We are excited to announce that Parent Contracts will have a new design and features coming soon. The Parent Contracts website has become very popular for individual family use, which was our original intent when starting the website, but it has also become increasingly popular amongst therapists, schools, and other institutions that would like to purchase customizable contracts in bulk. Because of the interest we have received and our desire to meet the needs of our clients, we have decided to redesign our website and integrate a new system that will allow for bulk purchases and customization options that were not previously available.
The Parent Contracts team is dedicated to providing the most value and help possible for families that are in need. From rebellious teens to proactive parents that want to help their children learn responsibility, structure, and choice and accountability, the Family Value Contracts offer a great deal of direction and options. Customizing a contract will allow the teen and parent to have a say in exactly what the terms of the contract are, how they will be enforced and the consequences that will be appropriate and fair. Parent Contracts offers a large selection of contracts to meet the needs of many situations, from driving and teen cell phone use to more serious issues like drugs and alcohol each family can choose the contracts that are applicable for the situation and individuals that will be using them.
In addition, the behavior contracts that are offered by Parent Contracts have proven to be an excellent tool for teachers that are having behavior issues with specific students of for those that want to help students learn about contracts, choices and consequences and more. There are so many different ways these contracts can be used and we want to make your experience as customizable and useful as possible. Using a contract is a great way to let a child or teen have some say in what is expected and what the consequences will be. The simple fact that someone is taking the time to sit down with the child one and one and talk about what is expected and letting them have some input on what they think is important and fair, will go a long way in how well they will adhere to the rules that are set forth.
For therapists, having a resource like what Parent Contracts offers is a great help. Many times a therapist will encourage parents and teens to use some kind of behavior contract to help set and enforce responsibilities and limitations. If the therapist has the ability to sit down with the parent and teen, walk them through the contract, help them customize it and then follow up on performance and enforcement, the chance of this type of help being successful will increase greatly. Many times, the parents just don't know how to talk to their teens about sensitive issues and may not know how to word a contract and decide on appropriate consequences. The more help they can get in the beginning the more successful they will be in the long run.
We are very excited about the new design and features that are coming soon to ParentContracts.com. If you have questions, feedback, or comments about what you would like to see, or even want to share a story about the experience you have had with using behavior contracts, please visit our website to contact us and share your ideas with us today.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Friday, December 2, 2011
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Parent Contracts
Cognitive behavioral therapy and parent contracts, do these two things have anything in common? It may not appear so at first but let's take a look into the subject and see. First, what is cognitive behavioral therapy? The word "cognitive" refers to mental processing and behavior therapy is typically thought to be some type of therapy to alter a specific behavior. When you put all of this together you get behavior therapy that is applied through mental processing or cognitive behavioral therapy. Behavior therapy can be approached in many different ways including reward/punishment systems, educational approaches, and others. Cognitive behavioral therapy analyzes the mental process that leads up to or happens when the problem behavior occurs and then teaches the teen how to change the process before it becomes a problem.
So, how would a parent contract be useful or helpful in cognitive behavioral therapy? Cognitive behavioral therapy often involves some type of journal keeping, worksheets, or other written process in which the person writes out the mental process as it occurs. This is absolutely critical to the success of the cognitive behavior therapy. These worksheets and journal entries are teaching the person to recognize destructive or problem thoughts and triggers that are leading to the behavior that has become a problem (intermittent explosive behavior, social anxiety, oppositional defiance, etc). By recognizing these patterns, the patient and therapist can work together to stop the negative thought process before if gets to the point that the negative behavior occurs. Having a parent contract that defines what is expected of the child or teen in between sessions with his/her therapist is an effective way to make sure that the teen is doing the assignments without being mean, nagging, or intruding.
The parent contract must be developed in the presence of, and with the coordination of, the therapist so it will be part of the process and not threatening. It is essential that the parent, counselor, and teen are all involved in developing the parent contract and agree on the elements included. The parent contract should be clear and concise with directions about how the parent contract will be implemented and enforced as well as what the consequences will be if the parent contract is broken. For instance, the therapist may require that the teen writes at least one journal entry per day that is at least one paragraph in length and that he/she fill out a minimum of one CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) worksheet everyday. The contract may simply state that at a set time every day (say 10 PM) the teen will bring both the journal and completed worksheet to one of his/her parents for review. The parent contract should also be clear as to whether or not the parent should read the information. Many teens do not want their parents analyzing their mental process (and typically that is the therapists job) so the contract may simply state that the child has to show the completed assignments to the parent and allow him or her to initial each one showing he/she has seen it but that he/she is not allowed to read the contents.
