A Blue Ribbon For You - Who I Am Makes A Difference

A Blue Ribbon  For  You - Who I Am Makes A Difference

Ang Ala-ala Ni Tatay

Ang Ala-ala Ni Tatay

Napapanahon na naman na bigyan kahalagahan ang araw ng mga tatay. Lalong lalo na sa mga tatay na malayo sa piling ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. May natanggap akong isang email na kuwento ng isang anak tungkol sa tatay nya. Napakaganda ng story na angkop sa mga OFW family. Hindi nakasaad kung sino ang author. Maraming salamat sa kanya sa kanyang napakagandang talam buhay.

IKAW?

1980 ako ipinanganak. Tatlong taon bago pinatay si Ninoy Aquino at anim na
taon bago ang EDSA uprising. Taon ding ito nang nagkaroon ng malaking
krisis sa langis ang buong mundo. P24.00 ang palitan ng dolyar sa piso at
48 milyon na ang populasyon ng Pilipinas. Ito rin ang taong unang pumunta
ng Middle East ang tatay ko para magtrabaho.


Isang karpintero ang Tatay. Isang skilled worker. Malaki ang
pangangailangan ng bansang pupuntahan ni Tatay sa mga katulad niya. Sabi ng
Nanay mahirap daw ang buhay noong mga panahong iyon. Inabot na raw ang
bansa ng economic depression na galing sa Europa at Amerika. Kaya minabuti
ng Tatay na mag-abroad. Anupa't dalawa ang pinag-aaral niya at may bago na
naman siyang bibig na pakakainin.


Parating pinapaalala sa amin ng Nanay na "nagtiis kaming magkahiwalay ng
tatay ninyo para magkaroon tayo ng maginhawang buhay." Palibhasa'y parehas
galing sa hirap, kaya siguro ganoon na lamang ang pananaw nila. Uuwi kada
dalawang taon, tapos aalis na ulit pagkalipas ng dalawang buwan. Ganyan ang
pattern ng buhay ng tatay ko.


Pumutok ang giyera sa Middle East noong 1989. Doon ko unang narinig ang mga
salitang Operation:Desert Storm at Third Anti-Christ. Nandoon din si Tatay.
Isang beses lamang siya nakatawag sa loob ng tatlong taon niyang
pagkaka-stranded sa bansang iyon. Mabuti naman daw ang lagay niya. May
tirahan naman daw sila at husto sa lahat ng pangangailangan. Hindi naman
daw sila gagalawin sa giyera sabi ng embahada ng Pilipinas dahil hindi
naman daw sila kasali sa awayan ng dalawang bansa at ng pakialamerong
Amerika. Iyon naman pala eh, bakit ka pa rin nandyan?! Na-imagine ko na
lang tuloy ang Tatay na parang isa sa mga sibilyan na dumadaan habang
nakikipagbarilan ako sa larong Operation:Wolf sa SM City. Nang mahawi ang
mga usok ng giyera umuwi na ang Tatay. Wala pang isang taon ay nakita ko na
naman ang aking sarili na nakasakay sa arkiladong dyip para ihatid ang
Tatay sa Airport papuntang Middle East. Ikaw ba naman ang magkaroon ng
pinag-aaral na nurse, isang seminarista at tatlo pa sa elementarya.
Kailangang kumayod, kailangang kumita.


Kung tutuusin maraming na-miss ang Tatay sa buhay naming magkakapatid, lalo
na sa akin. Wala siya nang una akong magtalumpati sa entablado. Wala din
siya nang grumadweyt ako ng elementarya at hayskul. Wala siya nang una
akong nakipagsuntukan sa kaklase ko nang inasar ako nito habang binibigay
ko ang libreng plastic na singsing na galing sa cheese curls sa kaklase
kong babae. Wala din siya para turuan akong magbasketbol tulad ng ginagawa
ng mga kapitbahay ko sa kanilang anak. Wala rin siya para panoorin si Kuya
na contestant sa Student Canteen at ako naman para sabitan niya ng medalya
para sa mga math competition na sinalihan ko. Wala siya nang dumating ako
sa punto ng aking buhay, na siya ring kinakatakutan ng lahat ng katulad
kong nagbibinata--ang magpatuli. Wala rin siya para turuan akong maglanggas
. Wala siya nang kauna-unahang lumabas ang pangalan ko sa dyaryong
pang-estudyante bilang isang editor. Ipinagtabi ko siya ng mga kopya para
maipagmalaki sa kanyang pagdating. Wala siya nang una akong tumikim ng alak
dahil binasted ako ng dinidigahan kong babae. Wala rin siya nang sumubok
akong manigarilyo at itapon ito pagkatapos ng dalawang hithit pa lang. Wala
siya, wala siya parati.


