Goal Setting for Teens

Look throughout the world at those who have achieved the most in life. People like Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Warren Buffett. These are the people who have stretched their imaginations to unforeseen levels. They have dreamt at levels we have never imagined.  Their visions for what was possible was so far beyond anything any ordinary person would envision. Many people believe they have gotten lucky. The reality however, is that its that simple skill, of dreaming big, that has guided them to their success, fame, and fortunes.

You see, no one in this world has ever created or accomplished anything without first seeing it in their mind. The greatest achievers in human history have been those with the biggest and boldest goals and dreams. Life as we know it wouldn’t be what it is today without those individuals. But you too can be one of those people who shape the destiny of the world. Through your dreams, goals, and desires you have the power to create something just as extraordinary as the great leaders listed above. Through your dream, through your imagination, your mission and vision will come as soon as you release your perceived limitations, and allow your heart to drive your mind to your dreams.

Imagine what it will be like, when you look back on your accomplishments; when you have the opportunity to turn to all those who told you that you could not accomplish your dream. What will it feel like to turn to those people and smile, as without saying anything more, they know by that twinkle in your eye, you accomplished all you set out to achieve.

True leadership originates in a dream. A vision that calls you to action, that puts you in your unstoppable state of defying every odd that’s against you. The greatest leaders know only the standards set by their dreams of what is truly possible, and the best time to start dreaming big is now. No matter where you are in your life, it is never to early or late to broaden your vision of what’s possible.

Big dreams are where it all starts, from your earliest dreams of becoming an astronaut or baseball player, to your dreams of owning your own business, writing a book, or owning your dream car or home, if you do not dream of it first, you will never actualize it into your life.

The word Gang causes a great deal of controversy and fear every time it is uttered. There is a great deal of myth and misconception about just what is a gang, how they recruit/operate and the danger they pose to our society, our families and children. Working with gang members for a great number of years, I’ve watched as they have become more sophisticated and violent as time has passed. What was once given short shrift or ignored as an anomaly is now recognized as an incredibly complex problem, not only for law enforcement but for our society as a whole. This article is a good starting point for parents and youth who want to see the truth about what gangs are, and are not.

When we hear the term “Gang” it conjures images of drugs, bullet ridden bodies, money and fear. The reality is; gangs are not new. In fact there is documented evidence of gang related activity going back as far as 1400-1500 AD. What is changing is the increased communications and cooperation on joint criminal ventures between gangs that would traditionally be at war or in competition for the same drug territory. Expertise and even technology are shared in an attempt to evade law enforcement and increase the bottom line. If it’s beginning to make gangs sound more than just a little like a business, it’s because they are. The only difference is that their products are crime, fear and death. 

When you take a close look at how many gangs operate, patterns begin to emerge. Gangs want the same thing as any corporation. They want to grow and expand in their territory/target niche. Profit is the bottom line and ruthless business tactics are often employed in the name of gaining a competitive edge. To further the corporate analogy, gangs also use brand recognition and targeted advertising to reach their target demographic. Every gang member I’ve ever known describes himself as a “businessman”.

We won’t be discussing the different types of gangs in this article. That’s a whole separate discussion and best left for another time. Nor will we examine the complex social problems that allow gangs to flourish. These issues are far too large to explore in one article and are best digested in small doses.  Instead in this article we will examine some risk factors for young people being targeted for recruitment or victimization by gang members and the some of the myths and misconceptions that abound with this topic in general.

Young people become involved in gangs for a lot of different reasons; a sense of belonging, family/friends involved in gang lifestyle, money, protection, etc. The point is; everyone is potentially vulnerable to or affected by gangs on some level. As parents we need to recognize the potential warning signs of attempted recruitment and acknowledge that while we can’t reduce all of the risk factors in our children’s lives, but we can give them enough resiliencies to deal with the problems when/if the time comes.

Parents always ask how they will know if their children are becoming involved with gangs. You will notice changes in their behavior and interactions with family, authority and society in general. Some of the changes that parents would notice immediately would include;

I think it’s important to note that these indicators are not definitive. I know a lot of teens who display several of these identifiers and are no more affiliated to criminal gang activity than I am. What these warning flags should do however is alert parents/teachers and anyone working with youth that there is a potential for recruitment/association if early intervention does not occur. There are other risk factors that cannot be controlled such as;

For every risk there are also resiliency factors. Resiliency is the product of a set of influences and circumstances that would pre-dispose youth away from negative lifestyle choices. Strong family ties, involvement in organized activities and strong adult role models and community involvement can go a long way to helping young people keep from becoming involved in gangs and other negative activities. It’s important for parents to realize that in many ways they are the ones on the front lines in the war on gang/criminal activity.