To be effective the contract should also provide consequences for the rules being broken. This may be that the therapist will be notified at a certain point, that the teen will be admitted to some other kind or treatment program, or whatever the parent, teen, and therapist agree is a fair and reasonable consequence that will keep each of the involved party's best interest in mind. In essence, the parent contract in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy works as an accountability element in between sessions with the therapist. The only way that any therapy is effective for helping struggling teens is if the things learned in the sessions are implemented at home. Having a parent contract as part of the cognitive behavioral therapy process makes sure that some effort is being made to implement what is learned. This gives the teen immediate consequences is he/she does not follow through with what is agreed on and also ensures the parent that the money being invested into the treatment is not just being wasted because neither the teen or therapist is informing them that the teen is choosing to not participate in the recommend treatment.
So, how would a parent contract be useful or helpful in cognitive behavioral therapy? Cognitive behavioral therapy often involves some type of journal keeping, worksheets, or other written process in which the person writes out the mental process as it occurs. This is absolutely critical to the success of the cognitive behavior therapy. These worksheets and journal entries are teaching the person to recognize destructive or problem thoughts and triggers that are leading to the behavior that has become a problem (intermittent explosive behavior, social anxiety, oppositional defiance, etc). By recognizing these patterns, the patient and therapist can work together to stop the negative thought process before if gets to the point that the negative behavior occurs. Having a parent contract that defines what is expected of the child or teen in between sessions with his/her therapist is an effective way to make sure that the teen is doing the assignments without being mean, nagging, or intruding.
The parent contract must be developed in the presence of, and with the coordination of, the therapist so it will be part of the process and not threatening. It is essential that the parent, counselor, and teen are all involved in developing the parent contract and agree on the elements included. The parent contract should be clear and concise with directions about how the parent contract will be implemented and enforced as well as what the consequences will be if the parent contract is broken. For instance, the therapist may require that the teen writes at least one journal entry per day that is at least one paragraph in length and that he/she fill out a minimum of one CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) worksheet everyday. The contract may simply state that at a set time every day (say 10 PM) the teen will bring both the journal and completed worksheet to one of his/her parents for review. The parent contract should also be clear as to whether or not the parent should read the information. Many teens do not want their parents analyzing their mental process (and typically that is the therapists job) so the contract may simply state that the child has to show the completed assignments to the parent and allow him or her to initial each one showing he/she has seen it but that he/she is not allowed to read the contents.
To be effective the contract should also provide consequences for the rules being broken. This may be that the therapist will be notified at a certain point, that the teen will be admitted to some other kind or treatment program, or whatever the parent, teen, and therapist agree is a fair and reasonable consequence that will keep each of the involved party's best interest in mind. In essence, the parent contract in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy works as an accountability element in between sessions with the therapist. The only way that any therapy is effective for helping struggling teens is if the things learned in the sessions are implemented at home. Having a parent contract as part of the cognitive behavioral therapy process makes sure that some effort is being made to implement what is learned. This gives the teen immediate consequences is he/she does not follow through with what is agreed on and also ensures the parent that the money being invested into the treatment is not just being wasted because neither the teen or therapist is informing them that the teen is choosing to not participate in the recommend treatment.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Child Obesity and Childhood Obesity Facts
In this Child Obesity and Childhood Obesity Facts article we will take a look at the problems associated with child obesity and see just what the childhood obesity facts are. Child obesity has become an increasing health concern in recent years as fast food and a sedentary lifestyle have become more and more prevalent worldwide. As jobs are becoming more and more computer oriented and require less and less physical activity and prepackaged and fast foods get cheaper and more accessible, waistlines everywhere are expanding.
In the past it seemed as though most kids were just naturally skinny. They didn't really have to work out or watch what they ate. However, it is becoming more and more apparent that that is not really the case. As computer games, television, and other electronic entertainment become more and more popular and regular physical activities like playing at the park, riding a bike around the neighborhood, and neighborhood sports and activities diminish and are replaced with online games and virtual activities that keep the body completely inactive, kids are affected. Combine this with a dinner of fast food or microwave prepackaged varieties and you get kids that are also experiencing expanding waistlines and becoming fat kids. The worst part of this, lifelong patterns and habits are being established and a plethora of future health problems are brewing.