Napansin ko na lamang na mas naiibuhos naming magkakapatid ang oras namin
sa labas ng bahay at sa eskwelahan. Ang Ate ay kagawad ng Sangguniang
Kabataan, ang Kuya naman ay matagal nang kinuha ng seminaryo, ang dalawa
kong kapatid ay may mga sarili nang kina-career at ako naman ay natutuon sa
aking pagsusulat.


Dumating ang isa sa pinakamasayang araw ng buhay ko, ang pagdating ng Tatay
at sabihing ito na ang huli niyang uwi dahil hindi na siya babalik ulit sa
abroad.


Makalipas ang ilang buwan, trinangkaso ang Tatay. Sabi ng doktor ay
overfatigue lang daw at kailangan niyang magpahinga. Pagkaraan nang ilang
buwan, na-diagnose na may tumubong tumor sa utak ng Tatay at malignant na
ito. Minsan naitanong sa akin ng uncle kong doktor kung nauntog ba ang
Tatay o nabagsakan ng mabigat na bagay sa ulo. Nahihiyang ngiti, kamot sa
ulo at isang "hindi ko po alam" lang ang naisagot ko.


Kung gaano kabilis na nadiskubre ang tumor niya sa utak ay ganun din
kabilis na binawi sa amin ng Diyos ang Tatay.
Habang pinagmamasdan ko ang Tatay habang mapayapa itong nakahimlay noong
burol niya, nahihirapang tumulo ang luha ko. Kung tutuusin, hindi ko kilala
ang taong ito. Siya ang tatay ko. Kalahati ng pagkatao ko ay galing sa
kanya. Pero kung tatanungin mo ako kung anong gusto niyang timpla ng kape,
kung allergic ba siya sa hipon na paborito ko, kung San Miguel o Purefoods
ba ang team niya sa PBA--isang malaking EWAN lang ang maisasagot ko sa iyo.
Noong bata pa ako, nasa abroad ang Tatay. Kapag nandito naman siya para
magbakasyon, mas malaking oras ang nagugol niya sa pag-aasikaso ng mga
papeles niya para sa susunod niyang pag-alis. Nang tumigil na siya sa
pagtatrabaho, ako naman ang abala sa mga reports, periodical examinations
at mga research works. Nang nasa ospital na siya, kahit makipagkuwentuhan
ay mahirap nang gawin dahil halos hindi na siya maintindihang magsalita
dulot ng chemotherapy.


Matagal nang patay ang Tatay. Minsan nabalitaan kong dumating na ang seaman
na tatay ng boss ko, pilit ko siyang pinauuwi nang maaga. Minsan ding buong
kawilihan kong pinagmamasdan ang isang kaibigan ko na nagmamadali dahil
baka masaraduhan na siya ng grocery. Kailangan niyang makabili ng
ingredients ng spaghetti dahil 'yun daw ang bilin ng tatay niyang
na-stroke. Minsan rin nang makainuman ko ang matalik kong kaibigan habang
binubuhos niya sa akin ang sama ng loob niya sa pagbabalik ng tatay niya na
malupit sa kanila nang mahabang panahon at ipinagpalit sila sa ibang babae.
Sa tingin ko lang, "Buti ka pa nga may Tatay pa." Syempre hindi ko sinabi
iyon sa kanya. Baka mamaya tanungin pa niya ako kung kanino ako kampi, kami
pa ang mag-away. Minsan din sinamahan ko ang kababata ko nang dinalhan niya
ng pansit ang tatay niya sa City Jail. Hindi naman sila nagtatanong kung
bakit ako ganun. Wala naman silang alam kay Tatay.