There are a great number of myths and misconceptions around gang culture. Some of them are loosely based in reality, but utilized by gangs to increase recruitment and perpetuate the fear/respect and “silence through intimidation” they need to operate. One of the biggest myths is;

Gangs will protect me from my enemies. The facts would indicate otherwise. It is physically impossible for any gang to protect their members 24/7. The United States Secret Service spends billions of dollars and has tens of thousands of agents to protect a very small number of individuals. Gangs, no matter how much money they are making from the sales of drugs and other criminal acts have neither the financial resources, the training, nor will to protect a lowly foot soldier on the street. Replacing them when they are killed or incarcerated is easy. Finding and training a new foot soldier is a much more cost effective business decision than paying lawyers. Secondly your risk of death increases dramatically when compared with actuarial tables of youth not involved in gangs. A police officer well known for his expertise in these matters summed it up beautifully. He said;

“The moment you join a gang, you automatically gain one hundred new enemies you never even knew you had.”

Gangs also rule by fear and intimidation of their own members. This means that in addition to the risk of being kidnapped, assaulted or killed by rival gangs; gang members often face the same risks from their own group.

Joining a gang will give me respect. This is one of the most common misconceptions in gang culture. When gangs talk about respect what they really mean is fear;

“Respect is earned and always there. Fear is generally present only when the object of the fear is nearby. Fear often coincides with hate. It is the power of illusion.”

We need to understand and convey to our young people that they are not the same things. Gangs must rule by fear in order to maintain their control over a very competitive drug market and other crime related activity. If their enemies don’t respect/fear them, then their drug markets will be taken over and their runners “jacked” and assaulted. If their members don’t respect/fear them, then they could potentially rip off the gang by running independent operations and skimming profits. Let’s face it; one of the best ways to control a violent criminal is to be a bigger and more violent criminal yourself. 

Gang members are my friends. Over the years I’ve come to know a lot of young people involved in gangs. Many of them had friends and family involved in the gang lifestyle. Unfortunately many of them are also dead, or know a lot of other young people who are. Although there is the perceived loyalty to the gang and its members it is always interesting to note that the loyalty only goes one way. An average gang member who is working as a runner/soldier for any gang is not making a lot of money. Don’t let all of the cash you see them being arrested with confuse you. That money is the proceeds of crime and the property of the gang’s hierarchy. Foot soldiers no more get to keep the proceeds of their criminal activities than the salesman at car dealership gets to keep the money for the sale of a new BMW. In fact those arrested are likely on the hook and fined by the gang for the loss of the drugs and money. Gang members are paid a salary like any other employee; they just get the added privilege of needing to wear body armor to work and going to jail and/or being shot at as a condition of their employment. Secondly if gangs are so loyal to their members, how come they never seem to use any of the millions that they are making on drug sales to get incarcerated members the best lawyers possible?

I will be at the top someday. Realistically there is next to no possibility of this happening. An average foot soldier would likely have no opportunity to become the leader of a large gang. In order for this to happen it would involve surviving; the street, jail, internal dissent, rival gangs, etc. Then potential leader would actually require some business acumen and organizational talent, because as mentioned previously gangs are in the business of making money period. They are just involved in a huge array of criminal offences and operations to fulfill this goal. The facts are that sometimes gangs are controlled by larger criminal organizations much as a subsidiary company would be controlled by a large corporation. They have the ability to engage in independent action, but the overall organizational vision is determined by the more powerful entity (Organized Crime).

I can’t get out now that I’m in. Not all gang members are created equal. Don’t get me wrong, gangs are a huge problem and need to be dealt with. We can’t treat every gang member like they are the head of a Triad and spend inordinate amounts of money protecting society from them after they have caused untold damage to people’s lives. It is counterproductive, costly and mostly ineffective. Most gang members are not members of the leadership or upper management whose knowledge of the groups operations and intelligence would make them a liability to the gang should they attempt to leave. Most gang members are foot soldiers who are involved in the day to day operation of a small part of the organization as a whole and likely not in possession of any knowledge that could seriously damage the gang’s leadership or operations. Many times gang members simply walk away with no repercussions whatsoever.

In other articles we will explore the world of gangs and gang culture and look at topics such as;

In the meantime, take the initiative to find out what resources are available in your community and avail yourself of their time and experience in educating yourself on this issue. Believe it or not what you don’t know can hurt you. There is a lot of excellent free literature available online to give you an overview of general information on this subject. Talk to you children about the dangers of gangs and know their friends. Know who/where they are hanging out and any potentially dangerous areas to avoid. Educate yourself and your children on Personal Safety and basic Self Defense and teach them how to reduce as much risk in their lives as possible. The best you can do is provide them with as much Resiliency as possible and hope that it can outweigh the risk.

