Coping with Anger
School-Age Children Home Alone: Safety Tips
Dealing with Depression
Tips For Coping With Divorce
How Does Age Affect Driving?
Better Grandparenting
Job Stress
Kids and the Internet: Safety Tips
Simple Steps for Creating a Personal Budget
Summer Fun: Health and Safety Tips for Your FamilyAnger is probably the most poorly handled emotion in our society. From time to time we all experience this very powerful feeling. Anger that is not expressed can disrupt relationships, affect thinking and behavior patterns, and create a variety of physical problems, such as high blood pressure, heart problems, headaches, skin disorders, and digestive problems. Here are some tips to help you cope with angry emotions:
Keep things in perspective
School-Age Children Home Alone: Safety Tips
It is not unusual for children under the age of twelve to spend short periods of time during a day on their own, at home without adult supervision. Here are some tips for helping your child be safe when home alone:
With the proper guidelines and support, being home for limited periods of time can promote independence, a sense of responsibility, and self-confidence in your child.
Dealing with DepressionDepression, often described as experiencing feelings of sadness, hopelessness and despair, can last days, weeks, even months. There are a number of things people with depression can do to cope and feel better:
Allow yourself plenty of time before expecting the symptoms of depression to go away. Practice as many of these coping techniques as you can. If feelings of depression continue, seek help from your physician, therapist, or other professional.
The grief that comes with divorce is inevitable. Even if the marriage was destructive, leaving behind what's familiar and venturing into the unknown can be frightening and cause both emotional and physical stress. Here are a few tips to help you cope:
As we grow older, we may recognize changes in our ability to handle a car safely. What if you or someone you love is doing all you can to be a safe driver and still wonder if you should stop driving? This is a difficult decision. Here are some questions to ask: Do other drivers honk at you? Have you had some accidents? Are you getting lost, even on well-known roads? Have family or friends said they were worried about your driving? Do you drive less because you are not as confident? If you or your loved one answered yes to any of these, you probably should think seriously about whether or not you are still a safe driver.
Building positive relationships in families involves all generations – children, parents, and grandparents. Here are a few tips for better grandparenting:
Listen first. One of the biggest problems in families is rushing in with your own opinions and advice. Expect that your children will raise their children differently than you raised them.
Be in touch. Regular contact is key to building closer family bonds. Visit, call, or e-mail!
Give and take. Family relationships involve reciprocity, giving when it’s needed. A grandparent can gracefully agree to baby-sit in an emergency. Parents can make sure grandparents get thank you notes so that they feel appreciated.
Since job stress is a part of our lives, it is important to learn how to change that stress into a more positive force. Here are some tips to get you started:
Change how you interpret an event by changing how you think about it. Instead of saying, “I can’t do this, it won’t work out.” Try, “I will break this project down into smaller, more manageable steps for me to complete successfully.”
Create variety. If you follow the same routines daily, it can lead to boredom. Redecorate your cube, take on new job tasks, etc.
Be creative. Think about ways to work even more successfully. Your increased focus and creative effort may lead to a “pat on the back” from your supervisor!
Kids and the Internet: Safety Tips
Whether your kids are experienced computer users or just learning, they need your involvement, your experience, and your judgment. Consider these tips for keeping kids safe while using the Internet:
*Decide on clear, simple, easy-to-read computer rules and post on or near the monitor.
*Web sites for kids are not permitted to request personal information without a parent's permission. Talk to your kids about what personal information is and why you should never give it to people online.
*If your child uses chat or E-mail, talk to him or her about never meeting an online "friend" face-to-face.
*Know who your children are exchanging E-mail with, and only let them use chat areas that you have visited. Be aware of any other computers your child may be using.
Simple Steps for Creating a Personal Budget
*Put together a basic list of your monthly income and expenses.
*Match your income to your expenses to determine if your monthly expenses exceed your monthly income.
*Estimate non-reoccurring expenses.
*Keep track of actual expenses . . . easy for billed items, more difficult for cash expenses (lunches, movies, etc.). Carry a small notebook and write them down as they are incurred.
*Examine every expense you have and try to lower or eliminate it.
In addition to creating an actual budget, you will want to draw up an “ideal” budget – one that keeps your expenses down and allows you to start saving for a rainy day.Summer Fun: Health and Safety Tips for Your Family
When traveling, take along a first aid kit that includes a basic first aid manual, sunscreen, insect repellent, bandages, pain reliever, thermometer, antacid, anti-diarrheal medication, and hydrocortisone cream to ease rashes and stings.
Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the harmful effects of the sun. For extra protection, you may also want to wear a broad-rimmed hat.
Spot your children as they play on swings, sliding boards, and other playground equipment. Each year, about 200,000 children are treated in emergency rooms for playground-related injuries.
Prevent heat stroke or heat exhaustion by drinking plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, avoiding overexposure to the sun, and wearing lightweight clothing.
Wear protective eyewear when engaged in summer sports and when doing outdoor chores.