Posts Tagged ‘Real World’

Dating as a Single Parent: Online Dating Safety

Thursday, August 7th, 2008
parenting
Billy Baker asked:


nline dating for single parents gone through the roof? Mainly because there are so many things to juggle such as sleepovers, visitations, schedules and more. Then we have the costs of pursuing the potential partner. I’ll stop there because just those points alone explain why online dating for single parents is here to stay.

However, just as with dating in the real world, there are very real safety issues that you should consider before embarking on a cyberspace romance with your new soul mate. You may well be a responsible parent, but that does not make you immune to internet dangers. Follow these sensible precautions to ensure you find yourself an online romance and not a cyber stalker:

* Phone numbers. There is a very good reason why dating sites recommend not giving out your phone number too soon. Depending on where you live, vast amounts of information can be obtained from your phone number. If the friendship goes belly up do you really want to have to change your numbers because you are being annoyed by some deranged stalker? Do you want them annoying you at work? Be honest, would you hand over your telephone number to a complete stranger you weren’t sure of in a bar? At least you have actually seen first hand the stranger in the bar.

* Financial situation. If you are wealthy, lucky you. Don’t go advertising it while online dating though. Just like the real world there are also plenty of other single parents who would like to hook up with some extra cash. Be careful what you divulge. Careless details about expensive vacations and similar may well be giving away too many clues initially. Do you want to be liked for you or for your cash? There are plenty of unscrupulous individuals masquerading as singles who are looking to prey on singles with money.

* Personal details. Beware revealing your strett address and phone number too earlier in communications. A sensible potential partner will understand. If you live in a small town be wary of inadvertently mentioning you work for the baker or live in the lilac shingled house. It won’t be too hard for the other person to suss you out if they wanted to.

* Protect your children. Sadly, there are some pedophiles out there pretending to be single dads and moms to prey on your children. The fact that you are a single parent is enough information to start with. Be a little gender and age non specific when mentioning your children. You should become a little suspicious if there is more interest in your kids than you and it doesn’t matter how many children you have. Do not provide any photos of your children.

* First date safety. Just like your mother told you when you first started dating “Don’t be getting in any cars with strangers.” Just because you may see yourself as a parent first and foremost does not make you immune to dangerous strangers. When meeting up with new dates, do so in well lit public and busy places. Lunches can be good. Tell someone where you are going and with whom. Be sure to have a contingency plan in case your date turns out to resemble the motel owner from “Psycho”. Trust your instincts. If they creep you out, move on politely and quickly.

* Read the fine print. As with anything else you purchase over the Net, it is always a sensible idea to read the small print. Are there monthly fees? What do you actually get for your money? Will it cost you more to contact those you fancy? Is the dating site reputable? Using a credit card with legitimate sites is no more dangerous than using it in a retail store. There is information stating that today, it’s safer? Do your homework before handing over the plastic.

Single parent online dating can be an effective way for single moms and dads to meet a new partner. That siad, safety practice is not only important to you but you children too.

For the single parent looking for romance, single parent dating websites have many advantages. For those looking to save some extra time, this site reviews dating sites for you allowing you to select the one that is best for your needs.



Justin

New Methods And Positive Parenting Techniques

Thursday, July 24th, 2008
parenting
Ann Marier asked:


As parenting continues to evolve, new methods of positive parenting are always being developed. Every generation that ages begins to apply new ideas. Currently there are new methods to help parents in raising children. Positive parenting is a way to correct kids without making the children feel down or stupid. One technique is to show a child the right way to do something and reinforcing that positive feeling. The child may fail at a task but the parent is reassuring and lets the kid try it again until they get it right.

Positive parenting works for many kids but there are some parents and kids that may not be able to accomplish this task. That doesn’t mean that the parent or child is failing. Remember, positive parenting will not work all the time. A parent can work at finding positive markers for their children. Look for things that a child responds to, then use that reinforcement in other areas of his life. What the parent is trying to do is to make a child better prepared for the real world that they will someday live in. Starting early in life can make this type of parenting ingrained in the child.

Competition in the Adult World

As ones children get older and they want to spread their wings and fly into the adult world, they can only take with them those things that the parents taught them. The marketplace of America can be tough on those not prepared. If a parent concentrated on only positive parenting, the child will be very disappointed. Not everybody wins in the real world; in fact, most of the time will be filled with disappointment. The difference is how the child reacts to negatives. Learning to cope with loss or negatives is what being successful is all about. Mistakes can change strategy into a winning plan.

If America’s top 100 successful people were polled, every single person would tell of more failures in their early adulthood. They might also say that the failures were what eventually made them successful adults. Positive parenting is a great tool for raising kids, but allow them to make mistakes with small consequences to learn that every action they do has a consequence. Sometimes the consequence is good and sometimes the consequence is less favorable. Teaching the child this will show them that life goes on even when they make mistakes or fail. Changing ones behavior is what makes them excel in the future.



Lucille