Kerry Sauve

StreetSense Safety and Security Inc

http://www.streetsensesafety.ca

The date is set, the invitations are out, and now you’re preparing yourself for a house full of active, energetic children to entertain. Have no fear! With a few simple, well planned out innovative game ideas, you can not only throw a fun and memorable party, but actually sit back and enjoy the interaction and entertainment yourself. There are several great game ideas for kids of all ages that won’t break the bank, can encourage teamwork and bonding, are exciting, challenging, and educational, and are sure to put smiles on the faces of all of your party goers, whether it be at the next birthday party, slumber party, family get-together, class party, holiday party, or other event. To get you started on your way to hosting a great party, we have suggested just a few of our favorite easy-to-set-up and fun-to-play party games for kids.

Guess Who I Am: This is a simple but fun game that will have the children interrogating each other to discover each others’ identities. Make a list of identities – enough so that each of your guests can pick one. For example: Sponge Bob, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Scooby Doo, Batman, Jimmy Neutron, Power Ranger, etc. Make a master list of all of the possible identities for the kids to view. Then prepare slips of paper each with a single identity printed on it to be drawn from a central grab bag. Have each child draw an identity and keep it secret. Then let the questioning begin. Choose any child to begin. That child should choose another player to ask a yes or no question about their character, but they can’t ask directly, for example, “Are you Sponge Bob?” Once the other player has answered “Yes” or “No” to the question, any of the children can try to guess their identity. The asking of questions moves from child to child in a clockwise direction. When a child guesses correctly another’s identity, they win and collect their identify slip from them. If you like, you can put a prize or treat associated with each of the identities acquired. This is a great game to encourage interaction, memory skills, and lots of laughs. The best part is that its an easy game to play again and again simply by starting over with each child drawing a new identity, or change the topic for the next round and make each identity an animal, a job, a food, a toy, a super hero, etc. — use your imagination and have fun with it.

Plan a Treasure Hunt: All kids love the thrill of a hunt — solving clues and tracking down lost treasure. You can make a treasure hunt simply at home with a little time and creativity. First, look around your house (just the areas where the party will be gathering) and find some good hiding places. Then write clues on pieces of paper of a difficulty level appropriate to the group you will be entertaining that will lead them to those hiding spots one by one. For example, one clue might be “You’ll have to be nimble, you’ll have to be quick, to find the next clue hidden under this stick” The next clue of course would be found hidden under a candle or candlestick. Prepare at least ten different clues to lead the children on a hunt all about the party area, which can include outdoors, such as at a picnic or park. Hide the clues ahead of time before the children arrive. The first clue should be handed or read to the children, and the second hidden in the answer location, where the next clue can be found, and so on until, at the end when the last clue is solved, the final “winning treasure ticket” is found. You may want to provide a reward, such as goodie bags, party favors, sweets, presents, give certificates, or other treats both along the way or at the end. One variation is to attach a piece of gift wrap to each ticket, and the one who finds that ticket gets the gift that matches the wrapping paper. Of course, prizes are not necessary, and solving the final clue and knowing you won can be satisfaction enough. Just be prepared — this game often brings the “Can we do it again!?” request. If you lack the time or creativity to create clever clues and a treasure hunt on your own, there are great inexpensive pre-made custom printable treasure hunt games available online designed around common household or outdoor objects that come with hiding guides that you can purchase online, download, and print and play instantly, such as at Treasure-Adventure.com.

Truth or Do Balloon Stomp: This is the traditional truth or dare game with a new twist that will have children choosing their own fate one balloon at a time. Prepare a bundle of balloons filled with pre-made rolled Truth or Do questions or commands. Each child takes turn choosing a balloon, and stomping it open to reveal their Truth or Do hidden tab within. Be appropriate to your age group. Some Examples of “Do” tabs might say “Act like a dancing Monkey”, “Walk the length of the room with a book on your head”, “Sing the National Anthem”, etc. Some Examples of “Truth” questions might be “Tell your most embarrassing moment”, etc. You can print one “Truth” and one “Do” on each ticket to give children the choice of which they will do.

