Never to old to learn

[2roseslisa]

As a teen, sadly peer pressure can be like a gun to the head.  The influence from others can be so hard to escape…

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

Yes I agree with this.  Sometime friends can be so cruel.  I remember as a teenager all I wanted to do was fit in and be well liked.  My friends were popular and when I look back at some of the awful ways they use to treat me I cannot help but think that I use to get invited out because I had the car and then after a few drinks I quite often use to be the brunt of their jokes. 

[krugernicole]

This photo make me sad.

Getting a divorce has become the norm in our society and majority of the time the children suffer. Although parents don’t want the divorce to have an impact on their children it still does. A broken family and being surrounded by constant arguing can have major affects on the development of an adolescent.

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

What an appalling advertisement!!  The law firm promoting couples to divorce is only thinking of themselves as it is them who are the only winners of this process.  Also the suggestive photo implying that a person's sex life will improve with a sexier partner is shocking and makes me wonder whether the advertisement was created by men.  Marriage is sacred and seeing this picture makes a mockery of the commitment two people initially make to one another.  Furthermore, the billboard insinuates that if you are having problems within your marriage then it is better to divorce rather than work through the problems.  According to Statistics New Zealand (2013) 9.4 marriages out of every 1000 dissolved last year.  While this number has been declining annually, the number of weddings is also dropping.  This may suggest either couples no longer value the concept of marriage or are possibly afraid of becoming a divorce statistic.  With advertisements like above this is not surprising.

[larasheridan-ad]

This image is really touching in many ways..

It is really difficult to hear of stories of young adolescent women having to  go behind their parents backs and getting an abortion all because they had a bit of fun and didn’t use any kind of protection, not realising what the consequences would be.

Is it disheartening to see young females going through this process without seeking the comfort of their own families. Yes they may be scared, worried and do not want to confront their parents.. but 9 times out of 10 I think after their parents get over the initial shock of what is being told.. they may come around and be the best support network the young people need. 

Take a child’s hand and realise there are other options, because taking their life is the cruelest of them all. 

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

I agree with your comments.  Some parents can be naïve to think teenage pregnancy will never happen to their daughters as they have raised them right.  Kuster (2008) asked teenage girls what the main reason was for them becoming pregnant and most girls said lack of education.  Sex education in schools is important for youth as they receive the right information from adults (Santrock, 2012).  This can also take some of the pressure off parents having an awkward conversation with their child.  Parents can feel assured that their teenagers are being well informed and if they are able to talk to their child, then conception issues can be discussed.   I would prefer to know when my teenage daughter is thinking of becoming sexually active than knowing she is pregnant.

[larasheridan-ad]

PUBERTY

right, now that I have your attention.. does puberty really scare you?

It can be quite traumatising for a young adolescent to go through when they really do not know what is happening to their body. 

Your emotions run wild and having no idea what’s going on can be scary.

Some parents also do not give their children the ‘puberty’ talk which means that all these changes come as surprise the adolescent.

It is important to warn the younger generation of what they’re about to be in for to ensure they are expecting it. 

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

When my daughter was a year 7 the school sent home a consent form for parents to allow their children to partake in puberty education.  I found this helped to open the communication lines for discussion around this subject.  The school provided all the facts and details in a classroom environment which allowed her come to terms with the fact this was going to happen to not only her but also her peers.  Population Reports (2006) discusses how girls who are informed early of puberty are better prepared when the time comes.  While all my daughter's girlfriends developed earlier than her, when her time came there was no embarrassment going bra shopping and she had no problem telling me of her first period.  From a mother's perspective it feels wonderful to have such a sound relationship with my daughter.  When I was the same age there was no communication/education between myself, my mother or the school.  I learnt about puberty through my friends.  Although my daughter has these conversations with her girlfriends, I believe the more information adolescent's receive at this confusing time, the better. 

[adolescents-of-today]

Divorce. What an ugly word. This brings back so many feelings and emotions. Growing up in a broken home, actually more than one broken home where my mum has been married several times as well as my dad. It is a horrible act that two people can put their children through but I guess divorce is better than living in an unhappy household.

Being moved across the world, separated from my entire family especially my dad has not been easy for me. I am lucky enough to go back quiet often to see him but that still does not make it any easy.  I hope that one day when I get married I do not get a divorce and can grow up with a loving family as cliche as that sounds. 

[hayleymarieb]

Such an awful thing for children to experience, but unfortunately an experience that is becoming more and more normal.