Maraming pagkakataon na nanghihinayang ako dahil masyadong maaga ang
paghihiwalay namin ng Tatay. Gusto kong sisihin ang Pilipinas dahil
napakahirap ng buhay dito. Sa Amerika ba may tatay na nangingibang-bansa
para makapagtrabaho lang? Naisip ko tuloy na sumama na lang sa mga
nagpipiket na mga migrante dahil alam ko tulad ko rin sila. Kadalasan rin
sinisisi ko si Saddam Hussein at ang Gulf War dahil kinuha nila ang tatlong
taon sa buhay ng Tatay. Sayang ang tatlong taong iyon. Nakalaro ko man lang
sana ang Tatay ng basketbol o di kaya'y naturuan niya akong mag-bike.
(Beinte anyos na ko nang matuto mag-bike).


Isa sa mga klase ko sa writing ang nagpasulat sa amin ng kahit ano tungkol
sa aming mga tatay, samahan pa ng larawan kung maaari. Bigla tuloy akong
nalito. Hindi ko alam kung anong tungkol sa Tatay ang isusulat ko.


Ikuwento ko kaya na isang Overseas Contract Worker si Tatay. Isang bagong
bayani. Nag-aambag ng malaki sa ekonomiya ng Pilipinas. Sabihin ko kayang
may larawan ng tatay kong may suot na hard hat na dilaw, construction boots
at may hawak na drill at kasama niyang nakangiti ang mga kapwa niyang
Pilipino with matching background na disyerto. O kaya ang larawan nilang
magkakababayan habang pinagdiriwang nila ang New Year at nag-iiyakan dahil
tinutugtog and Lupang Hinirang. Ang drama no?


Kuwento ko kaya na isang survivor ng Gulf War ang Tatay. Na natutulog siya
at ipinaghehele ng mga Patriot at Scud Missiles. Pakita ko kaya ang mga
remembrance ng Tatay na mga dull na landmines. Adventure naman ang dating
nito.


Kuwento ko kaya kung paano hindi nagpabaya ang Tatay sa pagbibigay ng
pangangailangan namin. Hindi kami sumasala sa pagkain, may magagandang
damit, maayos na tirahan at nakakapag-aral. Siya ay naging isang good
provider. Siguro isang malalim na buntong hiningang "Haaaaaay!" ang
ibibigay sa akin ng mga kaklase ko.


O di kaya'y dalhin ko ang picture ni Tatay habang kini-chemotherapy siya.
Ikwento ko din kaya na naging mabilis ang lahat ng mga pangyayari. Na
inoperahan siya sa loob ng walong oras at binutasan ang ulo niya. Na
nakalabas pa siya ng ospital. Pagkatapos ng isang linggo, agad siyang
namatay. Tragic naman ang approach ko nito.


Gayahin ko kaya ang kuwento sa telebisyon na tipong galit na galit sa mundo
ang anak dahil hindi ito nabigyan ng sapat na atensyon dahil inuna ng
kanilang tatay ang pinansyal nilang pangangailangan. Teka, hindi naman
totoo yon eh! Napaka-unfair naman 'nun kay Tatay.


Ikuwento ko na lang kaya ang isa sa mga magagandang alaala namin kay Tatay.
Apat na taon ako noon. Malinaw na malinaw pa sa alaala ko ang pangyayari.
Kadarating lamang ng Tatay pagkaraan ng dalawang taon. Nagkaroon ng
simpleng party sa bahay. Kainuman niya ang mga kumpare niya nang tumayo
siya at binuhat ako mula sa kuna ko habang pinaglalaruan ko ang bagong
matchbox na pasalubong niya sa akin. Inutusan niya ako na ikuha siya ng
beer sa refrigerator. Pagkakuha ko ng beer ay kinandong niya ako at buong
pagmamalaki na ibinida sa mga kumpare niya na natanggap na raw ako sa lokal
na Day Care Center dahil abot na ng kanang kamay ko ang aking kaliwang
tenga kahit idaan pa sa ibabaw ng ulo ko at matatas na ako magsalita at
madali raw akong matuto. Matagal din akong nanatili sa pagkakandong niya.
Mistula siyang bagong dating na hari na suot-suot ang kanyang korona. Ako
ang kanyang korona.


Kapag naaalala ko ito, napapawi ang lahat ng panghihinayang ko sa mga taong
kailangan niyang magtrabaho at mawala sa piling namin. Mga panahong kasama
ng mga tatay nila ang mga anak nila. Ito na lang ang isusulat ko. Bago ang
lahat, pupunasahan ko muna ang mga luha ko at ang patulo ko ng sipon. Baka
mapatakan pa ang keyboard ng computer at ang hawak kong picture. Picture ng
isang paslit na may hawak na bote ng beer habang kandong ng tatay na
kitang-kita ang kasiyahan sa mukha.

