5 Ways For Parents To Empower Daughters In An Unkind World
While opportunities for women have advanced significantly in recent decades, studies reflect that the path to personal independence and growth isn’t always smooth - starting in early childhood up through high school.
Gender stereotypes persist. According to a survey of 1,900 girls and young women between 7 and 21, conducted by the charity Girlguiding, many feel that pressure from social media, TV, friends, teachers and parents affects how they think and act. Another study in the Journal of Adolescent Health reported that stereotypes of girls were reinforced by schools, parents and the media, thereby limiting their mobility and access to opportunities.
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One possible answer, says mentor and author Sheri Engler, is for parents to empower their daughters from a young age.
“We parents need to take the necessary time from our busy lives to find out what our daughters are experiencing on a daily basis,” says Engler, author of The Pearls of Wisdom: A Fairy Tale Guide to Life’s Magic Secrets for All Ages (www.ThePearlsOfWisdomBook.com).
“We must break down barriers to success early on. Otherwise, girls frequently surrender their ‘surplus’ qualities before they even leave grade school, because they feel they won’t be accepted if they are ‘too much.’ They are not allowed too many gifts for fear of alienating boys and competing with other girls. This has to stop.”
Engler says five ways parents can empower their daughters and help them grow into strong, successful women are:
“We need to prevent damage early on,” Engler says, “instead of trying to fix it after it’s too late.”
About Sheri Engler
Sheri Engler is the author/illustrator of The Pearls of Wisdom: A Fairy Tale Guide to Life’s Magic Secrets for All Ages (www.ThePearlsOfWisdomBook.com). She is an experienced mentor, medium, and metaphysicist with a background in psychology, counseling and research. She received a BA in Clinical Psychology at San Francisco State University.
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3 Ways Stress Takes A Toll On Your Body
Did the latest challenge at work bring on a tightening in your stomach? Does constant worry about a loved one’s health make you physically ill yourself?
Everyone at some point feels the effects of stress. Not everyone deals with stress in the best way, though.
“Often stressed-out people seek relief through alcohol, tobacco or drugs, but that just makes matters worse,” says Richard Purvis, a health and wellness practitioner and author of Recalibrate: Six Secrets to Resetting Your Age (www.richardpurvisauthor.com).
“Instead of relieving stress, those toxic substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state, causing even more physical problems.”
April is Stress Awareness Month, a good time to reflect on how the demands and anxieties of daily life put a strain not just on our minds, but on our bodies as well.
Stress, of course, is not always a bad thing. It does serve a positive purpose.
“It can keep us alert and prepares us to avoid danger,” Purvis says. “But stress becomes a negative factor when a person faces continuous challenges without any time mixed in for relief or relaxation.”
As a result, he says, people become overworked, and stress-related anxiety and illness can occur. The strain leads them to suffer from such ailments as headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain and problems sleeping.
Purvis says a few examples of how stress can play havoc on our bodies include:
So what’s to be done? Purvis points out that stress is a natural occurrence in life and happens to everyone.
“Since you can’t avoid your job, bills, or other life experiences, the best thing to do is learn to manage stress,” he says. “You won’t avoid stress entirely, but it is possible to minimize the effects by eating healthy, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and taking care of yourself in general.”
About Richard Purvis
Richard Purvis, author of Recalibrate: Six Secrets to Resetting Your Age, (www.richardpurvisauthor.com) is a health and wellness practitioner with more than 30 years of dedicated experience in nutrition, exercise, anti-aging and overall wellness. He is the current CEO of Skin Moderne Inc., and was founder of such wellness companies as Nutrimax, Nutritbrands and Skin Nutrition. He also was co-founder of Noggin Nosh.
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5 Financial-Planning Tips For Young Investors
Being a young adult can be exciting – enjoying the early stages of a career, having your own place, making new friends – but it can also be confusing and stressful. One of the reasons is money, and learning how to manage it.
In a financial literacy survey of more than 5,500 young adults, the National Endowment for Financial Education and George Washington University found that only 8 percent of those ages 23 to 35 showed a high level of financial knowledge.
“For those just starting their careers or beginning to save for their retirement, the financial planning world can be quite daunting,” says Richard Paul, president of Richard Paul & Associates, LLC (www.rwpaul.com), a financial advisory firm in Michigan, and author of The Baby Boomers’ Retirement Survival Guide.
“One flaw of our education system is the lack of preparedness it provides for younger investors just starting off. When it comes to stocks, bonds, 401(k)s, and debt, the task of planning is overwhelming to most.”
Paul offers young adults five tips for fundamental financial planning:
“Young people need to know how to plan financially,” Paul says. “There’s a tendency to put it off, but that’s risky. There’s too much to lose. You’re not young forever and without a plan, you’re unprotected for your future.”
About Richard W. Paul
Richard W. Paul is the president of Richard Paul & Associates, LLC (www.rwpaul.com) and the author of The Baby Boomers' Retirement Survival Guide: How to Navigate Through the Turbulent Times Ahead. He is a Certified Financial PlannerTM professional, Registered Financial Consultant, Investment Adviser Representative and an insurance professional holding life and health insurance licenses in Michigan and Florida.