Celtic Symbols Family

The ancient Celts had no written word, nor did they need it. Instead they symbolized their world in ways that were easily understood by all. Apart from symbolizing relationships, they represented the things in the world around them in their symbols too. However more personal relationships within tribes were symbolized by means of designs or shapes which is today considered a form of artwork.

The Celts used symbols to communicate to each other particular meanings, but also used them to illustrate their spirituality or as a means of projecting an image to another. Celtic warriors decorated their bodies in battle with symbols they deemed most appropriate individually, yet their body art had a twofold reasoning behind it.

Motherhood

The first reasoning was personal while the second was meant to instil fear in their enemies. For instance, warriors might decorate their bodies with a particular animal that they hoped to gain the powers of in battle. They might also use symbols that indicated brotherhood, a bond that existed between each warrior on the battlefield. Many symbols used called on the Gods and Goddesses to bestow protection, power and courage.

Celtic Symbols Family

Family Symbols

Celts belonged to different clans or tribes and used symbols to show this. They were a people who possessed superior craftsmanship and were able to capture their symbols in delicate pieces of jewelry. Apart from warriors who painted or tattooed symbols onto their bodies, the Celts also etched and sculpted their symbols in stone or wood.

These symbols were either meant to depict or express the connection of families or clan status yet were also meant to depict the relationships within a family unit. Symbols also paid homage to their interconnectedness with nature, the universe, their Gods and Goddesses too.

What is known and understood regarding these personal symbols is sketchy yet their meanings are for the most, agreed on by scholars.

Common Family Symbols

The most common symbols used to indicate family are those for brothers, sisters, father and daughter relationships and the Celtic symbol motherhood. Apart from indicating the relationship many of these symbols were used as a way to worship or revere these figures.

While many symbols were portrayed accurately, for instance animal figures of the Sun Cross, family symbols were depicted by means of shapes and designs, swirls and knot work.

Motherhood symbol

A mother's love was symbolized by the triquestra - two hearts which are intertwined with one unbroken line. .

Celtic symbol brother

Brotherhood was symbolized by an arrow which was painted on a warrior's body.

Celtic symbol sisters

Sisterhood was symbolized by the triskele or the trinity (the number 3). This is usually shown in knot work.

Celtic Life

Celtic clans were in essence an extended family, they shared a very strong bond with other clans or tribes yet each kept their own customs, traditions and beliefs. Not all members of the clan were equal though and each had held their own status and purpose. At the center of a tribe was the family unit which was held in high esteem. Children were not reared by their own parents; instead they were reared by foster parents who were often the brother of the birth mother.

During pagan times the Druids played an important role in Celtic life. They acted as advisors, teachers and healers and as ambassadors in time of war. The Druids held the status of Priests and as such were responsible for the passing of knowledge. They led a very spiritual existence and it is to the Druids that many symbols owe their existence.

Celtic Symbols Family

Tim Lazaro is a Celtic Symbols enthusiast. For more great tips and advice on the Celtic Symbols Family visit http://www.allaboutcelticsymbols.com.

watch mobile phone Best Offer Genuine Brake Band

Celtic Tribal Tattoos - Woman Power

Celtic tribal tattoos are at least as popular with women as with men. I wouldn't be surprised though, if I've seen more sisters who chose Celtic tribal tattoos than brothers.

Celtic tribal tattoos' patterns and art are cool because of the androgyny of the design concept. Most of the designs work as well for men as for women. Although this is true, perhaps uniquely so in the varieties of styles, I did want to mention a few examples of Celtic tribal tattoos that are uniquely appropriated by women.

Motherhood

Sisterhood Celtic tribal tattoos are a nice example of this. Even if you're a woman who didn't have a sister growing up, or those of us who are lucky enough to find a sister of the spirit, sisterhood Celtic tribal tattoos provide a wonderful way to celebrate and honor your special, lifelong relationship. The symbol for sisterhood is a triangle with a curved line flowing from each point. It's an elegantly simple emblem that represents the three ages of woman; maiden, mother and crone. Nobody calls girls and senior women "maidens and crones" these days, of course. They're archaic words, used respectfully at the time. Anyway, I really like this symbol, because it stands for the sisterhood of all women on earth, as well as the sibling bond. It's a simple and ancient device, and works as well on the back of the neck as in a more prominent place such as an upper arm.

Celtic Tribal Tattoos - Woman Power

A subdivision of the sisterhood Celtic tribal tattoos is the motherhood ink. This also uses a threefold design, much like the symbol for sisterhood. However, in the mother symbol, the three curved lines continue into a spiral. The triple mother goddess was an ancient British deity known as the Matres Domesticae. She stood for fertility, harvest, good health, and the hunt. She was a figure of bounty and benevolence.

Celtic tribal tattoos for womanhood, sisterhood, and motherhood have in common a symbol known as the triquetra, and as in cultures the world over, it uses the symbolic number three. The triquetra can be combined with designs such as heart, mother and child, or other symbols of your choosing to further personalize your Celtic tribal tattoos in a way that is most meaningful to you.