Isang Pagpupugay sa lahat ng mga ama na OFW sa buong mundo!

I Love You Dad!

I Love You Dad!

Kailan mo huling nasabi sa father na "I Love you to your Dad!"? My father was an OFW. Sa aking murang isip ay naroroon ang aking kasabikan sa kanyang pagdating mula sa ibang bansa. Madalas kong sabihin sa sarili ko na " Sana ay dumating na ang papa ko, na mimiss ko na sya." Kapag naandyan sya ay parang meroon barrier sa amin. Marahil ay narin sa age gap, conservative, sa kanyang trabaho or parehong kami lalaki. Sa mga sulat ko lang naiparating sa kanya ang mga salitang " I love you pa!"



Ng dumating ang kanyang retirement ako naman ang umalis. Naaalala ko nang huling kami nagkita, bago ako bumalik ng Saudi, pakiramdam ko ay meron syang gustong ipahiwatig sa akin. Noong umaga na pag alis ko tinapik nya ako sa balikat at nagpaalam na kami sa isat-isa. Sa mga sandaling iyon ay nakadama ko ng punong-puno ng pagmamahal sa amin dalawa. Gustong -gusto ko syang yakapin sa mga sandaling iyon. Sayang at hindi ko nagawa yun, dahil iyon na pala ang huli naming pagkikita.

Nagtrigger ang kanyang biabetis pagkalipas ng ilang buwan . Medyo lumubha ang kanyang kondisyon dahil na rin sa komplikasyon. Kaya nga't labas pasok sya sa hospital. Nang hihinayang ako kasi hindi ko man lang naalagaan si ama.

Ganun pa man ay nagpapasalamat ako kay Lord. Kasi ipagkalooban Nya ako ng isang mabuting maybahay at mga anak. Sila ang naging Super Proxy ko. Walang sawa na inalagaan ng Sweetheart ko si ama. Inaalalayan naman ni John at Angel ang kanilang lolo. Si Angel madalas din nya sinusubuan ang lola nya.Blessed po ako sa mag-iina ko dahil sila ang gumagawa ng mga trabaho na dapat ay ako ang gumagawa.

May mga insidente sa hospital na pumukaw sa puso ko. Minsan ay parang nawala ng konti ng ulirat si ama. Tinanong ng kapatid ko " Pa kilala nyo po ako, sino ako?" "Oo, si Jesus" sagot nya. Jesus kasi ang tawag nila sa akin. Umabot sa punto na hopeless na ang kanyang kondisyon. Muli siya tinanong ng kapatid ko kung pauuwiin na si Kuya. " Huwag na kawawa naman si Jesus" sa naghahabol nyang hiningang sagot.

Nang naikuwento ng aking Sweetheart ay halos maiyak ako. "Mahal pa rin pala ako ng papa ko" sabi ko sa kanya. Sa mga oras na yun ang balisang balisa ako. Kulang na lang na liparin ko ang Pinas. Nais ko mayakap si ama sa mga sandaling iyon at ipadama sa kanya ang aking pagmamahal. Kahit man lang sa huling oras ng kanyang pagtatakip silim. Kaya ipinaubaya ko na po sa kamay ng ating mahal na Panginoon ang buhay ni ama. Nakauwi ako ng Pinas at sya ay wala na.

Nagpapasalamat ako kay Lord na nagkaroon ako ng isang ama na katulad nya. Naging good provider saya sa amin. Hindi man kami naging showy at vocal ni ama, dahil siguro parehong kami Taurus. Ng mga panahon na yun ay naramdaman ko ang pagmamahal ni ama. Nawala ang mga barriers na nammagitan sa amin. Though miles we are apart but deep in my heart I believe na mahal nya kami.

I want to share this story to all fathers and sons around the earth. Huwag natin sayangin ang mga panahon na dumaan na hindi natin naipakita ang pagmamahal sa isa't isa. Hindi kabawasan ng ating pagkamacho ang maging showy sa ating ama or anak. Hawiin natin ang mga boundaries na namamagitan sa atin. What matter most is precious every moment while they are around.

I praise the Lord to have a wonderful father like him. Wala na ako masasabi pa sa kanya kundi:

Happy Birthday Pa!
&
I love you!