Double or Nothing: This is a fun, competitive game that kids love, that any number of players can play, and that all different ages can play together. Have the party guests form a circle. Place a pile of small, wrapped party favors or suitable gifts in the center of the circle, typically numbering at least double the number of players. The host decides on how many times around the circle play will go, but it should circle completely before ending a game so all players get an equal number of turns. If a birthday, start with the birthday child. Otherwise, the host may choose or start with the high roller of two dice. Put the two dice into a shallow metal pan or other container with a flat bottom. The first person rolls the two dice once in the pan. Each child that rolls doubles gets to choose a prize out of the center pile or steal one from someone else who already has one, but they must not open any presents they win until the end of the game, and must place all presents in front of them unopened during the game. If they roll doubles, they get to roll again immediately, and each time they get doubles, they get to choose another prize. If they do not roll doubles, they must pass the pan and dice to the next player to their left, and so on. There are two variations to this game. A less competitive option that ensures that all children get the same number of prizes follows the same rules as above, except that enough prizes are placed in the middle to allow all children to get the same number of prizes, and the first child that reaches that maximum number of gifts wins, take their gifts, and leaves the game. Play continues as each subsequent child reaches their maximum number of gifts and leaves the game. This is a great way to make sure everyone goes home happy!

Spoons. This is a fast-paced, hilariously fun party game similar to the game of “horse,” and the more the merrier! It is best for ages 8 and up (adults love it too!), but can be played by sharp younger players also. Have the kids again form a circle. Arrange metal spoons (numbering one less than the number of players) either in a close circular formation or in a pile so they make noise when they bump together in the center of the circle. Shuffle two decks of cards well, and have one of the players deal out four cards to each player face down. Leave them face down until the game is ready to start. All players must keep four cards in their hands at all times. The goal is to get four of the same cards (not same suits), such as all 4s, 10s, Jacks, etc., and when you get them, sneak one spoon. The dealer starts by putting the deck face down and drawing quickly one card from it at a time. He may keep the card if it matches ones in his hand and discard one of his own face down in a new pile for the next player to pick from, or pass on the card he just picked by placing it face down in the new pile of discards for the next player to pick from, again, one card at a time. The dealer keeps picking quickly and passing cards until all cards are gone, and may then pick from new cards passed to him when the cards have come full circle. All players should go as fast as possible, all the while keeping four cards in their hands, keeping count of the spoons, and watching carefully for anyone attempting to sneak a spoon while they are picking cards. Once the first spoon is taken by someone who has all four of the same cards, everyone else must try to grab a spoon before they are gone. The one left without a spoon gets a letter. The first person who spells “SPOONS,” is out of the game, and a spoon is removed from the center to ensure there is always one less spoon than the number of players. If the person who sneaks the spoon is not noticed by anyone else, he should sit the spoon in his lap, and keep passing cards until someone notices one is missing. Watch out for people pretending that they have four of a kind – they may reach out towards the spoons, but not touch them to fool someone else. If they touch a spoon accidentally on such an attempt and do not have four cards, they get a letter. If someone else is fooled and thinks they are going for a spoon, but they don’t, and touches a spoon when they don’t have four of the same cards, they get a letter. Only the first person who touches the spoon when they shouldn’t have gets the letter – the rest who follow do not. They simply put them back. Play continues until one person is left and wins the game.

Charades: This is a classic party favorite that is always good for a few laughs. Prepare ahead with some charades to act out that are appropriate for the group and age level. If you’ll be entertaining younger kids, give them simple words to act out, making it clear that they cannot speak. For example, sing, happy, monkey, dog, guitar, sick, hungry, bounce, flower, climb, draw, etc. For older children, prepare a couple of categories of clues and write the category on a piece of paper or white board. For Example: Movie Titles (The Lion King), Sayings (You win some you lose some), Songs (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star), etc. Prepare the charade tabs ahead of time. Divide the group into two teams. Team #1 will draw a random charade tab and try to act it out for their own team (give a set time limit). When time is up, if the first team hasn’t solved it, the other team can take a guess to try and steal the point. Then Team #2 takes their turn, and so on. Be sure to rotate the charade actor on each team each time. Decide on a set number of points to be reached, and the first player or team that reaches that number of points wins!

The Cotton Bowl: Another fun team party game for all ages that is hilarious to watch and play. Split your party goers into two even teams. Place two chairs back-to-back, with a player from each opposing team in each chair. Blindfold both players well and ensure that they cannot see. Hand them each a large spoon, and place a bowl containing equal numbers of well-separated cotton balls on their lap. The host stands between the two holding two paper plates on each of their heads. A timer is started. Each seated competing player has 30 seconds to scoop as many cotton balls out of their bowl using their spoon and carefully raise the cotton balls and place them on the plate over their head. When the buzzer is up, the number of cotton balls on each plate gets added to the respective team’s score. One point for each cotton ball successfully placed on the paper plate that does not fall off. Typically, the first team that collectively reaches 50 points wins, but you can set the goal to whatever you wish.