There are many health risks associated with obesity including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, breathing problems, and sleeping problems. Child obesity can also lead to a number of social and emotional problems including depression and anxiety. So what do the childhood obesity facts show? How big is the problem, really? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. According to these child obesity statistics, in 2008 more than 1/3 of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. According to the CDC, being overweight or obese also greatly increases one’s risk for many different types of cancer. These childhood obesity facts are scary. So what can we do to reverse these child obesity statistics?
First, it is important to educate adults about the problems and provide simple, cheap options for lifestyle changes. Because we are living in such hard economic times where families are struggling just to get by, it is hard to tell parents not to buy any fast food or cheap prepackaged foods, it is also hard to convince them to buy fitness club memberships or even get them to buy bicycles or other sport equipment for their kids. However, making more healthy options available - like Subway's $5 foot longs – and providing simple recipes that use fresh ingredients that are quick and easy to prepare, are all steps in the right direction. Creating neighborhood playgroups and smaller parks located in more neighborhoods can help encourage outside play and interaction with other people, thus providing exercise for kids.
In the past it seemed as though most kids were just naturally skinny. They didn't really have to work out or watch what they ate. However, it is becoming more and more apparent that that is not really the case. As computer games, television, and other electronic entertainment become more and more popular and regular physical activities like playing at the park, riding a bike around the neighborhood, and neighborhood sports and activities diminish and are replaced with online games and virtual activities that keep the body completely inactive, kids are affected. Combine this with a dinner of fast food or microwave prepackaged varieties and you get kids that are also experiencing expanding waistlines and becoming fat kids. The worst part of this, lifelong patterns and habits are being established and a plethora of future health problems are brewing.
There are many health risks associated with obesity including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, breathing problems, and sleeping problems. Child obesity can also lead to a number of social and emotional problems including depression and anxiety. So what do the childhood obesity facts show? How big is the problem, really? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. According to these child obesity statistics, in 2008 more than 1/3 of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. According to the CDC, being overweight or obese also greatly increases one’s risk for many different types of cancer. These childhood obesity facts are scary. So what can we do to reverse these child obesity statistics?
First, it is important to educate adults about the problems and provide simple, cheap options for lifestyle changes. Because we are living in such hard economic times where families are struggling just to get by, it is hard to tell parents not to buy any fast food or cheap prepackaged foods, it is also hard to convince them to buy fitness club memberships or even get them to buy bicycles or other sport equipment for their kids. However, making more healthy options available - like Subway's $5 foot longs – and providing simple recipes that use fresh ingredients that are quick and easy to prepare, are all steps in the right direction. Creating neighborhood playgroups and smaller parks located in more neighborhoods can help encourage outside play and interaction with other people, thus providing exercise for kids.
In an age where so much information is available online for free, let's use this medium to promote health and wellness by providing free tips, recipes, and advice to people wanting to be healthy. Let's use commercials to advertise fitness and health instead of laziness and gluttony. Personal trainers can offer free advice and help through blogs, forums, and other online media. Fit2fat2fit.com is a great example, a personal trainer quit working out for 6 months, ate terribly and gained 70 lbs so that he could empathize with his clients and then work with them on a journey to fitness. He is keeping a weekly journal of the entire process and has it open for everyone to follow and read. Use real life stories like this to get inspired and motivated and then share it with your entire family. Together we can fight child obesity and decrease these childhood obesity facts.
Resources: cdc.gov, aacap.org
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Parent Contracts: Help Ensure Internet Safety for Kids
When it comes to parent contracts there is really no limit on how to customize them to meet the individual needs the family is facing at any given time. In this post we want to take a look at how parent contracts can be used to help ensure Internet safety for kids. With Internet access now available in nearly every household in the United States, as well as in schools, on cell phones, and just about every place one goes, it is natural that parents are concerned about Internet safety for their kids. Elementary schools and even some pre-school settings use the Internet on a limited, but regular basis. This use of the Internet is educational and beneficial to our kids and offers a lot of great resources that were not previously available to all.
On the other hand, if you read any current events, local, or national news stories you know that there are multiple incidents daily, that are in some way linked to Internet use. Stories about sexual predators using the Internet to find and befriend victims are rampant. As a parent I am reluctant to let me kids use the Internet at all. Children doing research for a school project can easily happen upon inappropriate material, kids using social networking sites are being cyber bullied, not only by other students but in some cases even parents. Nevertheless, this is their future. Teaching them to use the Internet to take advantage of the good while navigating around the bad is critical. Schools can do this by integrating expensive filters and software to block explicit content, but for the regular household it can be a bit more complicated.