Other Celtic tribal tattoos that can be especially apt choices for a woman might be the Celts' eternity symbol, which is a type of knot work. Also known as the lover's knot, this design shows two continuous loops that wind around each other in an unbroken and everlasting path. It is a beautiful choice for a wedding tat, suggesting as it does eternal unity and harmony, and everlasting love.

The Vikings are one of the less discussed parts of the Celts' heritage. But there is no reason to forget them! The Vikings had women warriors, highly skilled and valorous. A Viking tat stands for honor, strength, fortitude and nobility, and who doesn't need to be reminded of those things in daily life? The Viking ink also presents other choices than the triquetra, as it can be done as a band around the arm or leg. It also can look good with a bit of color, maybe red, green or blue, in the band.

These are only a very few ideas of the Celtic tribal tattoos that might be appealing to women.

There are many ways for Celtic tribal tattoos to be customized to your individual desires. The location, for example, really makes a great difference in the impact of the tat, whether you choose a lower back design, a collarbone, pectoral or ankle location. Further personalization might include addition of an initial or short quotation, maybe in Latin, Gaelic, or Welsh. You could combine your triquetra with a clannish bear claw, stag, or other Celt animal. The possibilities are pretty endless.

Celtic tribal tattoos are awesome, and you will be looking at a lot of them, but whatever you decide on, make sure you love it, and get samples of your artist's work. You want to be sure she or he works well in the style that you have chosen for your ink. Most importantly, enjoy your design!

Celtic Tribal Tattoos - Woman Power

© 2010, Emma Ritchey. Emma invites you to read about various tattoo designs at http://favoritetattoodesigns.com/. If you want to know more about Celtic tribal tattoos specifically, check out her articles on that subject.

watches cell phone Best Buy Chippendale Fish Fork With Hollow Handle Save On Surgex Sx1115 Rt Surge Eliminator And Best Buy Roc N Soc Nitro Throne Black

Mean World

So we wake up every day, every morning with the same routine we choose, and we all live in our own little world. In fact we create our own world and we choose who we want to share it with.

But sometimes life takes us up in a roller coaster and show us things that we weren't expecting. Sometimes nature turns its back on you, testing you if you will find your way back to it, and we crumble in a dark dark place waiting for the next morning wondering if you'll be wearing a smile on your face, and most important who gave you that smile to you.

Motherhood

Then you realize that allowing someone to watch you crumble is NOT what you are and you are not going to allow that. So we are just in this earth writing our own story, but most important thing is what ending do you want your story to be finished, and the question is, is it too late for that?

Mean World

No it isn't; no one is better than each one of us, we are all unique in our own special way. So my point here ladies and gentleman is do we live in a mean world or if you are not mean the world ain't fair! I don't know I personally think if you stay YOU and don't pretend to be someone else, you will end up being proud of who are becoming in the following future.

And always remember what goes around comes around.

Mean World

watch cell phone Save 13 On Trademark Miller Girl In The Buy Extra Containment Receiver For Ef 3000 Best Offer Lufkin Cn1295Sme590 13 Milimeter 1 2

If You Are HIV Positive, Should You Have a Baby?

For many couples, the desire to have a baby is often overwhelming. But when one parent is HIV positive, the need to protect the child becomes an overwhelming concern as well.

So, you can just imagine the struggles or sufferings of these couples to reconcile the desire for motherhood in relation to being HIV positive.

Motherhood

Five years ago, I had a colleague who was HIV positive but she still insisted on getting pregnant. During one of our coffee breaks, she related to me the torment she had to endure when received the news that she was HIV positive, especially in relation to her lifelong dreams of having a baby one day.

If You Are HIV Positive, Should You Have a Baby?

Everything was thrown out of the window, so to speak and getting pregnant was put in the back burner because she was told that the longest she could live was for another 12 years. But eventually, the thoughts about having a baby crept back and she begun asking questions like - are there people with HIV and yet have normal HIV-negative babies?

The thought that she may passed on the HIV to her kid was there, of course but after combing information over cyberspace, she knew that there was a two per cent chance that her baby may turn up to be healthy and HIV-negative. So, she was all for taking that risk.

But her neighbours, relatives and friends were literally against it. They basically all have the same message for her. 'What if you really die in 12 years time, what is going to happen to your kid?'; 'What if you kid is also HIV-positive, how is he and your family going to deal with this new burden?' 'How are you going to explain to your child that you knew very well from the start that the chances of him/her (kid) having HIV was very great?'

Those psychological assaults were very hurting, of course, and she reflected upon it for a long time. She finally made the decision to have a baby by using the argument that normal healthy folks also have risks in that they may give birth to children with birth defects and nobody can guarantee a perfect baby no matter the health status of the parents.

