I’ve always thought that there’s an artist within everyone. At a very young age we’re all encouraged to pick up coloured crayons and start filling the inside of the dotted lines. It’s an avenue of expression, a pathway to enhanced imagination and it’s also a single stroke of the pencil. It’s good to draw inspiration from your surroundings, and those who are able to tend to feel their environment and then translate the inspiration into objects of aesthetic value.

Many artists prefer using craft supplies like clay (pottery), tiles, paints and metals to bend all these materials into shapes and paint them in colours which mean something. It’s not always easy deciphering what all the art work translates into but they’re mostly representative of the artist’s thoughts. Good artisans are those who, in my opinion, say a lot with minimal resources. Even a simple clay sculpture, which doesn’t need much – just wet clay and a spinning wheel – can be moulded into a statement.

I personally prefer abstract art which is a form of art open to interpretation. Mostly its paint based so you just need a canvas and different coloured paints to project what’s on your mind on the white. Splattering the paint, using brushes, stencils or other objects can be used to “blurt” out what needs to be said.

A college or high school diploma shows cultural achievements, representing the character of a person’s school. There are various makes of diploma covers there are those that are crafted, or created from paper. There are others that are padded or made with textured lightly with leatherette surfaces. However, there are the personalized covers that keep a person’s diploma clean and intact.

The diploma covers vary in quality, texture and even in size. There are numerous colors that are offered, there is the black, navy blue, dark grey many more different colors. The covers can be printed a name of one’s choice may even the school name. However, with the names written on the covers an additional fee is charged, for the black can be written with a silver color while the navy blue can use the gold.

The diploma covers come in various sizes and width, however there are those covers that hold more than one document and is able to hold two horizontal documents. With this covers one must purchase in advance two to four days earlier. They are easily found online with the varieties as well as the colors, how and where to purchase including prices.

Joe’s mother’s and stepfather’s intentions for him were pretty much the same as most parents. They wanted him to get good grades, go to college, and be happy. Their parenting skills differed though. His mother listened to him; she was empathetic and non judgmental. She allowed him to be his own person, make his mistakes and learn from them. His step father, Chuck, on the other hand was the authoritarian, and wasn’t able to hear what Joe wanted or needed. Screaming and yelling was the favored form of communication, and as a result the two are estranged. They have not spoken in over four years.

Children don’t come with manuals, so as parents we more or less do it the way we learned from our parents, as they learned from their parents, and so on. One definition of insanity is doing things the same way expecting different results. Kids are very observant; they pick up on what we say we believe and how we live by that. When our actions are in alignment with our values, kids will see it and have better role models. So in essence, who really needs to change, the parents or the children?

These are a few strategies to help parents begin having a stronger, more loving and open relationship with their kids.

1. Know thyself.

The first step is to know what your motives, desires, values and intentions are. Some question you may ask yourself to get started: What were the true reasons for having children? What do you really want for your child and why? Are they your dreams, goals and desires or are they theirs? When you discipline her, what is the real purpose? Is it being done from anger and frustration or love and compassion? Years later Chuck realized that his anger and loss of control was out of frustration at not being able to control his stepson. The feelings of loss of control were about his own life and frustrations, not Joes’s.

Knowing one’s inner most self can be take time, but with patience and practice, and an honest desire, it will pay off. You will see results not only in the relationship with your child, but in other aspects of your life also.

2. Develop better listening skills

Do you remember a time when someone listened to everything you were saying, hung on to every word with interest? You probably felt validated, safe and understood as a person and with it came trust. Now imagine how your teenager feels when you take time to really listen to him.

We all have listening skills to some degree. True listening is an art form that is rarely used. Usually we only hear the words that are being spoken but little else. Listening is like a muscle in the body; the more it is used and developed, the stronger it becomes. To start “hearing” your child, you must first be open to listening in a new way. Listen at a deeper level, not only to the words that are being spoken, but also to the “space” between the words. Listen to what is behind the words; observe her body language and the tone of her voice. Don’t assume that what you thought you heard is actually what she said. There are several ways of finding out. One is to mirror back what she said and second is be curious! Start asking open ended questions. Open ended questions are ones that are used to further qualify what was said or to find out what was buried a little deeper behind the words. “What happens next?” “Where do you go from here?” “What options can you create?” “How do you explain this to yourself?” These are just a few examples of questions you can use with your teenager. Never start a question with “why”. Using it implies a judgment that the decision your teen made was wrong. It’s an accusatory question and should be avoided.

