Saturday, 04 February 2012 08:55
Wish you knew what you know now about money when you were a teen?
I sure as hell do.
I suppose that having that knowledge might not have helped with my lack of self control or my lack of ability to curb my need to satisfy my thirst for cloths and all sorts of pretty things as a young woman. That took years to understand how to control and sometimes reels it’s head to ruin the best of my budget.
What have I learned about money?
Along the way I have learned that money is not the evil entity in this equation I once thought it was. It is my choice how to use or not use my money that can be the evil portion of the equation. Money is simply a necessity. To acquire it and work for it is a necessity. To pursue it does not make a person evil or bad – it makes that person smart and resourceful, industrious and honorable.
Teens, as you start to earn your own money it will be hard and confusing, but stick with it. Learn about money. Don’t be afraid of it or try to be ‘dumb’ to it. Money is how you move yourself to the things that you want to accomplish in your life and in the lives of other people.
Once you have started earning enough money to provide for yourself and your family you can begin to give back to your community. Imagine being able to that!
Add a commentFriday, 20 January 2012 06:44
Slut, Fat, Hoe, Bitch, Whore, Thunder-Thighs, Whale, Ugly, Stupid, Looser, Fake, Tease, Prude, Dike… and these are the things that girls say to each other’s faces, and by their closest friends. What makes this worse is that this name-calling is done at the most inappropriate and vulnerable times and most often is a play for power and control.
So what the hell is gong on?
I set out this week to find out what we could learn from our Paper Hope Street Team of teens and our readers and listeners about mean girls. You would think that after years of dealing with mean girls and mean women in my own life and then watching my own daughters deal with mean girls that I would have a good understanding of this topic.
Nope. I wasn’t ready for what I discovered.
“I never let it show outwardly how deep she'd cut [me] with what she said but I was scarred by how mean people could be, and how someone so close to you could take the personal things they know about you and turn it against you. That was awful. I learned you can't really trust anyone then.”
Add a commentSunday, 08 January 2012 10:09
I love being underestimated! ~ Rio Wade
Maybe you are like me in that, I have largely been underestimated my whole life and by a myriad of different people – friends, teachers, and adults. Seems that this is a crazy and common occurrence that goes on between adults and children, adults and teens and even adult to adult.
I want to be the voice of reason here… When someone tells you that you can’t achieve a goal that you have set for yourself – you tell them, “What? I didn’t hear you. I don’t understand the word no.”
Add a commentMonday, 02 January 2012 06:46
It’s a new year! Time for refection and goal setting! We have some great steps to help get your teen talking.
Seems impossible, right?
A real conversation with your teen? The fact of the matter is your teen wants to be talking with you. Hard to believe, I know, but its true.
How do I know? I asked some teens directly. I work with a group of amazing teens we like to call The Paper Hope Street Team. They are comprised of mostly girls and some boys ages 15 to 20. As a mom of a teen aged daughter myself, I often have these types of questions so I refer to my team for the inside scoop.
This time I asked them – What would help you feel more comfortable talking with your mom/parent?
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