Hence, she reckoned what she was doing was not a selfish one and took the plunge by working very closely with her doctors.

So how did the story end for her. Well, the baby turned out okay, free of HIV, but my ex-colleague is now in a financially and physically bad shape, having to go for treatment and all.

But till this day, she still held on to the belief that what she did was not an irresponsible action but rather an informed choice.

If You Are HIV Positive, Should You Have a Baby?

Hannah writes on a wide variety of issues relating to personal relationships and family. Her latest work covers maternity health insurance and health insurance for pregnant women.

cell phone watches Best Offer Lufkin Cn1295Sme590 13 Milimeter 1 2 Best Offer Cane Creek 110 Zerostack Headset Best Buy Roc N Soc Nitro Throne Black

The First Warning Signs of Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be exciting or daunting, depending on the circumstances. Do you suspect you're pregnant? Below are some of the tell-tale first signs of pregnancy.

Most women mark the first missed period as the first sign of pregnancy, but a missed period can be caused by a number of factors. A large change in diet, exercise or stress level can also contribute to a missed period.

Motherhood

Some women experience spotting about two weeks after the first day of the previous period as the first sign of pregnancy. This spotting is caused when the fertilized egg implants in the uterus and is usually very light.

The First Warning Signs of Pregnancy

Mood Swings caused by hormonal surges early in pregnancy can be more severe than those experienced during PMS. Often this is the first symptom of pregnancy noticed by family members!

Breast tenderness and enlargement, caused by the breast preparing for breastfeeding is especially common during very early pregnancy, but often disappears after a few weeks. Darkening areolas, or the area around your nipples, occurs soon after conception and may persist throughout the pregnancy.

Fatigue is an early sign of pregnancy, but also a sign of many other conditions.

Nausea and vomiting, sometimes referred to as morning sickness, ranging from queasiness to severe vomiting that can manifest just in the morning (when hormone concentrations are highest) or all day.

Changes in appetite and food cravings often plague the newly pregnant woman and can occur early in the pregnancy right through delivery.

If you are experiencing any combination of these symptoms, and you suspect that you may be pregnant, try a home pregnancy test. These tests detect the level of pregnancy hormone (HCG) in your urine. If you test positive, you should make an appointment with your doctor to begin prenatal care!

The First Warning Signs of Pregnancy

Maria writes for Pregnancy Due Date, a site that tries to information for expectant mothers. For more great pregnancy articles, visit our Pregnancy articles archive.

watch mobile phone Buy Extra Containment Receiver For Ef 3000 Best Offer Cane Creek 110 Zerostack Headset

Catholic Celebrations Throughout the Year

Everyone is familiar with Easter and Christmas, but not everyone is familiar with the other important celebrations of the Catholic Church throughout the year. In this article, I will detail all of the important celebrations of the Catholic Calendar, as well as its unique features.

The holiest days in the Catholic calendar are called "solemnities". While there are many other feast days, these are considered to be the most important.

Motherhood

Note that the Catholic year begins at the beginning of December, not in January.

Catholic Celebrations Throughout the Year

The Immaculate Conception (December 8th): Like Eve, Mary, the second Eve, was conceived without original sin, according to Catholics. This feast celebrates her conception without sin.

The Nativity (December 25th): The Nativity or "Christmas" as it is usually called, celebrates the birth of Christ.

Mary, Mother of God (January 1st): This solemnity celebrates Mary's motherhood of God an early dogma reminding us of Jesus' humanity. It also celebrates Mary herself and her role as Queen Mother relative to Jesus' kingship.

The Epiphany (January 6th): This celebrates the arrival of the three magi in Bethlehem following Jesus' birth.

Saint Joseph (March 19th): Celebrating the husband of Mary.

The Annunciation (March 25th): This celebrates the announcement to Mary by Gabriel that she will give birth to Jesus. It also celebrates the incarnation in her womb, which Catholics believe occurred at this moment.

Easter (March-April): This celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. In fact, Easter is eight solemnities, starting with Easter Sunday and ending the next Sunday, inclusive.

The Ascension (40 days after Easter): This celebrates the ascension of Jesus to heaven after his resurrection.

Pentecost (50 days after Easter): Pentecost is Greek for "fifty", and is a celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the apostles ten days after his ascension.

Trinity Sunday (Sunday after Pentecost): This day celebrates the entire Holy Trinity and comes immediately after the Easter season.

Corpus Christi (Thursday after Trinity Sunday): This celebrates the body of Christ in the Eucharist, and is celebrated at the beginning of "Ordinary Time", once the Easter season is over.

Sacred Heart of Jesus (Eight Days after Corpus Christi): This celebrates Jesus' love for humanity, which is perfectly manifested in his sacred heart.

Birth of Saint John the Baptist (June 24th): The birth of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated with its own solemnity. Curiously, there is no solemnity of John the Baptist, just his birth. This comes from the tradition that, not only did John the Baptist's preaching prefigure Christ, his birth did too, which is why he recognized Christ from the womb.