3. Avoid “fixing a problem”

One of the most common traps parents fall into (especially men) is trying to fix a problem. Somehow we feel that our kids aren’t smart enough or creative enough to solve their problems. As human beings we are all naturally resourceful, creative and whole, and that includes our children! Trying to “fix” our kids problems only leads to anger and resentment on their part; it takes away their freedom of choice and their decision making abilities. For parents it can also lead to anger and frustration. How many times have we tried to solve his problems except he doesn’t take our advice? What happens? We get angry and think he doesn’t listen, he’s rebellious or he’s bad. Allowing him to make his own mistakes and learn from them is how he learns, they are opportunities for growth.

Part of the same trap that we fall into is our belief that our experiences and decisions we have made in a similar situation will somehow benefit him. Our experiences, thoughts, feelings and decisions were our own, something we had to learn. His thoughts, feelings, ideas and outlooks are his and his alone, not ours. If he asks specifically for your experiences, then feel free to relate it, but let him know it is his decision in the end to make.

4. Respect your children

How did you feel the last time someone told you they respected you? If you’re like most people you probably felt good about yourself. Respect is something we all need and want as people, to know that we are appreciated just for being alive. Teenagers are the same way. Notice how you treat your own teenager or teenagers in general. Respect can be shown in many ways from the words we use, our tone of voice, body language and how attentive we are when they talk. By just listening without judgment, condemnation or problem solving, we show respect.

The first thing to do is notice the qualities of your son or daughter and write them down. What about their friends or other teenagers you know? What qualities have you noticed in them? This doesn’t mean what they have or have not accomplished, i.e., good grades, coming home on time, doing well in sports, or staying away from drugs or alcohol. Notice what values were behind the decisions. Did she exhibit courage to stand up to friends who offered her drugs? Did he honor his values by coming home when he said he would?

David’s relationship with his 15-year old son Zack was not going well. They didn’t have the same type of close relationship David once enjoyed, and he missed the talks they used to have. Zack on the other hand complained that his Dad didn’t listen to or respect him or his ideas and opinions. David learned through coaching to start listening at a deeper level and find the qualities Zack exhibited. “When I started listening to my son without judgment I realized just how passionate he was about music,” he said. “I told him one day that I respected his dedication and passion for music and for the goals he had made for himself concerning a music career. When I mentioned I felt honored to have him has my son for who he was, his eyes lit up. I believe now we have a chance to reestablish the relationship we both want.” David’s decision to find his son’s qualities without judging him brought new hope to their relationship.

Second, start telling her every day that you respect her. Practice it in front of a mirror each morning until you get used to saying it. You will be surprised how much she will eat it up and in return she will start respecting you. She may look at you funny to begin with and it may be uncomfortable, but don’t give up. Your teen is worth it.

Kirk Kline is a trained life coach who works with teenagers on self esteem, goal setting skills and how to make positive choices in their lives. He also coaches parents on how to have the type of relationship they want with their kids, as well as how to coach them. Kirk lives and works in Orlando, Florida and will be relocating to the Atlanta area in July.

For more information, or to find out how he can help, go to http://www.risensuncoaching.com

Some of the advantages of a waterbirth are as follows:

Water creates weightlessness that will provide support and require less energy from the mother during the birthing process.

Warm water creates relaxation, which will mean less pain for the mother and a reduced amount of adrenaline and anxiety.

Waterbirths naturally decrease the blood pressure of the mother and the blood supply to the placenta is increased allowing improved oxygen to the fetus.

Immersion during labor will position the mother in such a way that the fetal decent is quickened.

A waterbirth will focus on the process of giving birth as a natural, wonderful event rather than as an illness that must be treated in a hospital.

The mother will experienced enhanced relaxation and have a minimal need for medical intervention.

The newborn will have an easier transition from the womb into his or her new world.

Waterbirths are less traumatic for an infant than a birth in a cold, bright hospital room.

If you are considering a waterbirth, speak with your doctor or midwife about the advantages for both you and your baby. There are a number of facilities that specialize in waterbirths.

Tiffany Washko is president of Jelly Bean Diapers – a cloth diaper manufacturing company, The Diaper Jungle, http://www.diaperjungle.com and Nature Moms, http://www.naturemoms.com.

After working several years in corporate healthcare marketing and public relations, she took time away to be a mother. This new pursuit lead her to a new passion, helping new moms make the decision to return to the basics and use cloth diapers and adopt a more natural lifestyle.