For kids and youth

Attitude to one’s own physical appearance

Although we are basically social creatures, experience of being rejected or excluded by the social environment may lead to withdrawal or avoidance of future social interactions aiming at protecting from or preventing possible negative experience.

Puberty In today's culture of life, physical appearance is one of the most important attraction determinants among people. It plays an important role in creating the image and impacts on the quality of social interactions and development of relationships. Therefore people are very concerned about their appearance in the initial social encounter. They also have expectations about whether they are going to be accepted or rejected, based on their appearance.

Published: 01.05.2012. | Read more >

What can change after parents have divorced

They may be sad, confused, edgy.. but they are still your parents, they still love you very much.

When parents are divorcing You will most probably live with one of your parents. It may happen that you stay in the same home and one of your parents moves out. It may happen that you and one of your parents move to another flat or a house. The parent with whom one does not live most often has regular contacts with the child. They spend certain days of the week, weekends and holidays together.

Published: 15.04.2010. | Read more >

Organising and planning your time

Free time Have problems with organising and planning your time? Forgetting? All too busy all the time? Here are some ideas which may help:

Published: 16.04.2008. | Read more >

How to manage your pocket-money

Although you may feel tempted to spend all the money at once, think about when you will get it again.

Free time Parents believe that you are mature enough to manage your pocket-money and independently decide whether to save or spend and what to spend it for. Try not to betray their confidence by spending your money for something that is harmful for you or something that they would never buy you.

Published: 16.04.2008. | Read more >

Violence in youth relationships

Violence in youth relationships relates to violent behaviour aiming at control, power and intimidation.

Violence Everybody has the right to a relationship where mutual respect, trust, appreciation and non-violence are being developed. What if it is not so?  Sometimes we recognise the behaviour and actions of the person with whom we are in a romantic relationship as attachment and passionate love, while they can in fact be signs of jealousy, possessiveness and control.

Published: 16.04.2008. | Read more >

You are 12, 13, 14… ?

Puberty You can notice puberty, i.e. anatomical and physiological changes daily by looking in the mirror or listening to your friends' commentaries. Adolescence is more complicated. We will try to describe it in a few sentences.

Published: 16.04.2008. | Read more >

What is important to know about the Internet and the chat room

Tips to protect yourself from unpleasant experience in the chat room

Free time What is especially attractive to the youth is that the Internet enables anonymity, which is impossible to achieve by any other means of communication. This anonymity liberates and induces people into communicating more intimately than they would do it in personal contacts, which means that anybody can figure as whoever and be what they want to be.

Published: 16.04.2008. | Read more >

Bullying

You can not change a violent child, but you can tell an adult who you trust.

Violence If you have problems at school, like if somebody is provoking, teasing or punching you, if somebody is taking your personal things, talking rudely or is sneering at you, here are advices what you can do to protect yourself:

Published: 16.04.2008. | Read more >

UN convention on children

Croatia adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992. It means that our government must ensure that every child enjoys all the rights in the Convention.

For kids and youth Do you know you have rights? Do you know there is the Convention on the Rights of the Child? Your rights are what you may do and what those who are responsible for you must do so that you can be happy, healthy and safe. You also have responsibilities towards other children and adults so that they have their rights granted.

Published: 15.04.2008. | Read more >

Meaningful learning

Learning employs many brain functions and you can expect to feel fatigue due to learning.

School Sometimes children have difficulties with doing their homework and learning. Sometimes learning can be a real ordeal. You are not motivated, you cannot remember anything, you do not understand what you are learning or its boring… Something more important than doing your homework, which often takes too long, pops up. However, do not get discouraged, because there are ways to help yourself and finally start learning meaningfully.

Published: 15.04.2008. | Read more >

A parent places a child in the middle when the child is asked to be a carrier of adult messages, asked to keep secrets, or asked to serve as a spy in the other household. When a parent trashes the other parent to the child, half of that child is being trashed also. Such issues take their toll on a child's self-esteem and sense  of well-being. Any movement along the continuum from conflict to cooperation, no matter how small, is a move to benefit the child.

Good to know From the Book: Working with high-conflict families of divorce