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Making Your Home The Center of Activity

By Dionna Sanchez

As our children grow up, there are certain boundaries that naturally loosen as they become more mature and independent. When - and - if these boundaries ease up, all depends on how responsible each individual child is. When that point comes, your child's peers will seem to dominate their world more than you

There's a simple way for you to guide your children without domineering them. Make your home the center of their activities. By doing this you will learn who your child's friends are, how they act around one another and most importantly: what they are doing.

Make your home inviting to your children's friends. Encourage your child to invite them to home activities.

Home Activities for Teens

Some activities they could share in your home include:

• movies (you oversee content)
• BBQ's (kids can bring their own meat to lessen costs)
• swimming parties (if you have access to one nearby)
• TV sports - basketball, Olympics, Super-Bowl, World Series, etc.
• dancing (furniture can be pushed aside for a few hours)
• study groups (it can make homework more fun as long as it IS being done!)
• celebrations/holidays - New Year's Eve, Memorial Day, 4th of July, birthdays, etc.
• dinners - (how about sharing your family dinner with a friend once in awhile?)

Be available not only to welcome your child's peers in your home, but to get to know their parents as well. The price to pay for a fuller and noiser house, sometimes, is well worth the knowledge and tools it will equip you with in guiding your growing child into a safe and trustworthy adult.

© copyright 2002

Dionna Sanchez works on creating an activity-centered home for
her 3 children in Boise, ID. She is Editor of Emphasis On Moms at
http://www.EmphasisOnMoms.com/

Teen Links

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