Understand your rebellious teenage child more with these helpful reminders

 

As he is quite fond of giving advice on fatherhood, Joseph Cianciotto is also a source of wisdom on handling conflicts within the family. One of the more common problems that families go through is teenage rebellion. This blog shares some reminders that are helpful in dealing with this matter.

Image source: yourteenmag.com

Accept that anger doesn’t work all the time.

When your teenage child does something that doesn’t sit quite well with you, it may be natural for you to react with anger. However, you must know that teenagers inevitably reach a point when they try to challenge your rules, which is something even you probably went through during your own time, shares Joseph Cianciotto. For this reason, you also need to understand that anger does not always work on your rebellious teenager.

Treat your child like an adult.

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Teenage rebellion always comes at a time when a person is transitioning from being a child to being an adult. When your child acts up and some sort of conflict arises in your relationship, you might benefit by treating him or her as an adult. By doing this, you are honoring your own child’s independence and ability to think freely and make decisions. Also, you teach him or her to be more accountable as an adult by giving adult treatment.

Practice forgiveness.

Teenage rebellion is a stage in the life your child as much as it is a stage in your life as a father. Remember that after everything that happens, even when you both break each other’s hearts, you need to find ways to heal the relationship. It’s very important that you practice forgiveness.

Joseph Cianciotto obtained his degree in Visual Communications from Carnegie Mellon University. He has most recently served as executive creative director at Translation. For more information, visit this page.

Why families need to camp out at least once a year

 

While most people are confined to their homes right now because of the global health crisis, it shouldn't stop them from making plans, according to Joseph Cianciotto. And for families that have yet to experience it, Joseph Cianciotto highly recommends planning for a future camping trip, even if it's in their own backyard.

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Here are three of the best reasons parents should take their children camping at least once a year.

1. Children can learn new skills while camping.

There are some things that conventional schools don't teach. Most of these are practical skills. Joseph Cianciotto explains that children learn outdoor skills such as pitching tents, using a compass, cooking food, and roasting mallows during camping.

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2. Parents get a break from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

Camping is perfect for parents who toil day in and day out with work. When parents and children go camping, life slows down, and they, the parents, can breathe a sigh of relief. Of course, it goes without saying that parents need to leave their work at home for this to work.

3. The entire family develops a renewed appreciation for the world.

It's very easy to take the natural world for granted in today's world since everyone is so engrossed in the virtual one. Parents and, many times, children are too attached to their electronic gadgets that they forget how beautiful nature can be. Camping helps the entire family develop a renewed appreciation for nature and the world, Joseph Cianciotto adds.

Joseph Cianciotto is an executive creative director and lives in Long Island, New York with his wife and two daughters. For more articles on parenthood, visit this page.

How fathers should deal with their teenage children

 

As Joseph Cianciotto always says, one of the best things that could ever happen in a man’s life is fatherhood. This blog focuses on fatherhood during the teenage years.

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You were once a teenager, and you already had a first-hand experience of the best years of your life. This means that you should understand that your child is going through the same thing. The teenage years are both memorable and tricky.

This is just natural because, during the teenage years, you expose yourself to the tension between extremes that you discover on your way to independence. It’s true that when you’re a teenager, you get your first crack at defining your identity as an individual.

That said, here’s some advice for you as a father to your teenage children.

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1. Be available to your children at all times. You never know when it’s exactly going to be, but your children will surely need your adult wisdom soon enough. Get ready to process some potentially tough questions that they might ask. Also, remember not to make them feel judged in your answers.

2. Relax on the rules a bit. This is one of the toughest challenges that parents may face as they deal with their teenage children. However, as a father, you should be the one to balance things out. Fatherhood is always a balancing act between controlling and letting loose on your child’s freedom.

3. Spend time connecting with your child. Once the teenage years hit, it’s only a couple of years more before they become all grown up. Don’t lose the chance to do memorable things, even if this is something as simple as hanging out. Don’t be too preachy on your advice, but make sure to keep the conversation going.

New York resident Joseph Cianciotto has a degree in Visual Communications from Carnegie Mellon University. Most recently, he has served as an executive creative director at Translation. For similar reads, visit this page.

A number of life lessons that hit you in fatherhood

 

As an individual in the business world, Joseph Cianciotto has proven himself to be successful. However, he wants to think of himself as an even better father, which he strives to become in every step of the way. Today, he shares some life lessons that have hit him as a father.

Image source: forbes.com

1. Your kids will remember how you spoke more than what you actually said.

Sometimes, being a disciplinarian can bring out the worst in a person, especially around young and unruly children. It’s easy to think that you’re the boss and you know what’s best for your child, and you’re even probably right most of the time, says Joseph Cianciotto. However, yelling at your children can intimidate them. Be careful not to break their spirits and leave them with a wound that they take with them for the rest of their lives. Anger, when not kept in check, can cause permanent damage on your kids.