Pass it On: A great get-to-know-you game. Have the children gather in a circle to share their favorite things. Start with one child (the party boy or girl preferably) who should announce, for example, “My name is John and I like Football.” Then, the next child in line might say, “John likes football. My name is Matt, and I like candy,” and so on. Set a prize if the kids can make it all the way through without slipping up. If they get stuck, they can start again at the beginning with the child who got stuck going first, and then working their way back through the other children. This is a great memory game that will have children concentrating, interacting, and getting to know each other at the same time. It can easily be played over and over again by changing the fact to be shared, such as favorite candy, cartoons, books, foods, animals, games, etc.

Prize Balloon Stomp: This is not a game, but an innovative way to keep kids in anticipation, not knowing what is inside their balloons. Simply prepare a bundle of balloons with rolled prize tabs inside of each one that announces some special treat or reward. They may receive a balloon for finding a treasure clue, solving an identity, or guessing correctly in charades, etc. Or just place them at their assigned seats. Kids will have a blast stomping the balloons to retrieve their surprise reward.

For more treasure hunt and party game ideas, party supplies, and fun tips, visit Treasure-Adventure.com at http://www.treasure-adventure.com

10. Withholding love

Humans have an intense craving to be accepted by others, to be comforted by others, to belong. This craving is the impetus to be loved.

 What is love?  American Heritage Dictionary defines love as a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.

 “Love is a sanctuary for our spirits, a bath of empathy for our emotions, a tranquil meadow in which to nurture our fond hopes and dreams.” When love is present, the soul is at peace. Chaos and negativity fade away. Kindness and giving become commonplace. Joy and happiness, beyond current circumstances, radiates due to love. Everything becomes better when love touches. It can be a hug or kind word.

9. No Regular Family Time  – Meals, Activities

A meal of family activity provides good nutrition and bonding time. It also sets the stage for regular family discussions and the foundation for transmitting family values. People including teenagers tend to talk more over food providing clues to the dilemmas in their lives. Teenagers need attention to shape their thinking process.

8. Living a life outside of your teenager

Parents have the responsibility to nurture their children from 0 to 18 years of age. Unfortunately when a teenager gets an adult like body at age 12-14 parents leave them to themselves  as if they are adults. They may have adult bodies but child-like brains. They need more guidance after the age 12 as they believe they are invincable and do not understand consequences. Away from home 15 hours a day is disasterous if no one is available to supervise teenagers, even if it is to work a second job. Teenagers need some one-to-one quality time.

 Parents are to model the behavior they desire for their children to replicate. If parents never spend time with their teenagers, teens are left to model  their behvior after someone. That someone can be anybody usually someone who is cool, hip and not law abiding.

7. Embracing Anti-intellectualism

 “Minority adolescents ridicule their minority peers for engaging in behaviors perceived to be characteristic of whites such as speaking standard English and enrolling in an Advanced Placement or honors class to wearing clothes from the Gap or Abercrombie & Fitch (instead of Tommy Hilfiger or FUBU) and wearing shorts in winter” according psychologist Angela Neal-Barnett in 1999.  In many ethnic neighborhoods, education is seen as assimilation – losing one’s culture to become white. Education should not been seen as a negative but a positive. If education is not valued, then it will not be completed.

6. Refuse to oversee or review student homework and class work

Teenagers are children, whose mantra in life is folly and play. Without parent intervention and  a road map, they wander from class to class, school to school, playing and trying to find themselves. Their wandering, often, translates into behavior issues, truancy, failed classes, and then low graduation rates. When they finally land at high school graduation, they are 23 years old and forced to get a GED.

 Many teenagers drop out of high school due to sheer boredom. Homework provides insight to the content of a class. The class is often boring with no hands-on activities leaving the student disengaged. This problem  can be rectifiied quickly before student drops out.

5. No Career or Education Goals for Teen

“School is like traveling. One must choose a destination and map out a route to get to the destination; otherwise one will end up nowhere frustrated and angry. Urban students are becoming high school dropouts as they lack an ending destination, whether it is high school graduation, college or career” states Ida Byrd-Hill, President of Upheaval Media.

Upheaval Media created Follow Your Inner Compass Teen program http://www.followyourinnercompass.com which is a book and web -based career exploration/ college preparation program. Hustle & TECHknow Preparatory High School, an alternative high school in Detroit that catered to high school dropouts and adjudicated youth, generated an eighty (80%) graduation rate amongst its high school dropout population utilizing this  to inspire their entire building to become college prep minded. High school graduation is a must to college admissions.

