Tag: teen cartoon

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family

Vacations: Annoyances and True Tragedies

Cartoon about two teen girls and vacation

Vacations usually take some amount of planning. But this year has caused plans to be taken to a whole new level. Before this year, health considerations were not at the front of everyone’s checklist. Now, everyone must consider the following:

  • Is the destination in a hot spot?
  • Will it be in a crowded area?
  • What does the state government say about quarantining when you return?
  • What’s the local mask policy?
  • Should we just chuck it all and binge watch some more cat videos?

The Book of Job and Vacations

When I first posted this cartoon, the biggest problems with vacations centered around teen angst and whether there was enough wifi for everyone. Now we are more concerned about the supply of hand sanitizer and masks.

The Book of Job reminds me that things could always be worse. Yes, we are in the middle of a global pandemic. If it hasn’t directly affected you yet, give thanks for that. If your teens are merely annoying you and are healthy and sassy, give thanks for that.

Just this week, I received word that a friend was in an auto accident and his teen daughter was killed. I can’t comprehend the pain and loss that this dear man is feeling. Suddenly, the decision about whether to wear a mask in public or determine how much distance is enough social distancing feels trivial.

There are people suffering much worse. If all we have today are a few annoyances, give thanks for it.

Cartoon about two teen girls and vacation
Categories
family motivation Teen Cartoons

Working With Your Teen During a Pandemic

cartoon of a mom and a young person in a messy room. The mom says, "I know why you're feeling down in the dumps. It's because your room looks like one."

This time is particularly tough for parents and teens. On one hand, teenagers are generally more self-directed and don’t need as much time as the younger kids. On the other hand, the teen years can already be a tumultuous, emotional time. When you add the extra layer of school disruption and little chance of teens seeing their friends during a lockdown, the emotions can run high. Odds are, if they are getting on your nerves, you are also getting on theirs!

There are some things you can do to help each other and your relationship during this time.

  • Acknowledge that this is difficult for them as well as you.
    • They are thinking about their future, and what it will look like to be an adult in a few years.
    • The teen years are already a time of extreme emotions and this isn’t helping!
    • They have tough decisions about testing, college, and graduation.
    • They know this is uncharted waters for everyone, including their peers and those they look up to.
  • Give them the opportunity to talk about this with you, with others, or another trusted adult.
    • If they don’t have the contact information, reach out to a friend, family member, counselor, or spiritual leader and help them talk through their feelings.
  • Allow them to have some self-expression, even if it means their room looks like the local landfill.
  • Be humble enough to admit with them you don’t have all the answers, but you will work with them and help them as the months roll on. Let them know they are not alone in figuring this out.

It is an unprecedented time. But in each challenge, there are also opportunities. There are opportunities for growth and opportunities to make your family bond stronger. Through all of this, acknowledge your emotions while striving to look up. We will get through this!

cartoon of a mom and a young person in a messy room. The mom says, "I know why you're feeling down in the dumps. It's because your room looks like one."
Categories
cartoon family

I know why you’re down in the dumps…

cartoon of a mom and a young person in a messy room. The mom says, "I know why you're feeling down in the dumps. It's because your room looks like one."

Categories
Teen Cartoons

Driving is Like Falling off a Bike

Cartoon of two young men in a car. The driver says, “Relax! How hard can it be to drive? This car doesn’t have near as many gears as a ten speed bike! ”It was a rude awakening when I discovered driving a cart was a bit more challenging than my trusty bike. On the plus side, I didn’t have to fall out of the car to learn. On the minus side, I nearly gave my driving instructor a heart attack when we ended up in a ditch. It didn’t help much that the instructor was a classmate of my dad. They had a great time chatting up and commenting on my driving expertise. 

So a word of advice to new drivers: the number of gears does not correlate to the difficulty of the vehicle.

Categories
Teen Cartoons

Why is it so hard to find a good babysitter?

Cartoon of two teen girls

 

It can be quite difficult to find a good babysitter. You want someone who is good with kids, but doesn’t act like one of the kids. At least, you don’t want to wonder if the babysitter needs a babysitter to watch her and the kids!

You want someone who takes initiative and maybe has some activities for the kids. But you don’t want someone who leaves a mess. You don’t want to vacuum glitter for the next forty days and forty nights!

You want someone who will be in charge, but you don’t want someone who will act like a prison guard. At the same time, you don’t want someone so mousey that the kids take over and your home becomes a scene from Lord of the Flies.

How can you find a good babysitter? Here are some tips that worked for our family.

  • If you attend a church, religious institution or a social club, ask around. A church usually has a youth group. It doesn’t hurt to ask the youth pastor and get to know an available student.
  • Form a co-op with friends that have kids your age. You can either use the network to find qualified babysitters or parents can take turns watching everyone’s kids while the other couples go out.

While this may make things more difficult, please use background checks. Careforhire.com has good tips on how to conduct a background check and what are appropriate and inappropriate ways to do it.

Best of luck!

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