Saints Peter and Paul (June 29th): It is sometimes joked that it is odd that neither Peter nor Paul get their own feast day. However, the purpose of putting them together is to recognize their irreplaceable roles in the founding of the Catholic Church.

Assumption of Mary (August 15th): The Assumption of Mary celebrates the taking of Mary by God body and soul into heaven.

All Saint's (November 1st): This is the day before which is "All Hallow's Eve". What it celebrates is all the saints in heaven who have not been declared as such by the Church.

Feast of Christ the King (Last Sunday Before Advent): This is the last Sunday of the year for Catholics, as Advent, the four weeks leading up the the Nativity, is the start of the Catholic Year. It celebrates Jesus' rule over all of creation.

Catholic Celebrations Throughout the Year

Francis Schwab has been writing online about matters of religion and philosophy for over a decade. He is currently working on a site detailing the art history of Wall Crosses, which can be found at http://www.wallcrosses.net/.

watches cell phone Best Buy Hobo Icu2T Timber Duck Calls Cheap

30 Birthday Wishes As You Turn 30 Years Old

I wish that you will be brave and always bold
So you can arise and pursue your passion
Putting feet to your faith and taking action.

I wish for you self control which leads to success
As you harness yourself to be your personal best.

Motherhood

I wish that you will be still and quiet your soul
When restlessness, disillusionment, and discomfort
Seek to trouble, torment you, and take control.

30 Birthday Wishes As You Turn 30 Years Old

I wish that you will know the power of words
Before you carelessly open your mouth to speak.

I wish for you freedom from opinions and fear
So when others critique, criticize, and draw near
There words will not carry weight, nor will you hear.

I wish for you spiritual sensitivity and divine identity
So you will inwardly know who you were created to be.

I wish for you humility, godly character, and stability
So within you can possess peace, patience, and tranquility.

I wish for you an endless amount of quality and caring friends
Who will support, under gird, and be with you until the end.

I wish for you determination and discipline to fulfill your dreams
Beyond merely identifying your desires, but make them a reality.

I wish for you self-confidence, so that whenever you walk alone
You can pioneer a new path to the Promised Land for your own.

I wish you all the blessings of heaven and earth in the new birth
As the blessed Holy Spirit within, awakens you to your divine worth.

I wish you the utmost brilliance, ingenuity, and clever creativity
To work through every challenge, struggle, and unexpected difficulty.

I wish you unconditional love from above to push past bitterness
To give, forgive, and live large so that you will always be blessed.

I wish that you live fully present and always enjoy the moment
Before it passes you by and you later look back with regret and cry.
I wish for you liberty so you can express yourself freely
And as a woman mature, progress, and fully evolve to be
The woman that God made in His image and stunning glory.

I wish you happiness when that intangible quality seems illusory
Remember ideally happiness is discovered and cultivated inwardly.

I wish for you family and laughter with all of their immense peculiarity
For in the heart of God dwells variety the spice of life with diversity.

I wish for you enriching motherhood in its God ordained proper time,
That as a parent you dwell content, nourish your offspring, and be sublime.

I wish for your professionally ongoing success and freedom to transition
When your desires change and your life you wish to modify and rearrange.

I wish for you adventurous travel so you can fully see the wonderful world
Touching and uplifting people across the globe your God gloriously made.

I wish for you delicious cuisine known and unknown across the international landscape
So you can taste and see that God is good, a loving heavenly Father, always providing.

I wish for you wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so you can be enlightened
Possessing insight for yourself and others to facilitate transformation and miracles.

I wish for you rewarding respect and submission to God given authority
Knowing the protection it provides and blessing it brings to properly guide.

I wish for you intuitiveness, incredible instincts, business acumen, and verbal restraint
So you will perceive an opportunity, navigate toward it correctly, and negotiate skillfully.

I wish for you joyous music to fill your ears, delight your soul, and make you whole
Bringing you into sync with the divine flow, causing your heart to rest and truly know
All is well concerning you, as you relinquish your rights and let the Creator lead you.

I wish you the power to pursue, possess, and afterward be content and take rest
Rejoicing in the rewards of your labor, without belaboring ridiculous trivialities.

I wish you the ability to live free from comparison and mental contamination,
But to rather rejoice with others happiness and genuinely share it with them
Without being angry, envious, embroiled with bitterness, or jealous of them.

I wish for you life balance, a positive attitude, and willingness embrace the unknown
Therein are your unexpected surprises, future achievements, and life accomplishments.

I wish for you the ability to breathe, believe, and always receive above and beyond
What you ever thought could be, as you simply trust your Creator and cooperate fully.

I wish you endless celebrations and jubilation, as you enlarge your heart for the nations
Giving yourself to God's eternal calling; helping humanity, blessing families, and souls saving.