[babystanley15-deactivated201410]

I feel the same way as you Hayley! Divorce is a horrible process, I wouldn’t wish it upon any child. Although I was only 2 or 3, I can only imagine what it was like. Then there is the process of the parent(s) finding another relationship - that also has many positives and negative impacts. Like you again, i hope to see myself in a healthy, positive marriage and a partner that would do anything to keep it together :) and a little family too! 

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

I am about to go through this process.  When I married, I genuinely thought we were going to be together for life.  However, three children later my ex husband decided life was too short to be tied down with a family and left me for a much younger women.  I spent my whole marriage trying to please my husband, running around after the children and trying to maintain a happy home.  In the end it meant nothing.  Looking back the one thing I wish I was told earlier was: 

"When choosing a man you want to spend the rest of your life with, look at how his father treats his mother"

Based on this advice, I should have run a mile.  After two years of soul searching and healing I finally accepted my failed marriage was not my fault.  My children see their father maybe five times a year as he has chosen to move away with his new partner.  We have a happier home now and no longer feel like we are constantly walking on egg shells.  However, I cannot help but wonder how this event will affect my children when they have relationships and the importance of marriage.  For me there was self-doubt regarding what man would want to take on a middle-aged women with three children.  I also knew I did not want another controlling man in my life and questioned where I was ever going to find a man who had had a women controlling him.  I feel very fortunate to have found a loving, caring man who has accepted me and is a fantastic male role model for my children.  The girls are now seeing how a man should treat a women and my six year old son now has someone who wants to spend time with him and who he happily calls Dad.

[larasheridan-ad]

Every single time I see this image it not only sickens me but also saddens me..

This relates so much to the saying “think before you speak”. Especially at adolescent age group, majority of girls are very self-conscious about their size and how puberty is affecting them. Every little comment made can not only affect them emotionally but also physically.

Bulimia and anorexia are two major issues in the adolescent age group which are mental diseases usually begun by rude remarks which are not fair. 

[bazel4]

This saddens me, knowing that this kind of pressure is on our children, boys and girls alike.  When my daughter was year 7 there was a boy, hitting puberty, who stopped swimming because he put on weight and was consistently teased and bullied for this.  When he was made to swim he would wear t-shirts.  The thing is, he was earlier than the other boys (in reaching puberty) and they all went through this stage and not once did this child tease or bully the other kids.

[hayleymarieb]

Such a sad image, sadly shows how a lot of adolescents probably feel about their bodies.

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

Wow what a powerful picture!  While I understand the reasoning behind such a controversial photo is to shock people into discussing this issue, what I also wonder is how this image has affected the young girl.

Media representations and mothers have been linked to eating disorders amongst adolescent girls and boys (Peterson, Paulson & Williams, 2007).  The pressure that females feel to maintain a model like body can cause them to undertake drastic actions to remain thin.  Society and family needs to spend more time loving children, accepting them for who they are and focus on the joy and innocence they bring into the world, rather than moulding them to become something they think is socially acceptable.

[larasheridan-ad]

Every single time I see this image it not only sickens me but also saddens me..

This relates so much to the saying “think before you speak”. Especially at adolescent age group, majority of girls are very self-conscious about their size and how puberty is affecting them. Every little comment made can not only affect them emotionally but also physically.

Bulimia and anorexia are two major issues in the adolescent age group which are mental diseases usually begun by rude remarks which are not fair. 

[bazel4]

This saddens me, knowing that this kind of pressure is on our children, boys and girls alike.  When my daughter was year 7 there was a boy, hitting puberty, who stopped swimming because he put on weight and was consistently teased and bullied for this.  When he was made to swim he would wear t-shirts.  The thing is, he was earlier than the other boys (in reaching puberty) and they all went through this stage and not once did this child tease or bully the other kids.

[hayleymarieb]

Such a sad image, sadly shows how a lot of adolescents probably feel about their bodies.

[rhcarr]

Continuing his hard hitting series addressing the major social issues facing New Zealanders, this week Nigel Latta takes a serious look into our drinking culture.

This has been mentioned by another adolescent development blogger and the trailer was provided. Here is the full video. 

I think Nigel Latta is awesome. 

A discussion topic that goes hand-in-hand with this video and adolescence is the issue of the drinking age. What does everyone think about it?

Personally, I enjoy a drink or two, or three or four. As far as evaluating my alchoholism, I am classed as consuming above average for my age and gender. I usually drink on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday.. between 2-6 drinks. It doesn’t make me unproductive- more so, it makes me zone into what I’m doing and increases my productivity. I enjoy my time drinking, and enjoy the social aspect that comes with it.