Is Your Child Flirting With A Pedophile?

Is Your Child Flirting With A Pedophile?
by Matt Marshall

If you think you know what your child is doing on the internet, you may want to think again.

Karen Berry's job was to work with kids who had been molested. She had all the proper training and she knew all the signs.

So before her son was allowed to use the internet, she purchased all the popular internet protection software. She checked on him frequently.

So how did her son end up as a victim of sexual abuse?



It all started quite simply. At 13, Justin Berry was a normal kid. He wasn't very popular and he was concerned about fitting in.

His internet provider sent him a free webcam for using their service. He placed a photo online in the hopes of finding a girlfriend.

Instead, he was flooded with inquiries from older men. At first, the requests were simple. One man offered to send him $50 bucks if he would take his shirt off. From there, everything went downhill.

Eventually, Justin Berry was stripping naked, masturbating and even having sex with female prostitutes in front of his webcam.

One man even tricked Justin's mom into sending Justin to a computer camp. When Justin arrived at the computer camp, the older man picked him up, took him home and molested him several times.

NOT an isolated incident

Authorities estimated that 1 in 5 children have been approached by online predators. And even the most vigilante parents can't protect their children 100% of the time.

Consider the case of Katherine Tarbox. At 14, she was at the top of her class. And she was molested by an online predator who she'd been communicating with for over 6 months.

The online predator never mentioned sex during their chat sessions. He played her confidant and friend, slowly winning her trust.

Turns out, Katherine was going to bed very early in order to wake up early and chat with this online predator first thing in the morning.

This serves as a prime example that you can't always be available to monitor your kids.

So what can you do? You can't always be there in person. Traditional internet protection software only blocks harmful websites and does NOT prevent online predators from contacting and chatting with your child.

To truly protect your child, you've got to be 100% aware of everything that your child is doing online. And the only way to do that is to fight fire with fire.

Some parents might not like the idea of knowing exactly what websites your child visits, knowing exactly what's being said during chat sessions and knowing exactly what emails are being sent.

But for those parents who do want to know and believe it's vitally important to stay 100% aware, there are now companies that offer sophisticated computer monitoring. This allows parents to be 100% aware of what their kids are doing online at all times.



Matt Marshall is the author of "Behind Your Back & Under Your Nose: What Your Kids Are Really Doing Online." He teaches concerned parents how to protect their kids from online threats. To get your free report, please visit http://www.WhatEveryParentMustKnow.com

Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.com

How Can I Talk to My Child About Alcohol?

How Can I Talk to My Child About Alcohol?

by Mark Peterson

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism gives some practical strategies for bringing up the subject of alcohol use with your child:


# Encourage conversation. Encourage your child to talk about whatever interests him or her. Listen without interruption and give your child a chance to teach you something new. Your active listening to your child’s enthusiasms paves the way for conversations about topics that concern you.

# Ask open-ended questions. Encourage your teen to tell you how he or she thinks and feels about the issue you’re discussing. Avoid questions that have a simple “yes” or “no” answer.

# Control your emotions. If you hear something you don’t like, try not to respond with anger. Instead, take a few deep breaths and acknowledge your feelings in a constructive way.

# Make every conversation a “win-win” experience. Don’t lecture or try to “score points” on your teen by showing how he or she is wrong. If you show respect for your child’s viewpoint, he or she will be more likely to listen to and respect yours.

# Draw the line. Set clear, realistic expectations for your child’s behavior. Establish appropriate consequences for breaking rules and consistently enforce them.

# Offer acceptance. Make sure your teen knows that you appreciate his or her efforts as well as accomplishments. Avoid hurtful teasing or criticism.

# Understand that your child is growing up. This doesn’t mean a hands-off attitude. But as you guide your child’s behavior, also make an effort to respect his or her growing need for independence and privacy.

Drug abuse used to be considered a moral failing, with addicts written off as willful and incorrigible. Today, teen drug abuse is more likely to be seen as a physiological disorder, a disease that can be treated and eventually conquered. Approaches to treatment for drug abuse vary, but people in treatment all learn how to change their behavior and reduce their cravings. Relapses are common, but people who stick with drug addiction treatment and can reclaim healthy, productive lives.