30 Birthday Wishes As You Turn 30 Years Old

Paul Davis is a life coach and wedding minister who officiates marriage ceremonies and vow renewals. Paul has been in ministry for over 15 years, blessing people around the world. He has traveled to over 50 countries and 6 continents having a worldwide impact.

As a relational coach, Paul's compassion for people and passion for transformation makes him very successful. His depth, understanding, experiential wisdom, and disarming sense of humor makes Paul a personal favorite of many couples. Highly celebrated and sought after, Paul has authored several books including Breakthrough for a Broken Heart and Are You Ready for True Love?

Paul's organization Dream-Maker Ministries is making a difference throughout the world building dreams, breaking limitations, and reviving nations. Paul's interpersonal and unprecedented experience engineering breakthroughs for individuals and organizations is revolutionary.

Contact Paul to officiate your wedding and more!
RevivingNations@yahoo.com
407-284-1705

http://www.itietheknot.com
http://www.PaulFDavis.com

Paul is the author of 14 books including Breakthrough for a Broken Heart; Are You Ready for True Love?; Adultery 101; and many more!

mobile phone watches Best Buy Roc N Soc Nitro Throne Black Buy Extra Containment Receiver For Ef 3000 Best Buy Hobo Icu2T Timber Duck Calls Cheap

Topics For A Parent Workshop

Let's face it--choosing the right topics for a parent workshop can successfully motivate parents to attend your events. If you are a counselor, educator, father or mother interested in facilitating a parent workshop that provides the tools for raising responsible, happy and compassionate children, then this article will help steer you in the right direction. Having been in the parenting education field for over a decade, I'm happy to share with you what has worked best for the participants in my parenting workshops. I also share some tips from moms across North America who have used my book When You're About To Go Off The Deep End, Don't Take Your Kids With You as a guide for their own study groups and workshops.

Today's Hot Parent Workshop Topics

Motherhood

Topics For A Parent Workshop

Here are the top 10 topics for workshops that parents want and need:

1. Self-care and balancing work and home

2. Developing self-esteem and confidence in children

3. Choosing an approach to discipline that works

4. Homework and music lesson challenges

5. Chores and developing responsibility

6. How to have a good marriage (or in some cases, a good divorce)

7. Bullying and how to foster compassion in children

8. Sibling rivalry and favoritism

9. Allowances and money

10. Temper tantrums, communication and conflict

If you are looking for dynamic, useful, fun topics for a series of parenting
workshops or parent study groups, I suggest checking out the following books:

- STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) by Dr. Dinkmeyer and
Dr. McKay

- Positive Discipline by Dr. Jane Nelsen

- My When You're About To Go Off The Deep End, Don't Take Your Kids With You
(a favorite with moms).

Ideas for a Parent Workshop Series

Below is an example of a fifteen-week course based on my book and successfully
used by many mothers' study groups. Each week of the course focuses on one
chapter of When You're About to Go Off the Deep End, Don't Take Your Kids with
You and covers the main topics listed below. Each chapter of the book ends with
a summary and suggested homework activities to make your role as facilitator
even easier.

Week 1: Could Your Approach To Motherhood Be Giving Your Grief?

How to choose the best discipline approach for you, why you'll want to
discipline without spanking, and how to receive the respect you deserve.

Week 2: How A Mom, Like You, Can Find Guilt-Free TLC

Why you don't want to be a mom who does it all, how to bust stress with simple
techniques easily, and how to manage your time so there's time left over for
you.

Week 3: "Get A Life!" - For The Sake Of Your Kids

How to reignite your own dreams, practical ways to have greater joy in your
life, and getting back into the driver's seat of creating your best life.

Week 4: How To Utilize Your Community to Raise Your Child Well

How to attract great friends, get the support you need, and the essential "life
trips" you'll want to take your kids on.

Week 5: Give Everyone In Your Home What They Want, Including You

How to establish trust in your home, how to run a family meeting no one will
want to miss, and simple family rituals that can connect the whole family.

Week 6: What Every Mom Ought To Know About Solving Sibling Rivalry

How kids from the same family can be so different, favoritism and what to do
about it, and the best way to stop sibling fights from driving you crazy.

Week 7: How To Get Your Kids To Do Their Chores Smiling

How to get the chores done without nagging, what are age-appropriate chores, and
a discussion about paying children for doing their chores.

Week 8: How To Boost Your Child's Self-Esteem 10-Fold!

How you can make or break your child's self-esteem, what are encouraging phrases
that you can immediately use to boost confidence, and the top 10 ways to
encourage your child.

Week 9: How To Keep Your Sanity In Times of conflict

What to do when you or your kids mess up, how to choose your fights wisely so
the entire family doesn't lose, and how to learn a special time-out that works
every time for children of any age.

Week 10: How To Give Your Child Choices That Won't Haunt You Later

How to use choices that inspire your children to want to be well behaved, how to
set effective boundaries, and how to say "Yes" to your children while still
getting what you want.

