Check out our November newsletter!
The Bledsoe Firm JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551 NOVEMBER | 2023
MASTER THE TEENAGE TRANSITION
How to Set Yourself and Your New Teen Up for Success
Learn how to communicate. This is arguably the most challenging aspect of the teen years for parents. The way your child thinks and
The teenage years are one of the most challenging moments in life for kids and parents alike. As children enter their teens, they face many physical and mental changes to adapt and adjust to. They’ll experience changes in their mood and thought processes. They may lose interest in activities they’ve always enjoyed and will begin to seek more freedom. This stage isn’t easy, and as parents, it’s difficult to sit back and watch our children grow into young adults. We want to set our children up for success as they enter their formative years, but I’m sure we can all remember from our time as teenagers that parents and teens rarely see eye-to-eye. We want to give them guidance and point them in the right direction at a time when they’re yearning for independence. This can be an incredibly frustrating situation that often leads to disagreements and arguments. Fortunately, there are strategies that parents can implement to help make the transition into teen years easier for everyone involved. Give your teen the independence they crave. When your kids are young, they depend entirely on you for everything. As they grow older, they want to do things independently in their preferred manner. Don’t be afraid to give your child some freedom. Start with small steps like allowing them to walk to a friend’s house in the same neighborhood or leaving them at home while you go to the store. You shouldn’t let them travel out of the country without you, but with time, you can move on to bigger steps.
speaks is changing. They probably won’t respond well if you continue talking to them as if they were a little kid. As your child
approaches their teenage years, try to be more open with them and listen to everything they tell you, from their opinions to what’s happening at school. If you start this practice early, they’ll likely remain open with you as a teen. Now is not the time to tell your teen what to do during every moment of every day or start conversations with the sole intention of making a point. Have honest conversations with your children, and your relationship will strengthen with time. Pick your battles. Almost every day will bring new challenges to your life and your teen’s life. They are going to perform some actions and behaviors that you don’t necessarily agree with, but you have to pick your battles just like you did when they were a toddler. They could have a messy room, leave towels on the bathroom floor, or forget to wash their dishes. Before you confront them, decide if this is a battle worth waging. Let it go if it’s a simple fix, but if it becomes a repeated behavior, it’s time to have a conversation with them. If you start arguments over everything you think they could do better, your relationship will suffer, and they might stop listening to you. Stay positive and allow yourself some grace . Any parent of adult children will tell you how difficult this time was for them and their children. You’re not alone in this battle. As long as you stay supportive and do your best as their parent, everyone will come out on the other side stronger and unscathed. Don’t beat yourself up or get discouraged if your teen starts an argument with you or gets into trouble. Transitioning into the teen years is rarely easy, but that doesn’t mean it has to be complicated. Use some of the strategies above to give yourself the best advantage! —John Bledsoe
1
JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551
INJURY-FREE RUNNING
Boost Your Child’s Cognitive Skills With Origami
Improve hand-eye coordination. Origami also helps younger children better understand spatial concepts such as measurements, shapes, and directions. Studies show that origami helps children improve their dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and spatial reasoning skills. Encourage a mathematic mindset. The shapes and measuring involved in origami are also an incredible way to implement geometric concepts, terms, and formulas. For older kids, you
If you’re looking for a family activity requiring minimal supplies and effort, origami should be next on your to-do list! Origami might seem too challenging or even not stimulating enough for children, but there are plenty of accessible and delightful shapes to keep your kids endlessly entertained. Plus, they won’t be able to stop themselves from filling your home with paper swans, dragons, and more!
Not only is origami a simple activity that just requires paper, but it also offers a variety of benefits to children and adults alike. Discover how origami can boost your family’s brains and the perfect way to start folding! Practice patience and mindfulness . No running, jumping, or yelling involved. Children can partake in a soothing activity requiring their undivided attention when practicing origami. Origami is even considered a form of focused attention meditation, which involves concentrating on a single object to induce a relaxing state. Calmly focusing on folding a piece of paper into a unique shape requires you to be present in the moment and can be a fantastic way to introduce mindfulness to your family.
can make origami a geometry lesson! Use different geometric formulas and apply them to various paper shapes. This will help students better visualize and understand these mathematical concepts.
Get started. There are endless resources online or at your local library to create age-appropriate origami activities. While you can purchase special origami paper, you can also use standard paper and scissors to cut
sheets into the proper size. Fill your table with a rainbow assortment of colored papers and let your kids pick the origami shape of their choice. Before you know it, origami rabbits and birds will be lining your shelves!
WHEN LOVE TURNS SOUR
HOW HARASSMENT COULD IMPACT YOUR DIVORCE
Sometimes, a spouse’s behavior becomes intolerable, crossing into the territory of harassment. When this happens, you do have recourse. Harassment can include a wide range of abusive or disturbing behaviors. This could include threats, stalking, destroying property, and calling multiple times with the intent to annoy or disturb you. It isn’t confined to physical or sexual violence. In some instances, a spouse may even attempt to harass their ex through litigation. We’ve seen plenty of cases where an angry spouse tries to file a bunch of superfluous motions just to cause their ex stress or to rack up legal fees. Fortunately, California courts don’t stand for this kind of behavior. Using the court system to abuse or punish a spouse is known as being a “vexatious litigant.” According to the California Code of Civil Procedure, judges may institute a wide variety of sanctions against a vexatious litigant.