Seeing this episode was scary. It’s real. The frontal lobe of your brain does not finish developing until you are 25- so why are we still drinking like we are? Just as cigarettes once were, alcohol is widely accepted and EXPECTED. Raising the drinking age would most likely result in uproar from the younger population (maybe it’s a good way to get them involved in politics!?).

When it was being discussed a few years ago, I thought (and still think) the best way to control young drinking but still allow those who are mature enough to do it, is by not allowing those under the age of 20 (or 21?) to buy alcohol in supermarkets and liqueur stores. From the age of 18 you should be able to go into a pub/cafe/restaurant and purchase alcohol. Here, you are under the rules of the establishment and drinking to excess will put a hole in your pocket as well as probably getting kicked out for over-consumption. This should be discouraging enough but still allow the population of over 18’s to have the new found fun (and danger) that comes with adult living.

Another suggestion that would cause uproar, and cost me and everyone else more money is…… raising the tax on alcohol. Although this is a stereotype, I believe those with the largest alcohol issue tend to be those that are in the poorer community- those who in actual fact cannot afford what they are consuming. By making costs just out of reach, alcohol would be made into a treat rather than an everyday consumable.

What are peoples thoughts?

[hoopla27]

Looking at the stages of Erikson’s theory this population falls into the identity versus role confusion and then the intimacy versus isolation stage.  Looking at the developmental aspect perhaps alcohol is just being used as a tool to help in a socially acceptable tool to aid in the resolution of these psychosocial crisis.  If other opportunities were available then maybe the tide would turn on alcohol use.  It may already be happening as fitness and health become the new social convention.   I recently saw hen and stag events where the protagonists and friends were trail running a mountain.  Maybe alcohol was a factor later, but it certainly wasn’t the focus.

[christinefrances12]

nigel-latta-s1-ep3

I put a long thought on this, posted it...and it has disappeared..

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

I also love what Nigel Latta researches.  I already (through study) knew the effects of what alcohol can do to brain development, but what I found disturbing was the carcinogenic properties alcohol has.  Alcohol is rated as high as cigarettes for giving people cancer.  We most definitely need to change our drinking culture and habits in this country! 

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

Teen Violence

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

Teen Violence

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

Relates to Freud's psychosexual anal stage of development and Erikson's autonomy versus shame and doubt stage of development when a child becomes aware and attains control over their bodily functions.  It is interesting to note that Plunket's advice extends the age of learning to go to the toilet to four and adds it could take longer, depending on the child.  I think this is fanastic advice as there is so much pressure, mainly from friends and family who think children should be toilet trained by a certain age, just because they or their children were.  Every child is different and the more stressed the caregiver becomes from a child not being toilet trained, the more stressed the child will become, which will only lengthen the time in nappies, not shorten it

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

Further research showing the importance of good nutrition during pregnancy, while breastfeeding and also teaching your preschooler good eating habits which has more chances of instilling good eating habits in the future.  Raises the question again about offering free birth control for women on benefits, as I know how hard it is to feed a family of five on one income with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, but absolutely see the importance of feeding the family right.

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

This is the pamphlet which is referred to in our textbook regarding "sideline rage".  I coach my daughters hockey team and require all players and parents to sign a code of conduct which requires everyone to behave on and off the field.  I have seen first hand parents as well as coaches talking negatively to children trying to do their best during a game - I believe no child intentionally plays a sport badly!  I wonder if the parents are trying to relive their youth through their children?  It is such as shame as I also notice the children who are singled out do not play the following the session and quite often could become good players if only they were encouraged more.

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

This video is similiar to the research undertaken by Asendorpf, Warkentin and Baudonniere (1996), which explored toddlers viewing themselves in front of mirrors to establish at what age they discover self-recognition and self-awareness.  The importance of being able to recognise oneself in childhood development is a significant step as it allows the child to understand they are unique, single and different from others.  They then begin to realise they can also think and make choices for themselves as well.

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

Some great advice from Plunket on the importance of play in babies and toddlers lives.  The information gives caregivers ideas for playing with children, which relates to our textbook regarding the theories of play.  Touches on social learning, ethological and cognitive theories.

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

This article discusses environmental reasons that could be why children who live on farms are less likely to develop allergies.  I would also like to suggest the food they are eating and the mother ate while pregnant may be less processed, containing less chemicals, more natural and healthier (such as meat from the farm and vegetables grown in the garden) and therefore less likely to create allergies.  Any thoughts?

[caitgeorgmat-blog]

This would be a good reason for genetic counselling.