Week 11: Consequences That Save A Mom Time and Frustration

The two types of consequences that work to get the best from your children, how
to remind without nagging, and how to use teachable moments to provide your
child with wholesome values.

Week 12: How To Master The Tough Stuff From Tantrums To Sex

What to do when your child lies, how to get easily your kids up in the morning,
and how to motivate your kids to do their homework--and much more!

Week 13: Daring To Deal With Dads

How to forgive for the sake of your kids, how to support and motivate a dad who
is involved with his kids, and how to deal with a dad who just isn't there.

Week 14: Your Kid's Allowance - It's Just "Common Cents"

How to give allowances that teach life skills, how to stop being your child's
personal ATM machine, and how to delegate new money tasks to your kids that
naturally teach budgeting and appreciation for what they have.

Week 15: Is Your G-Spot A Big Part Of Your Life

How to bring spirit into your family, how to shrink your problems to a
manageable size, and how to rekindle your faith during the tough times.

Please note that you can easily make this 15-week course into a shorter workshop
series by combining chapters or by choosing to focus on topics that particularly
stand out for you and the group.

Whatever topics for a parent workshop you choose; make certain the event is
enjoyable (neither a therapy session nor a lecture). Get input from your group,
have fun and, together, enjoy learning the tools that can unleash the best
within your parent participants--so they can unleash the best within their kids.

Topics For A Parent Workshop

Kelly Nault, MA author of When You’re About To Go Off The Deep End, Don’t Take Your Kids With You inspires moms to put themselves first—for the sake of their children. She shares time-tested tools that motivate children to want to be well behaved, responsible and happy! Sign up for her free online parenting course here.

You are free to print or publish this article provided the article and bio remain as written and include a link to http://www.mommymoments.com as above.

© 2005 UltimateParent.com - All rights reserved.

mobile phone watches Best Offer Cane Creek 110 Zerostack Headset Best Buy Roc N Soc Nitro Throne Black

Teen Pregnancy - The Pros and Cons Of Abortion

Facing an unplanned pregnancy can be very difficult and scary for a teenager, and deciding what to do will be even harder. No matter what her political persuasion, it always comes down to a very intimate, personal decision that no teenager makes without some degree of emotional trauma. All of the options: abortion, or raising the baby, or allowing another individual to adopt the baby carry emotional pain and personal sacrifice.

Statistics

Motherhood

In the U.S., 'teen' abortion accounts for 19% of all procedures of this nature. The average age of those receiving abortions is dropping from 19 to 17. Over 50% of abortions performed annually are on women under the age of 25 with the ages of 18 and 19 accounting for the highest number performed.

Teen Pregnancy - The Pros and Cons Of Abortion

There are currently twenty-one states that require parental permission for a teen abortion and eighteen states that do not. There are also fourteen states that require a parental notification before performance of an abortion on a minor. The notification law requires that parents be notified, but permission of a parent is not necessary to go ahead with the procedure.

At this time in the United States abortions are legal. Teen abortion facts reveal that though the teen pregnancy rate has declined in the United States over the last ten years, the percentages have actually increased.

Teens are at higher risk for post-abortion infections such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and endometritis (inflammation of the uterus), which may be caused either by the spread of an undiagnosed sexually transmitted disease into the uterus during the abortion, or by micro-organisms on the surgical instruments which are inserted into the uterus.

Teens who abort are 2 to 4 times more likely to commit suicide than adults who abort, and a history of abortion is likely to be associated with adolescent suicidal thinking.

Teens who abort are more likely to develop psychological problems, and are nearly three times more likely to be admitted to mental health hospitals than teens in general.

Teens risk further injury or death because they are unlikely to inform parents of any physical complications.

The most common reasons a teenager chooses abortion are:

· Cannot afford a baby

· Doesn't want anyone to know she has had sex or is pregnant

· Doesn't want to be a single parent

· Her partner or parent wants her to have an abortion

· Not ready to become a parent

· She is too immature to have a child

· She was a survivor of rape or incest

· She or the fetus has a health problem

Medical Reasons For Partial-Birth Abortions- Medical conditions and indications may develop after the first trimester (12 weeks) of pregnancy that could threaten the mother's life and/or health. Late-occurring medical conditions can include:

· Heart failure

· Severe or uncontrollable diabetes

· Serious renal disease

· Uncontrollable hypertension (high blood pressure)

· Severe depression

Some of the consequences of 'compulsory pregnancy' or 'forced motherhood' (i.e., unwanted children) are as follows. The child:

· has more emotional handicaps

· does less well scholastically; is a low achiever

· is twice as likely to have record of juvenile delinquency

· is 4x as likely to have adult criminal record

· is more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs

· is 6x more likely to receive welfare between 16-21

· has poorer relationships with parents

· is at a higher risk to be abused or neglected by parents

Some of the disadvantages of going through with an abortion are:

· creates feelings of regret and grief

· does not give the child that is in the womb a chance at life, thus it is looked down upon by many religions