4.No Dreams or Family Goals/ Plans

Chaos is evidence of no planning toward a goal or dream.  Where chaos abounds trouble comes.  Trouble creates stress, depression and a sense of failure.  If your life is full of trouble, take the time to write down your plans and goals for your life. Communicate your goals and dreams to your teenager. Teenagers like to know the direction of their family and how they can participate in its forward movement. Furthermore you provide a behavior of success they can replicate.

3. Set no boundaries or discipline

Many of the troubles young people face would be eliminated with the establishment and execution of rules. Rules loudly scream care and concern. Rules provide stability and tradition.

 2. Speak ill to or about  a Teen

The tongue is capable of giving an individual life or death.  Words are powerful. Many teenagers have repeatedly heard negative sayings “you can’t do anything right!” “You are ugly,” “You are stupid” “You will never amount to anything.”  No matter how intelligent they are, every time they  are faced with a decision, great or small, their subconscious mind replays those sayings, causing them to  procrastinate in making the decision, hence fulfilling the prophecy a well meaning adult spoke.

1. Pretending Everything Is Okay

We are in the worse economic recession since the great Depression. Everyone’s life has changed. Our cash accumulation or good credit is gone or leaving quickly. We are all struggling. Some of us are dependent upon unemployment,  food stamps, and food banks. For those lucky few, the affluent lifestyle has been reduced. We, adults, are walking around angry internally. We smile to people outside our house, but at home we are depressed and irritable.

We pretend we are not in a lifestyle funk to everyone but our children.  They are crazy. Their behavior leaves a lot to be desired. They should be mild mannered well behaved young people on track to out perform you educationally, but they are not. Children – teenagers – imitate your behavior. If they are crazy then they are probably reacting to your craziness. Stop pretending and deal with it.

If any of these 10 items occur in your life,  your  teenager is guaranteed to drop out from high school. The question is when? If they are moving in that direction,  you have the power to change their direction. Begin with reading Follow Your Inner Compass Teen.

What you think the fashion business is purely depends on your glamour?

What does a professional male or a female model know that you don’t? Fashion modeling is not an effortless career to smash into, but you will have a boundary if you know a little about the fashion business feature of a fashion modeling career.

Modeling is almost certainly one of the most sought after careers in the craze fashion and glamour industry. Frequently all girls and boys searching where they can be become a model.

But do you have what it takes? How do you even get started? Modeling is a hard-hitting job, and there are plenty of scams. Before you start your carrier you decide whether to take the thrust or not.

You must always update with new find out and fashion news what’s in style right now in women’s fashion, including new runway trends, fashion clothing, beauty accessories, woman handbags, shoes for woman etc.

A female model or a male model all ways need a great hairstyle and a good hair it can mean the variation between sensation of normal and unusual. You always need a gorgeous face to become a fashion model or glamour model. You need a sexy apple to your body, lips and eyes. For general trends in if you like beauty you like fashion.

In modeling industry there are lot of different type of modeling job is available. You can choose according to your beauty and capability, in each and every category you need different body shape and beauty.

Some major modeling categories are body part, commercial, editorial, fashion, fitness, mature, plus-size, print advertisements, promotional, runway, showroom, swimsuit, bikini, teen, television, adult modeling etc. All most top modeling agency always looking a commercial, fashion and runway model.

The best way to start your carries in fashion contact a professionals modeling photographer in your local area for fashion photography and send some reputed modeling agencies and modeling scouts they are always looking a new face.

Compared with other modeling job a commercial model and fashion model charge always high. The easy way to start carries is to become a runway model. Now a days

bikini model become more famous. Most of these models are teen model to become swimsuit model you must need good shape your body.

Confidence is an important skill that will either make or break your chance at becoming at professional model! Fear is a mental monster of human. It tells you what you can and cannot do before even trying! And if fear doesn’t stop them, their beliefs cause them to shy away.

Any successful model person understands the importance of setting goals. Goal setting keeps you motivated and on track. Unleashing your true potential is, understanding what it takes to get what you want.

What are good rules and rewards for teenagers? Why do we bother putting rules into place? Limits and guidelines during adolescence are an important part of getting the budding adult ready to leave home. During this preparation time, keeping focused on the end result (a successful adult) is important. When presenting and negotiating rules with your adolescent, begin by exploring the potential results of successfully following guidelines. Here’s what your list might look like:

Do all of the above and you’ve achieved INDEPENDENCE and maturity! Clearly all of these skills do not have to be accomplished for an adolescent to move away from home and succeed, but the majority of parents that I work with want nothing more than to raise a well-balanced and independent child. In the meantime, however, parents have to set rules that slowly but surely move the child toward independence. Rule categories might include: family time, academic expectations, use of electronics, household responsibilities, personal responsibilities, financial responsibilities, social limits, mind and body responsibilities, community responsibilities. Here’s what the rules might look like for a 13-15 year old. Rules: the following are our expectations to help guide you toward adulthood.

