Showing posts with label teens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teens. Show all posts

Monday, May 31, 2010

Don't Fret the Sweat with Unilever

Kids are pretty busy and on the go from the time they get up in the morning. They get ready for school, spend all day in the school building, go through gym class, and sometimes have after school sports. They come home, and sometimes have evening events going on. This is a very active lifestyle, and with their changing body going through puberty, the body odors can get extreme. We as parents are constantly pleading with our kids to shower everyday, and sometimes requesting a second shower. Many teenagers are resistant to showers at this age, for some reason, but it is so important to instill good hygiene habits early on in their life. Recent research shows that kids now enter puberty earlier than ever, leaving tweens increasingly self-conscious about their appearance and identity, and making it all the more important to start a dialogue with your child to provide them with the necessary support to keep their confidence high.
To ensure parents have the tools they need to maintain their tween's confidence during the difficult transition from child to teenager, Unilever – the maker of Degree, Dove and Suave deodorants – has aligned with a roster of community partners and assembled a panel of experts to develop the educational website and resource DontFretTheSweat.com. Tweens face many sweat-inducing moments, but Unilever hopes to show parents that they can talk to their tweens about how the right deodorant can keep them free from odor, embarrassment and discomfort along the way.
I have always tried to be very open with my communication between my children. Now with my oldest entering the tween years, I want to keep those lines of communication very open and honest. I have noticed, within the last year and a half, that his body is definitely changing. He is needing a daily shower, and sometimes I ask him to take two. I want him to practice good cleanliness hygiene and take care of himself. I am constantly reminding him to shower, brush teeth, brush hair, etc. I want him to feel good about himself, and with taking care of his body, he will feel better about himself. Peers can be pretty cruel with words, and helping our child make good choices may help them avoid ridicule about their bodies. My oldest son is eleven and a half. He has been using deodorant since he was nine years old. He has always been a little ahead of the curve with his growth and development. With noticing his body changing and body odors changing, we introduced deodorant to him. I was giving him a hug and noticed that the smells were more strong and his hair scents changed. With careful thinking, I told him his body was changing into manhood. With manhood comes new responsibilities, like using deodorant, a shaver, etc. He was pretty accepting of the new product to use, even though I still remind him to use it daily.
Recently, Unilever released the Tween Confidence Index, which suggests that tween confidence is short-lived but can be safe-guarded by maintaining strong communication between tweens and parents. With this and more resources available at DontFretTheSweat.com, Unilever hopes to show parents that they can talk to their tweens about how the right deodorant can keep them free from odor, embarrassment and discomfort along the way. Check out the website for some great tips and articles about your teen's changes and deodorants.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Unilever and received the items necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are (Alex and Brett Harris) ~book review

You want to do hard things. But you don’t know where to start. You are changing the world around you. But you are tired and burned out. You feel called to do the extraordinary for God. But you feel stuck in the ordinary. Do Hard Things inspired thousands of young people around the world to make the most of the teen years. Now Alex and Brett Harris are back and ready to tackle the questions that Do Hard Things inspired: How do I get started? What do I do when I get discouraged? What’s the best way to inspire others? Filled with stories and insights from Alex, Brett, and other real-life rebelutionaries, Start Here is a powerful and practical guide to doing hard things, right where you are. Are you ready to take the next step and blast past mediocrity for the glory of God? START HERE.

At the age of eighteen, Alex and Brett Harris wrote Do Hard Things—and launched a movement that would change a generation. Young people around the world were ready to be inspired, ready to move beyond complacency, ready to rebel against society’s low expectations.

Let the rebelution continue.

Author Bio:
Alex and Brett Harris are the coauthors of the best-selling book Do Hard Things, which they wrote at age eighteen. Today the twins speak regularly to audiences of thousands on The Rebelution Tour, maintain a hugely popular online presence through their blog, TheRebelution.com, and have been featured on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and in the New York Times. Raised in Portland, Oregon, the brothers currently attend Patrick Henry College in Virginia.

You can get your book at Randomhouse.com!
I received this book as a review copy from WaterBrook Press, a division of RandomHouse. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Current by Discover Card (just for teens and parents)

It is so important to teach our children the value of money management and wise saving/spending. I was really excited to learn more about the new card program, Current by Discover Card. This is a "credit card" designed for the tween/teen (ages 13-18). What makes this credit card appealing is the parent has some control and knowledge of the card's usage. Kids want freedom, and want to spread their wings toward adulthood, and I think the Current by Discover card can be a good tool. It is too easy to spend all the savings teens get, or spend their allowance/check as soon as they get it. The Current Card helps us teach our kids born in a digital age how to manage spending. Like car companies that allow you to set the maximum speed limit on your teen's car, Current by Discover Card puts parents in control by letting us set (daily, weekly, monthly) spending limits, block certain merchant categories (like ATMs and liquor stores) and track your teen's spending online or through email and text message alerts. Plus, because it's a debit card product, the card stops working when the limit is reached without incurring any additional fees, which protects your teens from overspending. I think all credit cards should be designed this way, actually!
As parents, we have the responsibility to discuss wise spending habits as a family. Discover Card created an online resource, Current by Discover card, to help us talk with our kids about managing and spending money, and the importance of setting limits. Experience often serves as the best teacher. The Current by Discover Card provides kids with access to money in the way they want it while still giving the parents what we need - independent spending by our kids without debt or incurring hidden fees. No more surprise credit card balances from your teen's "minor" shopping spree.
Membership Benefits
**Safer than cash
**$0 liability guarantee means that they will reimburse 100% of any fraudulent charges made with your teen's card
**Disable a card if it's lost, and easily enable it when found
**Because it's not a credit card, there will be no effect on you or your teen's credit history
**Add funds from your Discover Card or other major credit card
**Add funds from your checking, savings account or direct deposit
**A smarter way to manage money
**Teens can access tools and tutorials that help them learn to spend smarter
**Teens can directly deposit their own paychecks
**Security meets value
**Membership is only $5 a month. See Fees
**No minimum balances, loading fees, or credit check
Thanks to Mom Central for tis information to pass on, and thank you to Discover for helping our teens have an access to learning how to spend/save wisely and more safely!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Wishful Daisy: A review and 2 giveaways~

"He loves me, he loves me not..." We have all played with flower petals when we were younger trying desperately to see if we were lucky enough to land on the last petal with "HE LOVES ME!" I know I did this as a young girl.
Wishful Daisy is an new handheld electronic game for girls ages 6 and up. You can play 3 different games on it: Mode 1: Fortune (ask a question and pull a petal), Mode 2: Ask or Answer (fun for slumber parties), and Mode 3: Friendship and love (you answer questions from the wishful daisy, and it will let you know the results).
The Wishful Daisy comes with 29 pre-cut flowers (25 plain paper flowers that you can decorate and personalize and 4 colored flowers that are ready to use). Then, once you use all the petals you can print out more petals from the Girltech website. The Wishful Daisy also comes with a template that you can use to make your own petals. You can buy the wishful daisy at these locations available August 1st.
Want to win a Wishful Daisy?
Mattel has offered to sponsor two giveaways for my readers! This contest is open to all bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Leave a comment about what you would ask the Wishful Daisy. Also, let me know who you would like to give the Wishful Daisy to. Contest will end July 23 at 7:00 PM CST. I will pick two winners at random. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you! Click here to see how you can earn extra credits. Good Luck!