· having an abortion always lessens your chances for having children later in life

· teens who have participated in abortion repeatedly report feeling deceived by those selling abortions and become preoccupied with concern for 'God's judgment and punishment'

· the "would-be-mother" will always wonder 'what if' and may feel some level of guilt for the rest of her life about the child she could have had

Adoption vs. Abortion

With adoption:

· You usually feel positive about your choice

· You can have continued contact with your baby

· You will have plenty of time to plan you and your baby's future

· You will remember giving birth

· Your pregnancy ends with giving life

With Abortion:

· Abortion is final; you can't go back on your decision

· You may feel guilt and shame about your choice

· You will miss the opportunity to see your child develop

· You will remember taking a life

· Your pregnancy ends with death

Teens are more likely to make a snap judgment and try to cover up their pregnancy from their parents by having an abortion. Teens are also more likely to report having wanted to keep the baby, higher levels of feeling misinformed in pre-abortion counseling, less satisfaction with abortion services and greater post-abortion stress. Teens were also more likely to use immature coping strategies such as projection of their problems on to others, denial, or "acting out", than older women, strategies researchers speculate might become permanent.

Despite the fact that supporters without parental consent continually leave the spiritual devastation component out of the discussions, teen abortion facts tell us that teens who have participated in abortion repeatedly feel deceived by those selling abortions and become preoccupied with concern for God's judgment and punishment.

Teen abortion is an especially difficult thing to deal with, especially when having to possibly confront your parents and hoping that your partner will be supportive.

Teens are encouraged to involve parents in their decision to have an abortion, and most do have a parent involved. In most of these states, if she can't talk with her parents - or chooses not to - she can appear before a judge. The judge will consider whether she's mature enough to decide on her own. If not, the judge will decide whether an abortion is in the teen's best interests. In any case, if there are complications during the procedure, parents of minors may be notified.

Before a teenager makes decisions in haste, or as an attempt to undo a wrong, teens and parents on both sides of the parental consent debate should get the teen abortion facts and found out as much about abortion and post-abortion procedure complications.

If you are a pregnant teen, keeping your perspective at this time is critical. The most important thing to remember is that you do have a choice. There are three main paths: parenting, abortion or adoption.

Teen Pregnancy - The Pros and Cons Of Abortion

Mark Huttenlocker, M.A. is a family therapist who works with parents of strong-willed, out-of-control teens and preteens. If your child is out-of-control and you're at your wits end, then feel free to use Mark as your own personal parent-coach. Get permanent solutions to your child's behavior problems within 15 seconds from now by visiting his website: http://www.MyOutOfControlTeen.com

A Message from Mark-

"Dear Parents: For many years now I've been running a very successful "off-line" parent program, but I wanted to take it a step further. I wanted to reach out to parents worldwide and help them discover that there really is light at the end of the tunnel. That's when I came up with "Online" Parent Support (OPS). Since its launch in 2004, OPS has overwhelmed users and success rates have been phenomenal."

watches cell phone Best Buy Chippendale Fish Fork With Hollow Handle Best Offer Genuine Brake Band Best Buy Roc N Soc Nitro Throne Black

Surviving a Relationship During Pregnancy

Pregnancy. A time of intense hormones, unpredictable moods, rapid bodily changes, and high stress. Not exactly the ideal time to have relationship problems, especially with the future parent of your child. So how do you deal with it? In this article I will explain not only that, but how to keep yourself from falling into the pitfalls and traps of an intense or unhealthy relationship while pregnant.

Ideally, if you are experiencing a "planned pregnancy", you have discussed and worked on many of your relationship issues already. These could include but aren't limited to; communication, intimacy, trust, financial, and sexual problems. In this article, I would like to focus on only one, communication.

Motherhood

Obviously, if this issue was present before your pregnancy, it is going to be present and more troublesome during your pregnancy. With that said, how do you deal with this issue while pregnant, even if it is present to a lesser degree?

Surviving a Relationship During Pregnancy

First of all, there are what I call "predictable" , and "unpredictable" pregnancy symptom triggered behaviors in relationships. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not making excuses by saying that behaviors and actions are "pregnancy symptom" triggered, I am just explaining the facts. When you are pregnant you will generally experience, (although each woman is different), the following; morning sickness, low energy, sore back and joints, variable moods like increased sensitivity, loss of short term memory, increased/decreased sex drive, low self-esteem, strange food cravings, sore breasts, weight gain, irritable bowels, and an increased desire to sleep. These negative symptoms, will obviously effect how you interact and communicate with others. I suppose this was how the "moody" pregnant woman stereotype came into effect.

So, if you know for sure that these symptoms are going to happen, then you can better prepare for their effect on your psyche, and thus how you will choose to project their effects onto others (specifically your partner).

