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Teenage parenting Uncategorized

Equipping Teenagers Against Anti-Social Groups

Active teenagers in class

As a good member of society, equipping teenagers against anti-social groups should be your ready strategy to preserve moral values. It’s a kind of call to action to eliminate any behaviors that can compromise the best codes of community existence. Most probably, teenagers are like the common spots of such anti-social recruitment.

With our best eyes on these future leaders, we need to arm them with vital knowledge, skills, and precautionary measures against anti-social groups.

There may be many approaches to equipping teenagers against anti-social groups. However, here we give weight to the basic ways to prepare our teenagers to avoid such crime-devout groups.

Follow the six main ways you can use to equip teenagers.

1. Using A Firm “No!”

“No” sounds harsh when somebody speaks it out to you. But, believe me, it’s just what can be best for equipping teenagers against anti-social groups. One of the standard rules of the “Good Book” highlights this as important: “Let your no be no!”

Likewise, let your teenager learn the power of saying “No”. And not just for the sake of it, but to build people that are firm and stand for their no. The important lesson is to let them understand the power they have against anti-social groups.

2. Open Communication

You can’t expect your teenager to know how to avoid the crime group unless you frequently talk about things. Being free and open to them makes us understand them better, and even know what they’re going through.

It might be funny to say that some parents hardly know whom their teenage children associate with. And this may continue until they receive a report from the community about them. However, they fail to understand that they’ve failed in this – open communication.

Equipping teenagers against anti-social groups will need the whole community to understand and work on open communication with them. Letting them speak may make you know who they’re associating with and can stop any danger in time.

Open communication of an adult and a teenager
An adult in a heart to heart talk with a teenager

3. Suggest Ways Out

Listening to your teenagers means lending help. If they don’t get assistance from you, they might turn to their evil friends for it. But when you grab their interest and embrace open communication, it’s easy to suggest ways out to their challenges. You’ll win them and eventually, they’ll appreciate the suggestions for ways out of the seducing anti-social groups.

With sober advice, you can suggest how they can avoid any bad peers and drive for the best behavior.

4. Build Confidence with The Teenagers

Confidence complements the attitude of saying “No”. Mastering the ability to speak against anti-social groups and encouraging sound-mind principles makes teenagers better socially. This is the chapter of confidence building that your teenage children may adopt for equipping them against anti-social groups.

confident and independent teenager

As a responsible member of your community, the greatest tool you use to equip your teenagers is confidence molding. Once they’re confident, they can do many things, including stopping the influences of the bad groups.

5. Understand and Advise On Social Networks

Currently, many people that are chatting through and exploring social networks are teenagers. And those are the same groups that absorb a lot of behavior from social media.

Equipping them against the anti-social groups will require any parent or guardian to understand the platforms they use. Not only that, but after knowing those platforms, you’ll need to advise on healthy content to follow.

Alerting teenagers on the social ills and behaviors captured from the bad groups gets them aware and cautious. This way, they’ll be better off avoiding such platforms.   

6. Engage The Teenagers In Developmental Initiatives

The aim of keeping your teenagers busy with developmental activities is to eliminate any room for idleness. An idle teenager will probably land in an anti-social group. But if you shall commit them, they will simply evade the spot of crime groups.

All the stakeholders of society, including you, should come together to corporate in developing the best of a teenager. And bringing up developmental programs is a perfect way!

Bottom Line

The teenage period is a stage that marks a tremendous change from a childhood mindset to an adulthood mindset. Teenagers are likely figuring out how to be adults like you are. In that process, they are likely to get recruited by anti-social groups. But equipping them with these strategies for avoiding anti-social groups will bring them to a responsible adult.

You may have a long fight to understand teenagers but it doesn’t have to be difficult to show the way.

Always stay on our blog channel for more information about our lives and behaviors in society!

Categories
healthy Inspiration mental health wellness

Forgiveness

Have you ever felt angry, hurt, or betrayed by someone who did you wrong? Or, have you ever struggled to let go of the resentment and move on with your life? If so, you are not alone. Many people find it hard to forgive others, especially when they feel deeply wounded or wronged by people closest to them. But holding on to grudges and bitterness can have negative effects on your health and happiness. In this blog post, where I will explain why forgiveness is important for you and how you can practice it in your daily life.

