UPCOMING PROGRAMS -  Holli Martin

Brain research has found that the adolescent brain is wired different causing them to behave differently.  Kids need to have age appropriate limits in order to help the develop healthy.

Birth-3

• Sleep 11-12 Hours
• Green Space (outside hours)
• No Screen Time
• No Fast Food
• Don't force them to eat anything
• Discipline for safety only
• Ignore tantrums

3-5

• Sleep and green space still a priority
• Variety of foods (no fried food)
• Discipline (1-2-3 Magic, recommend)
• Non-structured play time
• Controlled screen time
• Small chore

5-10

• Don't overschedule, 1-2 acitivites
• Sleep still a priority
• Make sure their friends have the same parenting types
• No violent videos or movies
• Small chores

10-13

• Discipline by removing privileges
• No violent videos or movies
• Chores
• Limit computer time and all social media (source of a lot of prey and bullying)

13-16

• Good moral behavior is a result of good moral examples from parents.
• Make punishments stick
• Protective to have them in a church youth group
• Eat together
• Cell phones on counter at a certain time night

Often problems develop when kids befriend others with parents who do not set the same limits.  This causes kids to test limits and feel that they have "rights."  Warning signs that there may be problems are changes in behavior, change of friends, and aggressiveness or withdrawen.  Parents are the best therapists; they need to know their kids and spend time with them.

Teenagers have an immature brain and therefore need to be educated on their development so that they understand how harmful alcohol can be to their immature brain.  Brain developes until age 23-25. 

Grandparents should reinforce parents rules and help to build their grand childs self-esteem.

Parents should remember that their job is not to make their children happy (no one can do that for someone eles) but to make good parenting decisions.