Drug addiction certainly can be treated. While drug abuse used to be viewed as being, at best, a weak, flawed person’s response to life’s pressures and temptations, today most professionals who work with teen drug addiction consider it a medical condition, on the same plane as diabetes or heart disease. And just as someone with diabetes or heart disease has to institute lifestyle changes and take medications, teens in treatment for drug addiction learn behavioral changes and often take medications as part of their treatment regimen. This change in attitude has helped boost hope for many teens and their families.

In fact, one of the reasons drug abuse is so prevalent is that many folks who need treatment for drug abuse don’t get it. The U.S. Department of Labor posted a report recently of one study showing that 47 percent of men and 41 percent of women in need of treatment for abuse of illicit drugs are not treated. Much of this gap between need and actual treatment comes from inadequate funding for drug abuse treatment and inadequate education about drugs and drug treatment.

There are many ways in which drug and alcohol addiction can be treated, and that treatment can lead to permanent recovery if the person fighting the addiction makes a real commitment to a treatment program and sticks with it. According to several studies, drug treatment reduces drug use by 40 to 60 percent, but, typically, only for people who stay in treatment for three months or longer.

Treatment for drug and alcohol abuse is a long process that involves not only recovery from the physical effects of substance abuse but therapy that allows drug abusers to understand the psychological and social roots of their addictions and learn new ways of coping. As much as they need to stop using, they also need to recognize the emotional triggers that can cause them to start using again. That’s why it’s important to choose the treatment program that best serves the individual needs of the recovering addict.



Mark Peterson has done a lot of research about behavior modification. Through his research he has compiled a lot of information about boot camps.


Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.com

How To Choose The Perfect Gift For The Girlfiend

How To Choose The Perfect Gift For The Girlfiend

Buying gifts for women is not always that easy, especially for the average male. Some women have everything they might seem to need, some claim to want nothing at all and some apparently have no idea what they want


Most men seem to have a particular blockage of thought when it comes to thinking up gifts ideas for women, and some are just downright inconsiderate. I know a man who bought his girlfriend a bunch of flowers from a petrol forecourt, a magazine and a chocolate bar as a gift for her birthday. After a heated argument it is unsurprising that they are not together any more. If you're going to be that thoughtless, expect the relationship to be over or the divorce papers to be in the post any day soon. If that is not bad enough, there are lots of examples of men buying domestic gifts and let me offer one piece of advice:

Do not buy her a domestic gift. Under no circumstances should something that is to be used in the house to be considered one of your gift ideas for her. Even women claim they would love a dishwasher as a gift will not want to receive one; let's be clear, no one wants the gift of domestic servitude for their birthday, Christmas or anniversary present. So, wipe your mind of all domestic gifts for her and start thinking of something special for the woman in your life.

So what type of gift should you buy her? Let us start at the beginning. You need to plan this in advance and the gift needs to be for her, not you. There are various levels of gift ideas for her.

Here are some suggestions:

Extravagant: The Car, the Holiday, the Diamond Necklace. Very expensive but leaves her with absolutely no doubt of how you feel about her. Avoid this one if you've only been on two dates. If she is important to you, this type of gift will knock her off her feet.

Intimate: Lingerie is usually found within this category and it requires that you know the women very personally. Lingerie is tricky for two reasons. First, if you get her size wrong, you can seriously dent her self-esteem. Second, if you are buying this gift for her, but really for you, do not expect her to wear it with pride. If you want to buy lingerie, go with classy, expensive stuff, no gaudy, brightly coloured stuff with holes in it.

Romantic: As far as romantic gifts go, a good bunch of flowers is always a nice thought although can be seen as last minute, cute teddy bears however are also a winner. If she does not like bears, cute photo frames or perhaps a piece of small but sweet jewellery can be a great idea. Romantic gifts do not have to be expensive, but romantic thought needs to be evident.

Thoughtful: Choosing her favourite perfume, or a new fragrance from the same brand will show that you've taken the time to think about this gift. The thoughtful gift always scores you points, whether it is a gift for your mum, auntie, sister, girlfriend, wife or any woman.
Never be stuck for gift ideas for her. There is all manner to choose from; hopefully this article gives men categories of gift ideas for her ensuring you will soon come up with dozens of ideas to win you brownie points.