Understand that harassment is against the law and can open the perpetrator to criminal charges. These charges aren’t always as easy to handle in criminal court. This is one reason why a restraining order can be so valuable. Police can intervene based on violations of the terms written in the order. This is easy to demonstrate and doesn’t rely on scant evidence and subjective accounts. Restraining orders have several impacts on the divorce process. It will play into certain custody implications and may even play a role in the division of marital property. For example, if a restraining order removes one spouse from the other’s home, the spouse who stays might end up keeping the house. In cases where the victim’s life is in danger, these remedies can help protect the children and the victim. Some people use harassment charges to get the upper hand in their cases. This isn’t a good strategy if you’re the one making false accusations because it can backfire. If your ex accuses you of harassment, you’ll need a great deal of help from your divorce lawyer.
2
W ord S earch Ballot Cornucopia Cranberry Districts Maize
Divorce is complicated and emotional. It is easy for the high emotions of a divorce to transform into vindictive and unkind actions. When couples become passive-aggressive, cruel, and uncompromising, the outcome of your divorce suffers. When it comes to divorce, there is a clear distinction between being tough or strategic and being unkind. Ultimately, it pays to get along during your California divorce — here’s why. Nasty words lead to resentment. It might feel good to send an angry text to your ex-spouse, but doing so is not beneficial. Upon reading those messages or listening to an angry voicemail, a former partner will likely feel attacked, defensive, and upset. These emotions don’t create compromise. You can actually receive much more from the divorce regarding assets, custody, and alimony through amenable and strategic decisions than through force and cruelty. Your divorce will be more efficient. When you and your spouse act amicably, documents are filed faster, decisions are made more easily, and the court can adjudicate issues more smoothly. However, this doesn’t mean you must agree with each suggestion or point of negotiation with your ex-spouse. We’ll help you handle disagreements or discrepancies in a manner that serves your best long-term interest and saves you time. Staying kind will save you money. The average divorce in California costs $22,200 or just over $26,000 if child support and custody issues are involved. However, there are California divorces where the cost climbs into six figures and beyond. Divorce becomes an expensive proposition when it drags out over months or years — and the leading reason for a long divorce is bad behavior by one or both spouses. Your children will notice the state of your relationship. A long-standing cliché says divorcing spouses should continue to “get along for the kid’s sake.” This cliché is quite accurate. If children are involved in your divorce, the ability to get along and “play nice” becomes even more critical, as the kids will notice how your relationship with an ex-spouse evolves and realigns. It will not only shape their view of the divorce but form long-term opinions about you as their parent. IS IT IMPORTANT TO GET ALONG DURING YOUR DIVORCE?
Pilgrim Politics Raking
Shopping Stuffing Thanksgiving Veteran
TASTY APPLE PIE
INGREDIENTS
•
2 9-inch unbaked pie crusts 6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
• • • •
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
•
2 tbsp butter
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 F. 2. Place 1 pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate.
3. In a large bowl, combine apples, cinnamon, sugar, and flour. 4. Spoon mixture into pastry-lined pie plate and dot with butter. 5. Cut remaining crust into 1/2-inch-wide strips, then arrange strips in a lattice design over top of pie. 6. Trim, seal, and flute edges. 7. Bake for 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
3
JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551
23101 Lake Center Drive • Suite 310 Lake Forest, CA 92630
Inside
1
Strategies to Make the Teenage Transition Easier
2
Paper Folding Fun for All Ages Harassment’s Role in Divorce
3
The Benefits of Staying Kind During a Divorce Tasty Apple Pie
4
Rick Springfield Reveals His Secrets to Staying Fit at 73
ROCK STAR RICK SPRINGFIELD’S FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH THE POWER OF FITNESS AND GOOD NUTRITION AT ANY AGE
He’s how old? Rick Springfield continues to shock the world with just how incredible he looks at the age of 73! The ‘80s rock star and “Jessie’s Girl” singer has recently released a new album, “Automatic,” and has shown that he still keeps up with his healthy lifestyle. So, what’s Springfield’s secret to a toned body at his age? The musician revealed the not-so-secret key to his excellent health: daily exercise and a nutritious diet. Springfield recently explained, “I work out every day. I just got a trainer and have been working with him. Basically, I watch what I eat, and I try and stay active.” Sounds simple, right? Springfield was a proud vegan in the past but has now shifted to a pescatarian diet. Despite feeling healthy, many people around him stated that the singer looked unhealthy and too thin. “A friend of mine came up to me and said, ‘Are you okay?’ I got so thin. So I had to put fish back in [for protein].”
He also made it clear that he is in no way a home cook, but his wife is the one who keeps him well-fed! Springfield shared that he is extremely grateful for his wife, Barbara Porter, who loves cooking and always comes up with the best recipes for him. Apparently, the singer was never that great in the kitchen! He said, “When I was a bachelor, I’d make a big pot of brown rice, chop up an onion and put that in the rice with a can of tuna. I’d have that, a baked potato and salad, and live off that for a month. Barbara comes up with these incredible things. She loves cooking.” While Springfield may have a personal trainer and talented spouse, we can all still learn from his dedication to his body and health. Ultimately, a healthy diet and exercise routine is the simplest (but not the easiest) way to our best health!
Photo credit: Wikimedia commons, Justin Higuchi
4
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator