KIDS AND TEENS - 1

Kids and Money - Why Is It So Hard?

I. At the teen summer camp, SuperCamp, we teach teens the Four-Part Apology, a very effective communication tool with friends, family, fellow students, even teachers.

Apologize with These Four Steps and Heal the Damage

Take these four steps when you’ve wronged or hurt someone, or when you’ve made a mistake significant enough to impact someone else. Here's an example of a response to a friend who is upset that you've cancelled plans with her on a few occasions.

• Acknowledge: Take responsibility for what you’ve done. Use “I statements” to show that you’re the one behind the action: “I acknowledge that I've canceled our plans at the last minute more than once and that this is upsetting to you.”

• Apologize: “I apologize for hurting you by wasting your time and making you feel unwanted.”

• Make it Right: Ask, “How can I make it right?” If the person doesn't have anything specific in mind, offer something to make up for what she missed when you cancelled. “Why don't we do out for dinner next Saturday?”

• Recommit: Show that you’re following a plan to keep the upset from happening in the future. “From now on, if I make plans with you I won't cancel them unless a real emergency comes up.”

The words “I apologize” are much more powerful than “sorry.” How often have you heard a nonchalant “I’m sorry” or just "Sorry" as if that would fix everything. At one of the schools where our Quantum Learning methods are used, the principal caught a young grade-school child doing something that was against the rules. When the principal spoke to her the girl mumbled a casual “Sorry.” The principal said, “You know, Elizabeth, in this school we use a Four-Part Apology.” The little girl replied, “Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.” I guess she hadn’t quite learned the process, but she did get a laugh from the principal.

The power of the Four-Part Apology lies in its ability to demonstrate that you’re taking responsibility for your actions. When the people in your life realize that you’re willing and able to do that, they’ll be more open and trusting with you—and your relationships will be better.

Clearing the air with the Four-Part Apology relieves tensions and feels great. It releases positive energy and creates synergy, especially if it’s tension that’s been festering for a long time. In the light of clear, positive communication, even long-standing miscommunications can be resolved. People whose relationships have faltered for years can get back on track when they apologize with this level of responsibility.

II.Freeware Games And How To Find Them.

There are lots of different ways to have fun. A lot of what you choose depends on where you are in life, old or young. Today's youth enjoy computer-based gaming. There are many choices. Some of the games can be expensive, and gaming firms are getting a large portion of the spending money of the kids purchasing the games. Luckily, there are also a lot of freeware games. Game enthusiasts have made this a popular, and much cheaper, alternative for kids. A kid can download the game and play it with no charges involved.

So what's in it for the people who put these games online for free? Most of these individuals are enthusiastic gamers who simply love to develop and produce new and exciting games. Freeware is simply a way for them to get their product out there are share it with likeminded others. It's sort of an "open mic night" for video games.

Furthermore, freeware games often serve as a means to display their grudges against the developers of proprietary games. Say if a gaming enthusiast believes that some feature of a popular proprietary game is not up to the mark, he will try to build a game with similar objective and playing rules with the improved feature that was missing in the original proprietary game.