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Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness or condoning the offence. Neither does it mean forgetting what happened or pretending that everything is fine. Implicitly, forgiveness is a conscious decision to release yourself from the burden of anger and resentment that you carry towards someone who hurt you. It is a gift that you give to yourself, not to the other person.

Why is forgiveness important?

According to research, practising forgiveness can have powerful health benefits. Observational studies, and even some randomized trials, suggest that forgiveness is associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and hostility; reduced substance abuse; higher self-esteem; and greater life satisfaction. Forgiveness can also improve your physical health by lowering your blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones; enhancing your immune system; and reducing your predisposition to chronic diseases.

How can you practice forgiveness?

It is mportant to note that forgiveness is not a one-time event, but rather, a process that takes time and effort. Here are some steps that can help you along the way:

Acknowledge your feelings.

Don’t deny or suppress your emotions. Deliberately allow yourself to feel the pain, anger, or sadness that the offence caused you. Since expressing your feelings can help you release them and heal.

Empathize with the offender.

Try to see the situation from their perspective. It is important to determine what might have motivated them to act the way they did? Or what challenges or difficulties might they have faced? TO empathise does not mean excusing their behaviour but understanding it.

Decide to forgive.

It is time to make a conscious choice to let go of your resentment and move on with your life. Since forgiveness is for your benefit, you don’t have to wait for an apology or a change in the offender’s behavior. You can simply forgive them for your own sake, not for theirs.

Rebuild trust.

If possible and appropriate, try to restore or improve your relationship with the person who hurt you. This may involve setting boundaries, communicating openly, and working together to resolve conflicts. However, If the relationship is too toxic or abusive, you may decide to end it or limit contact with the person.

Seek support.

Forgiveness can be hard to do on your own. You may particularly benefit from talking to a trusted friend, family member, counsellor, or spiritual leader who can listen to you and offer guidance. Additionally, you may also join a support group or a forgiveness program that can help you learn from others who have gone through similar experiences.

In conclusion

Forgiveness is not easy, but it is worth it. We now understand that by forgiving others, you free yourself from the negative emotions that weigh you down and prevent you from living fully. You also open yourself to more peace, joy, and love in your life. Remember that forgiveness is a journey, not a destination. As much as you may encounter obstacles or setbacks along the way, don’t give up. Keep practicing forgiveness and you will reap its rewards.



Categories
boys mental health play strong wellness

How to Inspire Boys to Become Strong men

Why do boys need more inspiration to thrive in the current world?

Boy enjoying outside play
© cybervisionke.com

I was having lunch outdoors, at my daughter’s school after attending preschoolers’ graduation. A little boy was busy chasing two inflated balloons that were tied together, while his mother tried to feed him(chuckles), in between. He kept releasing the balloons briefly into the wind, then happily chasing after them. At this point, he would briefly stop by his mother to have another mouthful of food

Allow young boys to play

A girl would probably never do that! It is different for boys though; since boys enjoy playing rough, chasing, wrestling, competing, climbing and shouting; evidently, they have lots of energy. My mum would advise, ” you are better off not watching boys playing(chuckles), lest you get a heart attack.” Boys can make you cringe with the way they play, be that as it may, they need this kind of play to grow into healthy, strong, and balanced men.

Boys always play

Play helps boys to connect with each other, as well as learn about their own limits, and release that extra energy. Parents and caregivers are often tempted to stop boys from playing because they see it as too rough, but it is better to turn away and let them play. They will sleep better at night. In our traditional African setting, boys’ chores were mainly outdoors. They watched the family’s livestock, worked the farmland, and did other outdoor activities. Play, in all its forms, is great for your growing boy.

Schedule as much outdoor playtime as you can

While I was growing up, boys were trained to be different from girls moreover, they were expected to behave differently. They taught girls to take care of the home, cook, and watch younger siblings. Boys, on the other hand, did different errands out in the fields. In the 21st Century, we all live and work in the cities and, hence, outdoor spaces are limited. With confined spaces, parents need to proactively schedule outdoor playtime.

Benefits of outdoor play

boys playing hard
© cybervisionke.com

Boys will always play harder when they are outdoors than in confined spaces. Playing outside boosts their mood of happiness, and, happiness boosts immunity. Other benefits of outdoor playing are; a strong body, properly developed senses, anxiety avoidance, and mental well-being. after releasing the extra energy, they are more relaxed and less prone to destructive behaviors.

