Knowing your teen, really knowing what’s going on in her life can be a daunting task. Especially when she is withdrawing more from your company and spending all her free time with her friends – in person, on the phone, or exchanging instant messages on the computer. Unfortunately, most parents give up trying to stay connected to their teens, trying to know who they really are. As long as we know that they are doing well in school, drug-free, busy with extracurricular activities and not hanging around with convicted felons, we trust that we have enough information about their lives....

The name, Layla, is often given to baby girls who are born at night to signify the time in which they were born. In some interpretations, the name also could mean “dark beauty.” One of the earliest uses of the name was in the Arabian legend of Qays and Layla. The story of Qays and Layla is a story of unrequited love that led to the death of Qays. The story was told again by Nezami Ganjavi, a Persian poet in the 12th century, in his poem “Layla and Majnun....

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)’s Speak Out Stay Safe (SOSS) program aims to increase children’s understanding of different forms of harm and abuse and enable them to seek help from a trusted adult. An evaluation of the program surveyed 3,297 primary school children across the U.K. who participated in the program. The study found that after learning about harm and abuse, children were better able to identify trusted adults whom they could talk to....

Causes Learning disabilities in basic math skills likely involve difficulty with language processing and visual reasoning skill centers of the brain. Math learning disabilities are believed to be hereditary or developmental. Learning disabilities in math are not solely the result of problems with ​expressive or receptive language, visual, or hearing problems, or hand-eye coordination. However, learning disabilities can be complicated by these conditions. Common Symptoms People with learning disabilities in basic math may have little difficulty writing numbers on paper, but they do not understand the relationship between numbers and quantities....

Some scientists argue that many 16-year-olds aren’t mature enough to drive. Their brains aren’t yet fully developed, and they’re more likely to take risks, become distracted, and make mistakes. Overview As a way to help teens slowly gain driving responsibilities one step at a time, states adopted graduated license programs. These programs have restrictions for newly licensed drivers, such as a limit on the number of passengers or a curfew....

5 to 10 minutes Materials Clear glass of waterFood coloring Directions Extensions Find samples of colors from fabrics or magazine pictures and talk about whether they are dark or light.

Directions Cut the piece of cardboard the size you’d like the floor of your house to be. Cut the paper one inch longer and two inches wider than the house size. Wrap the paper around a pencil and tape it. Slide the log off the pencil and glue it to the cardboard floor, making sure that the end of the log sticks off the cardboard on alternating sides. Make your house as tall as you’d like it....

10 to 15 minutes Materials Old purseSmall items that can’t be swallowed, like model cars, playing cards, animal cookies, old key sets, little books Directions Extensions Stretch the vocabulary by using words like inside, outside, and on top of as you handle the items. Empty your pockets and talk about all the things you find there. Dress the child in clothing that has a pocket, and put something into it. Put the same item in both of your pockets and check back occasionally to see if you both still have them safe....

15 to 30 minutes Materials Bar magnetSmall paper clips Directions Extensions See how tall you can make a sculpture.Bring the clips out as far as you can horizontally without tipping them over.

When greeting Asians for the first time, do not initiate the handshake. You may be forcing a physical contact that the other person finds uncomfortable. Many Asians, particularly Japanese, have learned to accept the handshake when dealing with Westerners. Because the bow is the customary greeting in Japan, a slight bow of the head when responding to a proffered handshake is appropriate. Westerners generally are not expected to be familiar with the complex Japanese bowing protocols....

10 minutes Materials 5 pairs of distinctively different socks Directions This is a good way to play for a few minutes while you are folding the laundry. Put the socks in front of your child and work together to find the matching pairs. Extensions Use socks that are still warm out of the dryer.Roll each pair into a ball and bat it back and forth.Encourage your child to take the balls apart....

The way to combat this type of negative thinking is to use what are known as metacognitive abilities, which are a normal part of development. Metacognition allows us to self-reflect, monitor our thoughts, and come up with practical solutions to problems. What Is Metacognition? Metacognition, essentially, allows us to know what we know, to think about thinking, and to understand our sense of self. Tweens tend to have relatively strong metacognitive abilities compared to young children, but these skills are still being learned, and they can be sharpened with help from parents and teachers....

Colorful pictures Tape Directions

Not only can this drive daughters right to the brink of insanity, but it also turns them into dependent women. And dependent women, according to Dr. Charney Herst, are sullen, angry, and hostile individuals toward their mother. Independent daughters are more gracious, helpful, and cooperative. Mothers must learn that 1) they cannot solve their daughters’ problems, nor do they have the right to, and 2) assuming the role of rescuer is a no-win situation and can turn their daughters into angry victims of their good intentions....