As the adolescent reaches 16-18 years of age, the rules change depending on your child’s level of maturity. Teenagers need continued guidance, like the rules offered above, but others need more freedom in order to exert their own judgment. I recommend adding a curfew for adolescents 16 years old and above. Allowing for more freedom at this age – allowing your children to make more choices, even some controversial ones – allows them the freedom to fail while still under your protective roof. Keep in mind that 18 is just around the corner. Learning important life lessons in your teens while living at home provides a safe environment in which growth can take place.

ONE The holiday destination and duration is a mutual decision – it’s a way for everyone to relax over a period of time, so if you don’t know where to go, ask your teens because they may have some ideas. You don’t want it to turn into a ‘what parents say goes, whether you like it or not’ because it has the potential to ruin the entire mood of the trip. My coaching client friend’s son actually knew a friend who’s parents had a batch they wanted someone to look after over the holidays, so they saved HEAPS on accommodation…plus they got to go jet skiing every day at lake Taupo (for free!). TWO The whole family goes. It’s one of the only rules I feel parents should enforce, especially if your trip includes seeing relatives. They’ll regret not seeing their family as much later on in life if they’re always given the option to stay home during family getaways. THREE Everyone’s idea of a holiday is different. I suggest you don’t do something crazy like ban cell phones or iPods. If the technology really is getting to you, you’re going to have to come up with alternative activities to keep them entertained. The lady I was coaching, her daughter was a TXT-a-holic, so the rule she decided to enforce was if her daughter’s idea of relaxing was lying on the beach TXTing, that was fine, as long as there were a number of other options available for them to do. FOUR Decide to complete one useful thing during the trip. During most of our getaways from the big city, because my brother and I were at school, my Mum used to set a goal that we will cover a whole history book, or take a piece of literature we would take turns reading in the car, and then analyze the story and characters. It sounds silly, but in parents’ eyes, they felt we didn’t get enough time to do this at school, so for us it was entertaining to learn a whole book, or history of a country, with our parents two-cents into it. I know one of my friends used to go away and come back with a whole scrapbook of their family’s history – this was their way of organizing loose family photos into one place, and find out a bit of their family tree history. Maybe you’ll want to plant an idea of shooting a documentary of the holiday, to put up on YouTube and maybe one day get discovered by a famous producer! Anything can happen! FIVE Remember this is your holiday just as much as your family’s. Take time-out to do what you need tod aswell. If you’re in a good mood too, everyone wins! * * *THIS WEEK’S FREE HELPFUL DOWNLOAD!http://sharecash.org/download.php?id=102361 The Self-Improvement Handbook, valued at USD$39, FREE to you! Because I love my readers! Take some useful tips out of this, and take that time out during the holidays for yourself!http://sharecash.org/download.php?id=102361 * * *HAPPY HOLIDAYING Eva-Maria – Bestselling Author of ‘You Shut Up!’, International Speaker and Certified Coach <3 Get a complimentary copy of the CD where I reveal… “7 Teen Secrets": www.trustyourfuture.com

Obesity is on the rise for teenagers as well as adults, and the health risks related to being overweight are threatening more and more teens. However, teens have special nutritional needs that make them particularly vulnerable to the dangers of a poorly planned diet. Growth spurts and bodily changes mean that teenagers require high levels of energy, calcium, fiber, and iron, among other nutrients. Here are some teen weight loss tips that can help stay healthy while losing weight.
1. Get More Exercise
Weight loss can be achieved not only by cutting back calories, but also by increasing the number of calories that you burn through exercise. By focusing on weight loss through exercise, you can burn off those extra pounds without cutting back on the essential nutrients that you need. Join a swim team, get your friends together for volleyball matches on the weekends, or simply walk around your neighborhood, but get outside and get moving.
2. Eat More Complex Carbs
Your body uses carbohydrates as a source of energy, which it particularly needs in the teenage years. Simple carbohydrates, like sugars and unrefined flours, give your body a quick jolt of energy that wears off quickly, leaving you feeling drained and hungry once again. On the other hand, complex carbs like wild rice, oatmeal, and cauliflower are broken down by the body more slowly. This gives you long-lasting energy without the sugar crash, and it also makes you feel more satisfied.
3. Don’t Skip Meals
With the pressure of going to school, doing homework, and having a social life, it can be tempting to save time by skipping meals – especially breakfast. However, skipping meals deprives your body of the nutrition it needs, reduces your energy levels, and can send your body into starvation mode, which makes it harder to lose weight.
4. Set Reasonable Goals
If you are determined to lose too much weight too quickly, you are setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. Speak with your doctor to decide upon a reasonable weight loss plan for your situation. Don’t be too hard on yourself – weight loss is tough for teens as well as for adults, and it’s going to take some time to achieve your ideal weight.