Encourage self-expression

Boys and men for that matter, do not talk much, unlike women. They are uncomfortable sharing feelings and emotions. It has however been proven that men can express themselves in a secure environment. Make your home a secure environment for your boys to feel free to be themselves without suppression.

Accommodate individuality for mental well being

Boys act similarly, but all boys are not exactly the same. Some are more sensitive than others, build that. You should ensure that you handle each boy as an individual, appreciate, and love him just the way he is. This way, boys would rarely feel misunderstood, less important, or not good enough. Studies show that these exact feelings are the genesis of substance abuse and other addictions.

Role Model of a strong man

A growing boy needs a father, or, a father figure in his life. The father has a unique role in showing the boy how to be a good man. Mum only gives support. Boys need time to be out on their own doing men’s stuff, without mum. The presence of the father or father figure keeps the boy steady, so that, he has time to learn and explore safely.

The right picture of who is a strong man

The world today is a challenging place for growing boys. On one side there is the threat of addictions and substance abuse, while on the other side are societal changes that threaten the very nature of a real man. Show your boys great examples, of exemplary men who made a mark in world history, show them that real men fear GOD, that strong men trust GOD, and that healthy men lead others as they too are led by GOD.

In a nutshell

Let boys be boys, furthermore, let us not deter their manner of play. Undoubtedly, boys need to play to release that extra energy and bottled-up emotion. Playing makes a boy feel happier, grow physically strong, and mentally healthy, and also have well-developed senses. Additionally, boys need to be made to feel safe to express their feelings and in essence be free to thrive as an individual.

Categories
Faith Inspiration mental health wellness

How Faith in GOD Can Help You Avoid Diseases and Related Stress

It was unbelievable how the Covid-19 outbreak shut down the whole world. Evidently, nobody could believe countries and cities could shut down and basically render you a prisoner in your own house! People got really stressed, which is normal since it is the body’s natural reaction to a threat. Thankfully people of faith could fall back on the reservoir of faith and, it gave them the power to cope.

Surely faith is a time-tested method of avoiding or minimizing stress. For millions of people, the world over, faith in God is the fortress against disease-related stress.

Pay Attention to your thoughts and stay in prayer

As a man thinks so is he, says the good book. It is a fact that if you think the worst, it will probably get worse. Being mindful of your thoughts keeps your emotions in check. Remember to Always resist extreme emotions and diligently guard your mind. It helps a great deal when you turn the negative thought into a prayer, that way, negative emotions will not overwhelm you.

A calm ocean with sun set lights in the horizon. It's peaceful.
© 2022 Cybervision

Meditate on the word of GOD often

Did you know that tv channels deliberately give you negative news? They design the news to stir up your emotions, especially the negative kind. It is wiser for you to limit your intake of news for the sake of your emotional stability.

Make it your mission to build your faith and starve your fears. Periodically, just purposely take in the good book and meditate on the good in it.

Count your blessings for an attitude of gratitude

Appreciate lessons learned under all circumstances. Don’t obsess about what-ifs. It’s emotionally uplifting to focus on the positive angle of life and to be thankful. Giving thanks enkindles happiness and boosts your mood.

A feeling of happiness makes you more resilient to negative occurrences and emotional setbacks.

Write it all down to pinpoint the stressors

Journaling is a fantastic technique of self-examining. Take a few minutes at a time to write whatever is on your mind. If you can, pour out your heart! This will help you take charge of your thoughts and pinpoint your stressors.

Did you know that your problems diminish when you analyze them from the perspective of faith? Often, the stressors crumble when measured against the immense wisdom of the Almighty.

Reach out to others for, two are better than one

Do not neglect to come together. God put you among family and friends for a reason. They are your support system. Make time to meet face-to-face with good friends. Share your thought with them, pray, talk, and laugh together.

This kind of positive environment fosters a positive attitude to help you build resilience to sickness-related stress.

In Summary

Faith helps you to deal with stress-causing emotions and teaches you values that encourage a happy and positive environment. When you reach out to others, you feel happy, and, happiness boosts your resilience to negative occurrences and emotional setbacks.  Have an attitude of gratitude every day.

Stand guard against negative emotions to keep them from overwhelming you. Turn every negative thought into a prayer. Through faith, you will avoid disease-related stress.