While there are a lot of great free filtering software programs available, these will not filter everything and can not filter what is said in a private message or through email or a social networking sites. To truly keep kids safe o the Internet parents MUST be involved and teaching their kids about how to stay safe. Some safety tips from fbi.gov reminds kids (and these would apply to anyone using the Internet):
A parent contract gives both parents and children the opportunity to sit down and talk about what is available on the Internet, what is good, what is bad, what is allowed, and what isn't. A parent contract to ensure Internet safety for kids needs to be detailed and specific. It may include what social networking accounts a child can sign up for, what email accounts are allowed, whether or not a parent will have the user name and passwords to the accounts as well as how much time the child is allowed to spend on the computer each day and what type of activities they can use the Internet for. Children need limits. Not only for their own safety but also for the structure and discipline needed for them to develop successful life skills. If an elementary age child is allowed unlimited time to play games online, staying up late into the night, having no rules about homework, chores, or anything else is creating very bad habits that will carry over into their high school and college life as well. If habits are developed early on that require the child to finish all homework and household responsibilities before signing into any social networking or gaming sites and then having limits set on the number of hours and cut off times in the evening for Internet use, children will develop lasting habits that can help them succeed.
On the other hand, if you read any current events, local, or national news stories you know that there are multiple incidents daily, that are in some way linked to Internet use. Stories about sexual predators using the Internet to find and befriend victims are rampant. As a parent I am reluctant to let me kids use the Internet at all. Children doing research for a school project can easily happen upon inappropriate material, kids using social networking sites are being cyber bullied, not only by other students but in some cases even parents. Nevertheless, this is their future. Teaching them to use the Internet to take advantage of the good while navigating around the bad is critical. Schools can do this by integrating expensive filters and software to block explicit content, but for the regular household it can be a bit more complicated.
While there are a lot of great free filtering software programs available, these will not filter everything and can not filter what is said in a private message or through email or a social networking sites. To truly keep kids safe o the Internet parents MUST be involved and teaching their kids about how to stay safe. Some safety tips from fbi.gov reminds kids (and these would apply to anyone using the Internet):
- Don't give out personal information on the Internet to people you do not know; this includes name, address, phone number, name of a school or other facility they attend, or pictures of themselves or family members.
- Do not send private messages or converse with people that scare you or make you feel uncomfortable.
- Do not meet with someone you do not know without the permission of your parents.
- Always report messages or content you come across that makes you uncomfortable, to your parents or a trusted adult.
- Remember that who someone says they are online is not always who they really are.
A parent contract gives both parents and children the opportunity to sit down and talk about what is available on the Internet, what is good, what is bad, what is allowed, and what isn't. A parent contract to ensure Internet safety for kids needs to be detailed and specific. It may include what social networking accounts a child can sign up for, what email accounts are allowed, whether or not a parent will have the user name and passwords to the accounts as well as how much time the child is allowed to spend on the computer each day and what type of activities they can use the Internet for. Children need limits. Not only for their own safety but also for the structure and discipline needed for them to develop successful life skills. If an elementary age child is allowed unlimited time to play games online, staying up late into the night, having no rules about homework, chores, or anything else is creating very bad habits that will carry over into their high school and college life as well. If habits are developed early on that require the child to finish all homework and household responsibilities before signing into any social networking or gaming sites and then having limits set on the number of hours and cut off times in the evening for Internet use, children will develop lasting habits that can help them succeed.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Parent Contracts and Exercise for Kids
Exercise for kids, and exercise in general, is not a new topic. With all the childhood obesity statistics soaring, it is no surprise that people are looking for more ways to incorporate exercise into their own lives and the lives of their kids. Whether it is parking further away in the parking lot at the grocery store, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or joining a gym or fitness club, there are many things adults can choose to do every day that can add more physical activity to a daily routine, but what about exercise for kids? It used to be that kids got plenty of exercise just in their regular play. Between activity at school, jumping on the trampoline in the back yard, rollerblading or biking to the neighborhood park to play basketball or whatever the game of choice was, kids were very active!
