VALENTINE’S LESSONS
TALKING TO YOUR ADOLESCENT ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS
With Valentine’s Day approaching, stores are filled with chocolates, stuffed animals, and cards for significant others. Love is in the air! Even though you may not realize it, your kids may also be feeling the pressure. Crushes, dates, and broken hearts are part of their lives, too, but they may struggle to talk with you about it. Thankfully, developmental experts have weighed in on how to approach these important and delicate conversations. No Laughing Matter Judith Myers-Walls, professor emeritus of child development at Purdue, urges parents not to treat their kids’ crushes as silly. We may know these early expressions of love aren’t that serious in the long run, but to an adolescent, the emotions are very powerful. "They are very easily embarrassed about those feelings,” Myers-Walls observes, “so parents and other adults should be respectful and not tease about those issues.” Rather than make kids feel ashamed of these early romantic feelings, let them know you’re there to talk to them about it. Respecting Others Dr. David Anderson, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, believes it’s especially important to talk to adolescents about
respecting boundaries. “One of the big lessons we want to be sending to kids at any age is that there are two people to consider,” he writes, explaining that adolescents tend to only focus on their own feelings and need to learn to consider how their crush may feel about them. This awareness might prevent them from overstepping someone else’s comfort zone. Respecting Themselves At the same time, kids and teens should know the importance of respecting their own feelings. Setting boundaries can be especially important when your child is confronted with an unwanted Valentine’s Day card or request for a date and feels pressured to reciprocate. “Boundary setting is imperative to learn during adolescence because it is a time of identity formation,” writes Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell in Psychology Today. “Healthy boundaries allow teens to feel respected, valued, and empowered to build positive relationships in their lives.” It also helps them handle uncomfortable social situations with grace and maturity. Crushes and first dates are a part of growing up, as is learning how to contribute to healthy relationships. Much like a first step or learning to drive, patient, loving parental support makes all the difference.
“When I called [Cherokee County Jail], I spoke with a supervisor who spoke to me as if I was aware that my son had died that morning. It was really strange to me. I asked, ‘What are you trying to tell me?’ He said, ‘Oh, you don’t know? Well, I’m sorry to tell you that your son passed this morning.’ And that was how I was informed of it.” Wanda’s son was picked up by the police due to a failure to appear in court. He was transferred to Cherokee County where there was a warrant out for his arrest. Three days later, he was dead. It was reported that Wanda’s son died from a preexisting illness. Knowing in her gut that there was more to the story, Wanda reached out to The Champion Firm to help find out what happened to her son. When Wanda’s son was arrested, the jail was aware that he wasn’t feeling well and put him under medical supervision. However, video from the jail showed Wanda’s son falling inside his cell. His legs shook as he lay on the ground, unable to get up again. A nurse employed by Cherokee County jail looked in the cell twice to see the man in clear respiratory distress, and Justice After Loss
One Woman’s Mission to Learn the Truth About Her Son’s Death
both times, she simply walked away. No one came to his aid until 90 minutes after he collapsed, but by then, it was too late.
Wrongful death claims are often filed after an accident, such as a car accident or medical malpractice, results in a person’s death. However, wrong death claims can also be appropriate when a person dies because someone else failed to act in a reasonable manner. Wanda’s son died of pneumonia because he did not receive the medical care he needed while in custody. In Georgia, wrongful death claims can only be filed by individuals who are related to the deceased. This includes spouses, children, and parents. Wanda was able to file a wrongful death claim after her son’s death and settle her case out of court. We were glad to be able to help Wanda find the truth and start recovering from a terrible loss. If you’ve lost a loved one under troubling circumstances, don’t hesitate to get help. Call 404-596-8044 to talk to an experienced attorney and find out if you have a wrongful death case.
2 | WWW.THECHAMPIONFIRM.COM
Published by The Newsletter Pro | www.TheNewsletterPro.com
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog