Mi Choza De Nipa

Image via Wikipedia By Dr James Dobson How does a happy, cooperative 12-year-old boy or girl suddenly turn into a sullen, depressed 13-year-old? There are two powerful forces that overtake our children in the early pubescent years, and account for some of the strange behaviour that drives parents crazy. The first is social in nature , with incredible pressures being inflicted on adolescents by the peer group . But the second, which I think is more important, is hormonal in nature. We can see the effect of these hormones on the physical body, of course, but something equally dynamic is occurring in the brain . Human chemistry apparently goes haywire for a few years, affecting mind as well as body. This internal upheaval will motivate a boy or girl to do things that make absolutely no sense to the adults watching anxiously on the sidelines. There’s a tendency for parents to despair during this period of transition. Everything they’ve tried to teach their sons and daughters ...

Image by ashley.adcox via Flickr By Dr James Dobson When you teach your child about the natural world, you can start in your own backyard. Teaching children to appreciate nature is one of the most enjoyable tasks of parenting. It is also one of the simplest. Children are naturally curious about the world around them. When you start teaching your own child about nature, I suggest you take a cue from his own curiosity. If he walks into the house with an earthworm or a frog in his hand, see it as an opportunity. Our own two-year-old once asked his mother if worms could yawn. She was unprepared for the question. If you have a backyard, walk around with your child and look under the leaves and rocks to see what you can find. Even in a small fish tank , you can grow a garden and teach the miracle of plant life from seed to harvest. It only takes a little effort to kindle in your child a lasting fascination with the natural world. From TODAY, Voices - Friday, 16-April-2010...