Things have changed. Unless a child is signed up for a sports team, they may not be getting the daily exercise they need to be healthy. Computer games, television, mobile devices, and other sedentary activities have taken a hold of the majority of free time that children have today. Even P.E. classes at school do not require the same level of activity and fitness that use to be required. The biggest difference that is going to be made in regards to exercise for kids will have to take place at home. Parents have to take an active interest in what their kids are doing and come up with a solid plan, that kids will agree to and stick to, to increase the amount of exercise kids get.
Using a parent contract is an excellent way to make sure that the kids are on board with the plan and that they are committed to it. Having some kind of a reward system can be great incentive. Just be sure to have appropriate awards. If the reward for 100 hours of physical activity is a new gaming console, it is not very likely that this will be a permanent lifestyle change. If the reward is a new pair of roller blades, a new bike, or something that will continue to promote physical activity, all the better!! A key to exercise for kids is for it to be fun. Exercise does not have to be a dreaded word that means pain and exhaustion. Exercise is actually a natural high, endorphins are released during exercise that makes a person feel happy.
Check for activities in your local community that will allow family members to try different types of exercise. There are often free clubs or groups that will go on a weekly hike, play weekly ballgames, or do regular activities that can be very fun and can involve the whole family. Checking local thrift stores can result in great bargains on things like in line skates, bikes, and other sporting equipment. Just because your kid does not like the first activity they try doesn't mean that you should give up. Keep trying until you find something they enjoy. Maybe it is swimming, maybe it is just a walk around the neighborhood in the evening so that they can tell you about their day. Whatever you decide, make a plan about how often and how long the exercise should last. Come up with the parent contract together so that each person is committed and then keep a daily log to see the progress you are making.
As with most things that you want your kids to do, if you will do it with them they will be happy to do it. They will be much more successful in doing it and the long term effects will be greater than you ever could have imagined. Not only will you all be more healthy, you will have developed a relationship that is never ending. Taking the time to talk to your kids every day is an essential part of parenting. If you can exercise while you do it, even better!!
Things have changed. Unless a child is signed up for a sports team, they may not be getting the daily exercise they need to be healthy. Computer games, television, mobile devices, and other sedentary activities have taken a hold of the majority of free time that children have today. Even P.E. classes at school do not require the same level of activity and fitness that use to be required. The biggest difference that is going to be made in regards to exercise for kids will have to take place at home. Parents have to take an active interest in what their kids are doing and come up with a solid plan, that kids will agree to and stick to, to increase the amount of exercise kids get.
Using a parent contract is an excellent way to make sure that the kids are on board with the plan and that they are committed to it. Having some kind of a reward system can be great incentive. Just be sure to have appropriate awards. If the reward for 100 hours of physical activity is a new gaming console, it is not very likely that this will be a permanent lifestyle change. If the reward is a new pair of roller blades, a new bike, or something that will continue to promote physical activity, all the better!! A key to exercise for kids is for it to be fun. Exercise does not have to be a dreaded word that means pain and exhaustion. Exercise is actually a natural high, endorphins are released during exercise that makes a person feel happy.
Check for activities in your local community that will allow family members to try different types of exercise. There are often free clubs or groups that will go on a weekly hike, play weekly ballgames, or do regular activities that can be very fun and can involve the whole family. Checking local thrift stores can result in great bargains on things like in line skates, bikes, and other sporting equipment. Just because your kid does not like the first activity they try doesn't mean that you should give up. Keep trying until you find something they enjoy. Maybe it is swimming, maybe it is just a walk around the neighborhood in the evening so that they can tell you about their day. Whatever you decide, make a plan about how often and how long the exercise should last. Come up with the parent contract together so that each person is committed and then keep a daily log to see the progress you are making.
As with most things that you want your kids to do, if you will do it with them they will be happy to do it. They will be much more successful in doing it and the long term effects will be greater than you ever could have imagined. Not only will you all be more healthy, you will have developed a relationship that is never ending. Taking the time to talk to your kids every day is an essential part of parenting. If you can exercise while you do it, even better!!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Parent Child College Contract
Many parents are very familiar with parent child contracts and behavior contracts but parent child college contracts are not as well known. For parents that have used parent child contracts throughout the child and teenage years, a parent child college contract may be especially beneficial. The best part about using a parent child contract is that it is very specific and individualized to meet the exact circumstances, personalities, and goals of each individual. For younger children a parent child contract or behavior contract may be used to teach a child about choice and accountability and consequences for one's actions. During the teenage years a family or even each individual may use several very specific contracts to address certain issues: grades, dating, driving, or a teen cell phone contract are just a few of the most common parent contracts.