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2. Preparing your kids for the world is better than keeping them blinded from its ills.

Your first instinct is to protect your child from any dangers lurking around, whether this is a threat to life, a bad influence, or even foul language from other people. We all want the best for our children, agrees Joseph Cianciotto. However, rather than remove your children from the world with its evils, it’s better to equip them with the proper skills and attitudes that would allow them to successfully deal with anything that comes along the way. Training your children’s hearts is more important than trapping them in the house.

2. Give your kids a happier home by making their friends feel at home, too.

Teens tend to crave a sense of freedom when they are their age. They get to exercise this freedom by choosing to be in the company of the people they identify with as their peers. Sometimes, it’s hard not to see how costly it can be, because teenagers tend to snack on everything that’s in your kitchen, especially the boys. However, it would be great to welcome their friends into your home regularly. It’s better to have a full house than a full pantry.

Joseph Cianciottopage.

How parents balance their work and family lives in the time of COVID-19

 

Joseph Cianciotto mentions that these are trying times. For almost the entirety of 2020, families everywhere had to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The global health crisis has taken its toll on everyone on almost all fronts. Even Joseph Cianciotto has had to find ways on several occasions to balance his work and family time.

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Fortunately for Joseph Cianciotto and many other parents out there, several tried-and-tested methods are to be successful at work and happy at home. And what’s more is that these are methods that have been used way before the coronavirus hit, and they have proven to be effective.

Dinner should be a priority.

Joseph Cianciotto has always maintained that dinner is the most important meal for the family, which means parents always need to make it a point to get in touch with everyone. Parents who work from home are urged to take a break and have dinner with the family.

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Schedules should always be followed.

Like the previous point, schedules have to be kept, especially when it comes to time with the kids. Parents need to have a calendar with days and times marked in which they intend to spend with their children. If anything comes up at work that does not require urgent attention, parents should learn to say “No,” Joseph Cianciotto adds.

Joseph Cianciotto has a degree in Visual Communications from Carnegie Mellon University. He currently resides in Long Island, New York, with his family. For similar reads, visit this page.

Winter family bonding: Activities to do for the holidays

 

It’s the season for giving and pure family fun. And Joseph Cianciotto notes that even if the world is still very much in the grips of a global health crisis, there are still some things that families can do to brighten up their holidays. He lists three of these activities below. 

Image source: healthline.com

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Snow ball fights 

For families who live in areas where there is an ample amount of snowfall and have their own yard, as soon as there’s enough snow, parents should grab their kids and begin choosing sides for an all-out war. Joseph Cianciotto has also learned that parents can prepare for it by wrapping old furniture in plastic and laying them out. These things make for great snow forts.

Snow forts

If there is more snow than needed, parents should build snow forts with their kids instead of using furniture. Not only is this a fun activity, but it’s also an all-day event. Joseph Cianciotto, however, mentions that this may only be applicable for families with yards since parks and playgrounds may still be too unsafe to play in.

Holiday movie nights

There is a very long list of family Christmas movies that the entire family can enjoy. Joseph Cianciotto explains that a holiday movie night is a great and relaxing way to cap off a day filled with many activities.

Long Island, New York, resident Joseph Cianciotto is a devoted family man. Read more about fatherhood and family life by subscribing to this blog.

A few more modern films the entire family will surely enjoy

 

When it comes to family-friendly films, Joseph Cianciotto is a massive fan of modern classics from the ‘80s and ‘90s. He has time and again mentioned the eras to be the best in terms of movies families can enjoy together. However, he also admits that the 2000s have had its share of amazing films as well. 

Image source: movies.disney.com

 

Below are some of Joseph Cianciotto’s more recent favorites.

Finding Nemo: Disney’s collaboration with Pixar has produced some of the most memorable family films in the past two decades. “Finding Nemo” is a perfect example of this, especially seeing that the heart of the story rests a relationship between a father and son.

How to Train Your Dragon: Not to be outdone, Dreamworks has its own impressive lineup of CGI animated movies that are every bit as amusing as Disney’s. Joseph Cianciotto names the thrilling “How to Train Your Dragon” as his favorite among the bunch. 

Image source: imdb.com

The Incredibles: What could be a more apt film for a family movie night than a movie about a family of superheroes? Disney’s “The Incredibles” is another masterful and rip-roaring effort that has captured the hearts of millions of fans everywhere.

What’s your favorite family-friendly film in the past 20 years? Share them with Joseph Cianciotto in the comments below.

Joseph Cianciotto has a degree in Visual Communications from Carnegie Mellon University. He currently resides in Long Island, New York with his family. For similar reads, visit this page.