Tag Archives: love

Ralph and Murray: A Fun Collection of Stories About Growing Up In A Small Southern Town

“Ralph & Murray” is a captivating anthology of semi-autobiographical tales, set in a quaint southern town in the late 1950s. Narrated with a blend of wit and charm by Ralph, the family dog, these stories weave a tapestry of childhood adventures, each chapter seamlessly linked through clever introductions and epilogues. Ralph’s partner in mischief is Murray, the neighboring cat, who reigns supreme atop the backyard fence. The narrative is further enriched by a colorful ensemble of characters, including Buster the squirrel, Woody the woodpecker, spectral attic dwellers, and a host of eccentric relatives and neighborhood figures. From the farthest reaches of Cape Horn to the Florida Everglades, the tales of the wandering hobo, Zeke, add an extra layer of intrigue. “Ralph & Murray” is a delightful journey into nostalgia that will resonate with readers of all ages, making it a perfect shared experience for the entire family.

You can find more information about the book at the following links:

AMAZON
RICK’S WEBSITE

YOUTUBE

5 Ways To Be Firm But Fair When Your Teen Makes A Mistake

stressed out dad pulling his hair, teenagers, raising kids, growing up

https://unsplash.com/photos/_LZbDkRaedE

Parents dealing with teen troubles is not new. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that these issues go all the way back to the first men and women who heard their teens slam the cave door after storming off. You expect teens to be moody and difficult, but some teenagers can be worse than others. As they find themselves, they may veer too close to dangerous behavior and make a mistake that could ruin their life before it’s begun. But it doesn’t have to as long as you know how to be firm but fair with your teen when they make a mistake. 

Establish Boundaries 

As kids grow older, they want more freedom, but you must be careful about how much freedom you allow them. They want to hang out with friends and may go out and come back at unsociable hours. This is nothing to worry about as long as they aren’t getting into trouble. However, it becomes a problem when it affects their school work and health. While you can’t keep them cooped up forever, you can make sure they get their work finished before going out with their friends. 

Find The Root of the Issue 

Sometimes, it’s not just teenage hormones. Instead, there could be a much deeper problem you need to address, so try to discover why they are acting out and whether you can do anything about it. After your teen has made a mistake, they will be at their most vulnerable, but that might make them more comfortable speaking to you about what has happened and why they did it so you can have some clarity and fix it. 

Stick to Your Guns

While you want to be gentle with your teen after they’ve made a mistake, you should still stick to your guns. Don’t change your parenting approach entirely just because they messed up. They might feel bad enough as it is, and the last thing they want is a lecture, but don’t let them use their problems against you to take advantage of them. While they are getting older, they are still your responsibility.

Show Them Support 

You will also need to show them support and remind them that you will be there for them no matter what. Depending on what they did, you can use your network or the internet to find legal representation. One example is finding a dedicated lawyer from McCoy & Hiestand to help with driving violations, especially since your teen is such an inexperienced driver and you may need dependable support from professionals. 

Let Them Learn From Their Mistakes 

If your child is mature enough, they will take this opportunity to learn from their mistake and become better. Many people embrace their missteps as a way of building resilience and showing them the reality of the world. It may take time for them to accept it, but they will become a better person because of it. 

Tough Love 

Many parents find it tricky to get the balance right between treating their kids well but also ensuring they do not roll over to every demand. How you act after they make a mistake is vital, as it will set the tone and hopefully mean they learn their lesson and start taking themselves and the world more seriously.

Raising a Deaf Child

Deafness used to be a huge barrier for families. Even going back fifty years, hearing parents who found out that their children are deaf had to make much bigger accommodations to keep their children going to school or ensuring that their children didn’t miss out on everyday experiences. Millions of parents today are raising deaf or hard of hearing children and it’s not so much something to be fearful of like it used to be. 

Instead, some hearing parents start managing the impact of hearing loss by ensuring that they expose themselves to the deaf community as much as possible. Some parents who are scared to raise deaf children need to surround themselves with as much information and research as possible. The good news is that there are many different ways that you can raise a deaf child and get support with it, too. From help with speech therapy to the assistance available from audiologists and doctors, families with deaf children have plenty of support and if, as a family, you all learn signing, you will be a much happier family for it! So, what tips will help you when it comes to raising a deaf child? Let’s take a look:

Lady doing sign language, deaf, hearing loss, speech

Image source: Pexels

  1. Find the right educational services. Deafness – no matter how mild – is a disability. If your child needs visual support, signing or technology like hearing aids to help them to hear or to mingle in society, then the right special educational services in your school district can help with their learning accommodations. 
  2. Join a signing class. Usually, doctors can tell if your newborn child is going to have a hearing deficit or be fully deaf. If that’s the case, you get the advantage of joining sign language classes. By the time they go to school, they’ll be able to sign with you and you’ll be fluent in your language in your family. It’ll help you in the wider deaf community, too, because then you’ll be able to communicate with teachers and other families!
  3. Learn to communicate beyond signing. There are so many ways that those with hearing issues communicate beyond signing and as a hearing person, you have to educate yourself on this as much as possible. Not only will you be able to communicate more efficiently with your child, you will be able to spend time in the deaf community to adapt better.
  4. Educate yourself on deaf culture. A good way to ensure that you are a parent going above and beyond is to adapt into the deaf culture. The best way to do that is to read books and learn about deaf history. Learn how deafness has been handled through the years and understand the reasons behind deafness. Speak to audiologists and other specialists in hearing matters to understand why your child is deaf in the first place. It can occur because of genetics, trauma and a range of other illnesses and issues, and understanding the trigger for your child can help. 
  5. Talk about it as a couple. You and your partner will be tackling your child’s deafness together. Even if you’re not in a relationship right now, you will need to think about discussing their future and the potential roadblocks that you may come across as a family. Once you have these discussions you can also lean on one another when times are tough. As much as you love your child and will pave the roads with gold for their future, it’s not the easiest news to hear when you are hearing parents and haven’t encountered deafness before. 
  6. Speak to a therapist. On the back of the point above, it can help to speak through any difficulties with a therapist who can assure you that your child’s future will still be as set as ever. If you speak to a therapist as a family, it’ll help you to accept and appreciate the difference your child has among their peers and they can give you tips and hints of how to adapt.
  7. Teach their siblings to sign. As much as it will be helpful for you and your partner to learn sign language, you need to think about getting their siblings to learn how to sign, too. This will ensure that all of your children can and will communicate effectively.

Having a deaf child is not the end of the world, it just means that you need to make adjustments that suit the family as a whole and you move forward into a new world together.