Looking at examples of parents contracts is a great way for parents to get an idea of how to construct one and how to personalize and enforce the contract to create a successful experience for all those that are involved. College is an especially important part of any young adults life, it is also a time when things can go very, wrong very fast. A teenager leaving home for the first time, having sudden and complete freedom, may not make the best choices for his/her future. Some parents have a "live and learn" attitude and believe that whatever experiences their child has will teach them life lessons and be for their own good. Other parents have a rather large vested interest in their child having a successful college career. If a parent is paying tuition, buying books, paying fees, living expenses, etc. they have a right to expect certain behavior from their child.
Circumstances like these are when a parent child college contract can be especially useful and beneficial. Some may feel that this will be taking away the child's freedom and alter the process of him/her learning to be an independent/responsible adult. Others argue that such parent child college contracts give the child just enough direction to keep the child headed in the right direction, without controlling their life or preventing them from making their own choices. As with any parent contract, a parent child college contract should be very specific.
The contract should include a list of expected behaviors, this may include grades, jobs, study habits, class attendance, etc. The contract should also include what the child can expect in return, for all grades above a C, tuition will be paid at 100%. For C grades tuition will be paid at 50% and anything below a C will not be paid at all. Books, fees, and housing will be paid as long as attendance requirements are met and assignments are completed. Whatever the stipulations are, make them very specific about what is expected and what the direct consequence is for any part of the contract that is not met.
Using a parent child college contract is no guarantee that everything will work out exactly the way a parent expects it to but it does let both parties know exactly what is expected and helps establish some ground rules for what consequences will happen as a result of specific behaviors. This also eliminates trying to enforce some type of consequence after the fact, when both parties are arguing that the other knew what was expected and that the consequence is not fair. Anything that can be discussed before hand will be helpful in achieving results that both parties are happy with and can live with. Such a contract can also prevent a lot of blame and hard feelings later in life if a parent refuses to pay for future college classes because of bad grades and the child then blames the parent for ruining his/her chances of having a better life.
Looking at examples of parents contracts is a great way for parents to get an idea of how to construct one and how to personalize and enforce the contract to create a successful experience for all those that are involved. College is an especially important part of any young adults life, it is also a time when things can go very, wrong very fast. A teenager leaving home for the first time, having sudden and complete freedom, may not make the best choices for his/her future. Some parents have a "live and learn" attitude and believe that whatever experiences their child has will teach them life lessons and be for their own good. Other parents have a rather large vested interest in their child having a successful college career. If a parent is paying tuition, buying books, paying fees, living expenses, etc. they have a right to expect certain behavior from their child.
Circumstances like these are when a parent child college contract can be especially useful and beneficial. Some may feel that this will be taking away the child's freedom and alter the process of him/her learning to be an independent/responsible adult. Others argue that such parent child college contracts give the child just enough direction to keep the child headed in the right direction, without controlling their life or preventing them from making their own choices. As with any parent contract, a parent child college contract should be very specific.
The contract should include a list of expected behaviors, this may include grades, jobs, study habits, class attendance, etc. The contract should also include what the child can expect in return, for all grades above a C, tuition will be paid at 100%. For C grades tuition will be paid at 50% and anything below a C will not be paid at all. Books, fees, and housing will be paid as long as attendance requirements are met and assignments are completed. Whatever the stipulations are, make them very specific about what is expected and what the direct consequence is for any part of the contract that is not met.
Using a parent child college contract is no guarantee that everything will work out exactly the way a parent expects it to but it does let both parties know exactly what is expected and helps establish some ground rules for what consequences will happen as a result of specific behaviors. This also eliminates trying to enforce some type of consequence after the fact, when both parties are arguing that the other knew what was expected and that the consequence is not fair. Anything that can be discussed before hand will be helpful in achieving results that both parties are happy with and can live with. Such a contract can also prevent a lot of blame and hard feelings later in life if a parent refuses to pay for future college classes because of bad grades and the child then blames the parent for ruining his/her chances of having a better life.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Parenting Websites for Help with Teenage Problems
For parents looking for parenting websites for help with teenage problems we have come up with a list of some recommended websites. Because "teenage problems" is such a broad, generic term which can be related to anything from common teenage struggles faced by most teens to serious alcohol or drug addiction that starts during the volatile teenage years, we will cover a number of topics and websites that parents can turn to for parenting tips and help. For some teenage problems a simple parent contract can resolve the issue, like a teen cell phone contract or dating contract, but for more serious issues parents may need additional help and resources.
