to her friends who would gladly
trade places with her. Babysitting has given our daughter a window
into another life. Our neighbor has four little girls, ages 7, 5,
4, and 2. Our daughter adores them. Their mother has taken an interest
in her and talks to her a lot about the girls, and about being a mom.
Their family is very down to earth and provides a wonderful example
of what a healthy family should be. In today's world that's hard to
come by.
Kids learn a lot from their parents about how to have a healthy marriage
and how to be good parents (or not). I can't overemphasize the importance
of role models in your teen's life. Whether you're Christian or not,
you can help choose the adults your teen spends time with. Babysitting
is an excellent, first-hand way for your child to spend time with
another family, helping them, while also learning lifelong lessons
(often without even knowing it).
Give some thought to where you let your teen hang out. If your teen
does a lot of babysitting, especially for one family, make sure they're
safe. Better yet, make sure they're good role models for your child.
The more your teen spends quality time with other families and their
children, the better parent your teen will someday be.
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Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of the
Creative Homemaking Recipe of the Week Club Cookbook, a cookbook containing
more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas.
For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts,
frugal living, and family fun, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
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Does
Your Child Snore? Should You Worry About It?
Author: Charlie Clar, © 2001
The American Sleep
Disorders Association says there are 84 different ways that sleep
can be negatively affected. Snoring is one of the most common. Other
ways include insomnia, sleepwalking, talking or eating while asleep,
sleep apnea, and bedwetting.
Millions of people throughout the world snore each and every night.
Of these, an incredible 35 percent are children.
Not surprisingly, experts say children need periods of uninterrupted
sleep. It is important for their physical and emotional health and
for their growth and development. The quality of sleep directly affects
how a child comprehends, solves problems, and pays attention to the
tasks at hand.
When a child has a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or snoring
(see http://all-about-snoring.com
for an explanation of the difference), sleep patterns are disrupted,
which in turn can affect how he or she functions during waking hours.
'Our bodies have a rhythm of sleep and waking that they repeat each
and every night of our lives,' says Dr. Stephen Sheldon, director
of the Sleep Medicine Center at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
'If anything occurs that disrupts this rhythm, then a sleep disorder
can occur which complicates how we sleep as well as how we function
during the following day.'
There are various causes for snoring in children. Dr. Sheldon says
the most common cause by far is enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Other
causes or conditions that may result in a child's snoring include:
allergy attacks, chest colds, sore throats, and obesity. See http://all-about-snoring.com
for a thorough discussion of reasons for snoring and good remedies.
Parents need to know if a child is waking up every night because of
snoring, particularly if the child has difficulty going back to sleep.
Signs and symptoms to watch for include:
1. snoring, whistling or low pitched wheezing coming from the throat;
2. restless sleeping;
3. frequent headaches upon waking in the morning;
4. problems with memory or concentration;
5. extreme daytime sleepiness that continues regardless of change
in bedtime or waking time.
If you see some or all of these signs and symptoms in your child,
then by all means see your medical doctor.
Just pay attention! You can begin to educate yourself here:
http://all-about-life.com/page463953.htm
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Charlie Clar is a U.S.A. based entrepreneur who thrives on the internet.
His basic belief is that all wisdom, creativity, and good flows from
God. His professional expertise is in personal and business taxation.
He shares his well researched insights on this and other topics in
the The All About Life Irregular.
You can subscribe to it at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/all-about-life
Please visit his entry portal at: http://all-about-life.com
Charlie@All-About-Life.com
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