5 Super Powers Available to Teens

Heroic Abilities Aren’t Exclusive to Comics, Novelist Says

Cynical adults may sneer when they say, “Youth is wasted on the young.” But young world-traveler Ryan Pearson sees a more positive message in George Bernard Shaw’s often repeated quote.

“I see it as meaning that youth is an opportunity to seize direction, enlightenment, significance and to expand one’s powers,” says Pearson, author of “Green Hope” from “The Element Series,” (www.theelementsseries.com), about a teenager blessed with wealth and fame who discovers he has the added responsibility of super powers.

“It’s sad that so many teens get sidetracked by trying to fit in with a crowd, or worrying that they don’t measure up somehow. At a time when they should be enjoying a new sense of independence and capabilities, they’re often paralyzed by self-doubt.”

Pearson says all teens have super powers – they just need to recognize them:

How to talk to your kids about the Mayan Prophecies

How to talk to your kids about the Mayan Prophecies

Since the beginning of the year, my kids have been asking questions about December 21, 2012 and if I think the world is going to end. As the conversation has come up this week, my quip has been, “Well if it does end, at least we will be together.” Now that may seem sarcastic but this is not our first conversation. I am not an expert in the Mayan Prophecies, but I am an expert in raising my children. No one knows them as well as I do and I can tell when their questions are serious, based in fear or just curious.

In this case, there was a great deal of speculation and curiosity more than any real fear. And in all truth, if the world does end, I can honestly say I spent this week (especially after the devastating events of last Friday in Connecticut) loving my  children and my husband and being grateful for every moment we have together.

Maestro Market: New Business Connects Moms with Experts

MaestroMarket.com

In my inbox this morning was a press release about MaestroMarket.com, a new venture by Ian Shea. I was instantly intrigued by the concept of easily being able to connect with experts. As someone who is a parent coach and often hires coaches to help me improve different areas of my own life from nutrition and fitness to growing my business, I was excited to find a site that pulls a variety of experts together in one place.

Maestro Market, a unique and first of its kind platform that connects people with their ideal experts, or even heroes, today announced its official launch.  The new platform facilitates a variety of engagements (e.g., in person, using Skype, via telephone, etc.) between talented experts and anyone interested in learning a skill, solving a problem, getting inspired, gifting an experience or indulging a desire.  The experts span numerous categories including parenting, writing, women in business, social media, blogging, entrepreneurship and many more.  The company is also announcing initial partnerships that will help to drive both supply of and demand for its growing list of maestros.

Scrapbooking for a Positive Family-Image

Scrapbooking with Family

As the Holidays Approach, Start a New Family Tradition with Scrapbooking

By Dr. Caron Goode

We are all aware of what a positive self-image can do for a person. It gives him the confidence to achieve more. It picks him up when he is down. It makes it possible for him to enjoy life to the fullest. The same holds true for families. Like individuals, every family has its ups and downs. Situations such as illness, separation, divorce, and parent-child power struggles can dent a positive family-image. One way to offset the effects of these situations is to involve the family in a group project.

Encouraging Children to Participate in Community Service

Community Service Ideas for Kids

by Mina Frannea

The holidays are a time of the year when people are often inspired to volunteer their time to those in need. As parents, my husband and I hope to instill in our children the importance of community service and the concept of “giving back”. Children learn a lot by watching so we try to set examples by giving of our time to school activities and various community organizations. This has helped our children accept service related activities as a normal part of our lives.

If you are interested in exploring volunteer opportunities that your child can participate in with you, look for tasks that aren’t too complicated, are age appropriate and relevant to interests or skills that your child enjoys.

Depending on a child’s age (minimum age requirements may apply), he or she may be able to:

Plano, Texas Named as One of Top 10 Cities to Raise a Family

Plano Texas Names one of Top 10 Cities by Home.com

Cities with low crime rates and exceptional schools top list of best places for kids

 

Raising a family is an incredible undertaking, and finding the perfect city for your family is an important decision for many parents. Locating the right combination of a perfect school, family friendly activities and a home for the entire family can be quite a feat. Searching for the right home for your family begins with picking a city and reviewing the surrounding neighborhoods and their offerings. Homes.com, a leading real estate listing site, researched some of America’s favorite locales to uncover the top 10 family friendly cities.

The Homes.com “Top 10” series is designed to guide consumers through every phase of life, from choosing the perfect place for summer vacation, to discovering the best cultural cities. The latest list of best places to raise children highlights cities across the country that are family friendly and offer great educational, cultural and work opportunities.

Top 10 Family Friendly Cities