FamilyFirstAid.org is the first website we want to talk about. This is a great website for a broad range of teenage problems. This parenting website provides parenting tips and help for problems from teen depression, truancy, and peer pressure, to teen violence, residential treatment centers and more. If a teen in your life is struggling with self esteem issues or just has a lot of teen stress, Family First Aid can offer some parenting tips to help parents interested in helping their loved ones deal with these teenage problems. Even if your teenager is not yet struggling with any of the issues, the more knowledge and information you have about these teen issues before they arise the better equipped you will be for dealing with them.
Struggling-Teens.com is another parenting website that offers some great advice and resources for parents that are dealing with defiant, rebellious teens that may be in need of some time of therapeutic treatment. This parenting website offers resource for therapy for struggling teens. Struggling Teens provides resources for several types of therapy from family counseling to addiction therapy or even biblical counseling or equine therapy. This website also contains useful information about alternative treatment programs including brat camps, weight loss camps, and even programs for pregnant teens. For more detailed information regarding teen pregnancy help we also recommend TeenPregnancyStatistics.org and PregnantTeenHelp.org, both of these websites have a lot of detailed information to help both the pregnant teen and the parents or other people interested in helping the pregnant teen.
Teen drug addiction and teen alcohol abuse are two very serious issues that can can become a major teenage problem. There are many other teenage problems that can occur in relationship to teen drug addiction or teen alcohol abuse such as drinking and driving, alcoholism, DUI, arrests for underage drinking or using illicit drugs. There are also many health problems that can occur do to excessive drug and/or alcohol abuse. Two parenting websites we recommend for useful information regarding these issues are TeenAlcoholAbuse.us and TeenDrugAddiction.com
For general information and teen help that parents and teens can refer to individually or together we recommend TeenHelp.com. Much like Family First Aid this website covers many common teen issues and teenage problems. Visit Teen Help for information regarding adolescent development, teen sexuality, and tips for parenting teens. No matter what teenage problem parents or teens are seeking help with, these parenting websites offer a lot of detailed information and resources for treatment options.
FamilyFirstAid.org is the first website we want to talk about. This is a great website for a broad range of teenage problems. This parenting website provides parenting tips and help for problems from teen depression, truancy, and peer pressure, to teen violence, residential treatment centers and more. If a teen in your life is struggling with self esteem issues or just has a lot of teen stress, Family First Aid can offer some parenting tips to help parents interested in helping their loved ones deal with these teenage problems. Even if your teenager is not yet struggling with any of the issues, the more knowledge and information you have about these teen issues before they arise the better equipped you will be for dealing with them.
Struggling-Teens.com is another parenting website that offers some great advice and resources for parents that are dealing with defiant, rebellious teens that may be in need of some time of therapeutic treatment. This parenting website offers resource for therapy for struggling teens. Struggling Teens provides resources for several types of therapy from family counseling to addiction therapy or even biblical counseling or equine therapy. This website also contains useful information about alternative treatment programs including brat camps, weight loss camps, and even programs for pregnant teens. For more detailed information regarding teen pregnancy help we also recommend TeenPregnancyStatistics.org and PregnantTeenHelp.org, both of these websites have a lot of detailed information to help both the pregnant teen and the parents or other people interested in helping the pregnant teen.
Teen drug addiction and teen alcohol abuse are two very serious issues that can can become a major teenage problem. There are many other teenage problems that can occur in relationship to teen drug addiction or teen alcohol abuse such as drinking and driving, alcoholism, DUI, arrests for underage drinking or using illicit drugs. There are also many health problems that can occur do to excessive drug and/or alcohol abuse. Two parenting websites we recommend for useful information regarding these issues are TeenAlcoholAbuse.us and TeenDrugAddiction.com
For general information and teen help that parents and teens can refer to individually or together we recommend TeenHelp.com. Much like Family First Aid this website covers many common teen issues and teenage problems. Visit Teen Help for information regarding adolescent development, teen sexuality, and tips for parenting teens. No matter what teenage problem parents or teens are seeking help with, these parenting websites offer a lot of detailed information and resources for treatment options.
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