Most of us enjoy a lazy day when we can sleep in, putz around and just relax a little – and our kids are no different. However, when the dog days of summer come, some teens take that one “couch out” day and stretch it over an entire summer break. Here are some tips to combat summertime teen laziness and keep your teen active and engaged.
Communicate Expectations – Tell your teen in a nonthreatening but firm manner that you will not accept their staying in bed all morning and afternoon. It is perfectly reasonable to ask that they get up at a decent hour. Explain that you want them to do more than merely watch TV, play video games, or visit social networking sites all day.
If your teen wants you to help pay for their summer activities, they should be willing to abide by a few summer guidelines. Set an age appropriate, specific time that you expect them to be home, based upon the level of trust they have earned. Ask them to take on a couple of extra chores during the summer to earn some pocket money. These chores could be for you or someone else, but make sure they go above and beyond the normal, everyday chores that every member of the family should be expected to do.
Get Them Engaged – Whether you ask them to help you more around the house, participate in volunteer activities in the community, or help them get a job, you want them to be engaged in something worthwhile. Give them encouragement to help at a YMCA, children’s program, or nursing home. They may find they truly enjoy these volunteer activities and you will help them appreciate the joys of serving others that will last a lifetime.
Help them find volunteer positions by calling around to local places of worship, daycares, charities, or nursing homes. Local businesses may be hiring summer help; offer to help them find a job to earn some extra money. This will help them learn to manage money, but will also help them realize the value of their time. If they get paid by the hour, they might be less likely to fritter their time away.
Spend Family Time – Avoid giving lectures about what they should do during the summer. (Lectures, period, are ineffective with teens.) Instead, find activities that you can do with them. You don’t have to spend every waking moment with your teen, but take some time to take them shopping, go to a movie, or out for a coffee. Keep it relaxed and let your teen open up to you in their own time and way. Summertime is a great time to reconnect with your teen. Don’t let these weeks go by without taking this time to slow down and just be together.
Encourage Physical Activity – Take time to learn or play a new sport with your teen. Not only will this help your teen be more active during the summer, it’ll help you get some much needed exercise, too. Boys in particular are more likely to enjoy “side by side” activities. These are often great times to open dialogue with your son about important issues. Give tennis, swimming, cycling, or rollerblading a try. You both will benefit your health and well being.
Parents all over the country complain that their teens get lazy during the summer break. But teens, just like toddlers, need guidance, clear communication, and reminders of your expectations in order to be successful. These tips should get you well on your way. Ask your teen if there are things they’d like to accomplish before school starts, and then help them to meet those goals.

With television shows like “The Hills” and “90210″, teens are looking at their favorite star, and wondering why their body isn’t like the actors and actresses on these shows. They look at these people as their idols, and want to look and be just like them. It is important to educate our teens on the dangers of certain diets, and what it takes to lose weight in a safer, and more health conscious way.

A teen’s healthy diet plan shouldn’t be any different than any average adult. The right foods combined with a good fitness plan can help mold their body into a fit and healthy form.

Education: Start by educating yourself. Find out what a proper diet and fitness plan for your teen should consist of. Speak to your family physician; see what he or she feels is the right course of action. Ask about a dietitian, a dietitian can help plan a menu that will be conducive to the type of lifestyle your teen leads. Also, educate yourself about fad diets, and eating disorders.

Make a Plan: You then need to find out your teen’s intentions for themselves. Do they want to lose a large amount, or just drop a few pounds to fit into that prom dress? Whatever their intention, make sure to sit down with them and discuss goals, and timeframes. They are not going to lose 50 pounds in a week, make sure they realize this. Use what you have learned to set up a plan that will work for them.

Family Fun: Once you have set into place a plan, the next step is to do it. Make it a family activity, take walks together after dinner. Set up activities that involve everybody. Go to the park, on a hike, or a leisurely bike ride. Whatever you choose, do it as a family and enjoy yourselves.

Just remember, teens, just as any other child learns from what they see. In these formative years, it is important to teach our children what is right and wrong. A healthy lifestyle instilled into the mind of a growing youth can stay with them for the rest of their life.