For example; if I feel a loss of energy coming on or like I just want to take a nap, I know for sure that I will not have much patience to make serious decisions. So instead of coming home and telling my husband, "Hey honey I'm ready to discuss the financial part of that remodel that you want in the kitchen." I say something like; "Honey, I just wanted to let you know that I'm not 100% today, it has been a rough pregnancy day, and I would really appreciate it if I could just go to bed. Could you make yourself something to eat?" What this does is avoid a "predictable" argument that would be the result from my "lack of energy and patience", during our discussion. Basically, the idea is that you are thinking ahead of the game. Planning for the worse. Sound pessimistic? Let me explain.

What if an "unpredictable" pregnancy symptom like spontaneous crying happens? What am I talking about? Well, sometimes pregnant woman get a sudden unpredictable urge to cry because they feel emotional. It could be triggered by something as stupid as a beer commercial, or as unrelated as a cool breeze. How do we deal with that? What if your partner is sitting on the couch as you start to cry? Let's say they don't comfort you at just the right moment, and in response you say something like; "You just aren't there for me, I have to do everything; carry this child, clean the house, and handle the bills!" Your partner begins to feel rejected and angry and the interaction spirals downward from there.

How could an "unpredictable" and "spontaneous" situation like that be avoided? Well, by doing what I call a mind, body, and soul check in. First of all when you are pregnant you need to take responsibility for your emotions and behaviors by constantly checking in with yourself. Ask yourself where you are at emotionally and psychologically. Rate yourself on a scale of one to ten. One being that you are feeling; tired, emotional, or insecure. Ten being that you feel; energized, happy, or excited about your pregnancy. Since you can go up and down daily in your pregnancy moods, you need to monitor yourself several times throughout the day. This way, when an "unpredictable" pregnancy symptom like constipation creeps up on you, you know that you are not going to be able to handle much on your plate. Your best decision in that instance, would be to avoid over stressing yourself. For example, limit the amount of things you do that day, get extra sleep, and avoid stressful discussions with your spouse.

There are other things in addition to monitoring yourself, in order to decrease your pregnancy symptoms like; exercise, naps, eating nutritional snacks, pampering yourself with a pedicure, or reading yourself positive affirmations.

In addition, it is really important to communicate with your partner and utilize him/her as a support. For example, ask him/her for a foot massage, words of encouragement, or if he/she could do one of your house hold chores for the day. If you don't ask, you won't get your needs met. Many pregnant women try to be Super Heroes and do everything themselves. It is just not reality. You are functioning on low gas in your tank, don't ride on empty it will not benefit you in the end!

Lastly, how you support your partner will make a difference in how you survive your relationship during pregnancy as well. Utilize "I" statements and "reflective listening". Your partner's needs will be different then yours during pregnancy. Remember, they don't "feel" the same as you do during your pregnancy-although people say they do experience some similar pregnancy symptoms. Your partner might be going through a whirl win of different emotions and feelings like; nervousness, uncertainty about being a parent, fear, worry and concern for you, financial stress, insomnia, eating disturbance , weight gain, and loss of previous identity. If you communicate with him/her and find out where he/she is coming from, it might help you support him/her better. This in turn will lessen the overall stress within your relationship and make your pregnancy a more positive experience.

Here is a quick communication exercise to practice with your partner. Sit next to each other and look into each others' eyes. Now pretend that you have switched bodies and you are the non-pregnant person, and they are the pregnant person. Take about a minute to answer the following questions as "the other person." Tell me about your pregnancy thus far; how many weeks along you are, how do you feel, what is partner feeling during your pregnancy? You will find this interesting being in the "other person's shoes", for a bit. After you complete the exercise, check in with each other. Were you accurate about each other's feelings and thoughts? If the answer is no, then you know that you have to work more on your communication.

Remember, pregnancy is supposed to be a beautiful time for a couple, but it can put a lot of strain on a a relationship. Working on your communication as a couple before you decide to get pregnant, is your best bet. But if you can't, start today, heck start yesterday! Good luck and remember, when in doubt and in the middle of what seems impossible argument, laugh! Have a happy and healthy pregnancy.

-by Andrea Guzman, LMFT

Surviving a Relationship During Pregnancy

Andrea Guzman, LMFT

Hello, I'd like to welcome you to visit http://www.mommie2be.com Our site caters to "soon-to-be" or "first-time" mothers who discover that the rewarding experience and expectation of pregnancy and childbirth can also be a little challenging. Our site is meant to be a forum for those individuals who desire to explore and share their new world of pregnancy and early motherhood.

Our goal is to collect advice, tips, and opinions stretching from the newly experienced mother all the way to the classified expert. We ultimately hope to create a complete "one-stop," online environment that discusses all aspects of pregnancy and earlier motherhood candidly and honestly.

Please enjoy our site and don't forget to visit and comment in our forum. More to come soon.

watches mobile phone Best Buy Hobo Icu2T Timber Duck Calls Cheap Buy Extra Containment Receiver For Ef 3000 Save On Surgex Sx1115 Rt Surge Eliminator And