About the Author:
Relationship expert Thomas Pretty looks how choosing gifts for her can sometimes be the hardest choice of all.Article Source:http://www.freearticles.co.za/relationships/how-choose-perfect-gift-girlfiend.html

How to Build Self Confidence in Teenagers

How to Build Self Confidence in Teenagers

Author: Sitagita.com

Teenagers have a lot to deal with. They have to withstand peer pressure, deal with adult expectations and rejections. It's natural that sometimes they are confused and discontented. This causes low self-esteem and a lack of self-confidence, which in turn causes depression, unhappiness, and insecurity among teenagers. Help him feel confident, even while emphasising the importance of good manners and healthy values.


Symptoms of a troubled teen:

* Performing badly in school, lack of concentration, and forgetfulness
* Remaining aloof, keeping away from friends and activities
* Feeling sad and hopeless
* Prone to quick bouts of anger and rage, or reacting strongly to criticism
* Being indecisive, restless, and agitated
* Changes in eating and sleeping patterns
* Substance abuse
* Having problems with authority

Take charge before the symptoms become too severe.

What to tell your teenager :

1. Face your fears. Once you face them, you will feel that they aren't as bad as you thought they were. Facing your fears will increase your confidence.
2. Forget past failures. Don't assume that just because you failed before, things will go wrong again. Look on your failures as stepping stones.
3. Reward yourself when you have achieved something. Self-help is always the best help. Learn to rely on yourself.
4. Talk to others. Don't come to hasty conclusions about a situation or a person. If you have any doubts or questions, clarify. Don't assume things.
5. Don't let failure defeat you. Accept it. Try something else. Everyone fails at some point in life.

AS PARENTS :

o Help your child to make new friends.
o Motivate your child to participate in sports.
o Encourage him to acquire new hobbies.
o Encourage him to keep a private journal. It will help him deal with his fears.
o Encourage him to do volunteer work. Help him get a realistic view of the world.

Provide him with strong family support.

1. If he comes to you with his problems, help him make the best of what he has.
2. Remember to mention his positive points and encourage every small accomplishment.
3. It is all right to exert a little pressure or promise of rewards to induce your child to perform. But, too much pressure can lead to rebelliousness or fear of failure.
4. It is better to accept your teenager for what he is. Be realistic in your expectations. Never focus on his weaknesses.
5. Finally, help him to get up on his feet again when or if he fails.

Show unconditional love towards your child. Let him feel cared for and wanted. Keep working at it continuously. All you need is a different approach

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/teenagers-articles/how-to-build-self-confidence-in-teenagers-593113.html

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How To Tell If A Girl Likes You: Easy Ways To Know If She Likes You

How To Tell If A Girl Likes You: Easy Ways To Know If She Likes You
By Michael Lee


Knowing how to tell if a girl likes you is a skill. You can find out if a girl likes you when she shows enough affection after you’ve dated a couple of times. But what happens if you want a quick way on how to tell if a girl likes you? Simple procedures can be taken to effectively make an accurate prediction.


The first approach is usually a key for continued follow-ups. If you sell yourself well in the first 10 seconds, you’ll know how to tell if a girl likes you.

Liking is based on connection. If the person connected with you initially, the second and third attempts for being even liked in higher levels are usually easier tasks, because of the way you sell yourself the first time. Of course, it still depends on the mental state and emotional stability of the girl.

If you’re wondering if a gothic girl would like you, and your habits correspond with the average guy, then you’ll have less chances of getting along with her.

You can easily predict and know how to tell if a girl likes you by knowing what type of personal lifestyle you’re having on a weekly basis. What kind of friends you have, and where you work, are simple deciding factors on being liked.

Usually if a girl likes you, she may mention some positive qualities in front of you and believe you have many admirable qualities like being funny, intelligent, or humorous. She may see you as a leader or as a great friend.

Being liked is about having a small piece of positive connection with your woman. But should you be worried and be conscious on knowing how to tell if a girl likes you?

You could answer that question when you are communicating or in the middle of a get together. One of the key suggestions will be to use your maturity and the best of your intelligence, while still keeping your childhood adventures from time to time.

It’s not difficult to have the personality that makes a girl itch and want to be around you. Just being yourself and fun to be around are simple ways of being accepted and liked. It works like a charm. And don’t worry too much on knowing how to tell if she likes you or not!

You can easily captivate the opposite sex using conversational hypnosis techniques. Grab 2 FREE controversial ebooks on how to make girls laugh while they're still available at http://www.20daypersuasion.com/laugh-secret.htm

Article Source:http://www.articles.co.il/article.php?id=188394'>http://www.free-articles-zone.com