‘Children are like wet cement; whatever falls on them makes an impression.’ This saying definitely holds true as kids keep on learning without realizing what they actually are. They are unable to distinguish between what is good and bad for them. So, it is the sole responsibility of parents and mentors to create a healthy and safe environment for their kids.

Boys & Girls Club Of Central Texas (BGCCT) provides a great learning environment for your kids. This club offers a wide range of activities and learning programs, which help in your kids’ overall (social, emotional, physical, mental and cognitive) development. All the programs are conducted by well trained and experienced tutors and volunteers.

BGCCT positively impacts the lives of the kids by engaging them in number of learning programs. To name a few programs, character building, leadership,  education, career oriented, health, life skills, fine arts, dramatics, sports & fitness, recreational activities and the list goes on. Being a charity based organization, the club charges very low fees for all these programs.

This club ensures a safe, positive, friendly, fun and supportive relationship between the kids and the mentors. It works towards providing a world-class club experience, which is within the reach of every kid who walks through the BGCCT doors.

If you want a bright future for your kids and want them to lead a healthy lifestyle, BGCCT is all you need. You will also see them growing as responsible citizens. We at Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas will engage your kids in various activities, which will boost their academics as well as extracurricular skills.

For more information regarding our programs or for any other related queries, feel free to visit us at Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas, located at 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541. You can also call Ms. Carol Dunn (Administrative assistant) at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

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At one point or the other, most of the youngsters feel that their parents do not understand them nor do they respect them as an individual. These days, parents and kids have a wide difference between their attitudes, priorities, thought process as well as understanding. This difference is often termed as generation gap. But luckily, every problem has a solution. There is a way to bridge this yawning chasm between the parents and their toddlers.

Kids often say ‘you never understand me!’ to their parents. In order to genuinely build up a healthy relation, both parents and kids should start treating and understanding each other like a friend. For parents it is important to listen to the child and understand his or her viewpoint. While for a child, he should have respect and love for their parents. Besides being occupied in daily chores and worrying about expenses at home, or office work etc, parents need to spend some quality time with their kids. Here are some tips for parents that can bring them closer to their kids:

• Communication: Unless and until you communicate with your kids, you would not be able to share your thoughts. Make them know what you feel and also listen to their point of view.
• Devoting quality time: Spend a lot of time together having fun. This will help you know each other even more. This will surely take some time but the results are always fruitful.
• Clear boundaries: Do not put a lot of restriction on your kid. Know what they like and dislike. Trust plays a key role here and makes you not worry much about them.
• Step into each other’s shoe: Know and respect each other’s opinions, values and thinking.
• Respect individuality: Parents should let kids know their view point but at the same time they must also give ample space to kids to enjoy their lives. They never like to be spoon fed by their elders all the time.

If you want your kids to lead a healthy lifestyle and become a responsible citizen, it is essential to engage them in various activities which will boost their academics as well as extracurricular activities.
We at Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas offer a series of programs for your kids. To enroll your kid in various programs or for any other queries, visit us at Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas, located at 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541 or call Ms. Carol Dunn at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

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Teenage is such a sensitive period when child’s personality begins to develop. At this early stage of life they start picking up things from the people around them and begin to act accordingly. When it comes to the controversial question of giving freedom to them, many parents have different views and opinions. Sooner or later they eventually learn that they have to accept their child’s growing independence along with the essential guidance and support at the appropriate times. This not only enables a child to learn self discipline and acquire a sense of responsibility, but also helps them to face the challenges of the pragmatic world and develop the skills to lead a successful adult life ahead. 

Deciding extend of freedom that should be given to the teenagers is a complicated issue. While some parents believe that their kids should be given restrictive freedom due to the vulnerable dangers present in the society, there are others who believe in giving enough freedom to their kids so that they can learn from their life experiences and become independent.

Guidance at the right time and supervision of children is necessary so that they can be encouraged to rightly differentiate between the wrong and the right decisions they make in life. They should be allowed to make choices and experience the consequences of those respective choices. They should also be allowed to assert themselves so that they can learn new skills and correct their mistakes by themselves. Giving freedom to your kids provides them with the opportunities to test themselves and they learn to become better social beings.

On the other hand, not giving the sufficient freedom to children can make them rebellious and disobedient. As teens are caught between the expectations to act like an adult but can not participate in certain adult activities at the same time, this puts them to stress and makes them irritated. This irritation may lead to many other troubles for the kids and their parents as well. So, the decision on how much freedom should teenagers be given should solely depend on the abilities and the basic nature of the teens based on the parent’s past experiences with the kids.

Parents should always go for a balanced approach, that is, the required amount of freedom when needed, along with the necessary restrictions at the appropriate time. For more guidance on child issues, you can visit Boys and Girls Clubs of Texas, 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541 or call Ms. Carol Dunn at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

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Depression in teenagers is not just about their mood swings and ups and downs in life. It is, in fact a serious issue which should be dealt as soon as possible. Teens are usually restless as they have to cope with the biological changes in their body along with the changing behavior of their parents, friends and other family members towards them. Under such chaotic conditions, they become depressed very easily and very often. In such a situation they can get addicted to smoking, drinking and other bad habits.

Many factors affect the thinking process of kids when they enter their teens. They are at such a growing stage of their lives where they are not able to decide on their own. They are highly influenced by their surroundings and the environment that is present around them. As they are still immature and cannot differentiate between what is right and what is wrong, they get into a catch through peer pressure and get puzzled. They fight with their thoughts at the school on one side and home on the other.

Teenagers are very sensitive and usually have poor emotional strength. They are not well adaptable to the trauma which might bring huge disturbances in their lives.  For teenagers it can be difficult to maintain a balance between their academic challenges and social life. They have so many questions and doubts in their mind which stresses them out. Apart from this, the expectations of the parents and family members can make them more stressed and depressed. Unlike adults, who have the ability to seek assistance on their own, teenagers usually rely on parents, teachers, or seniors who can guide them and listen to their problems. Parents and teachers have the whole responsibility to give strength and hope to the child, and guide him in each and every decision that he makes.

We at Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas conduct various programs for developing the confidence in your child to choose the right way of leading the life and follow his own respective interests. For more details visit Boys and Girls Clubs of Texas, 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541 or call Ms. Carol Dunn at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

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Alcohol is a very powerful drug that affects the central nervous system of the human body to a great extent. Excessive intake of it leads to depression. Teenagers are said to be at a higher risk than adults of becoming alcoholic as they injudiciously try to adopt the adult behavior pattern. They try to imitate adults and in a bid to do that they succumb to the unhealthy habit of taking alcoholic drinks.

Teenagers, who get addicted to alcohol, experience a lot of problems, related not only to health, also with the behavior, attitude and academics. The most common signs from which you can make out if your child is becoming an alcoholic are:

• Children suffering from the problem of alcoholism usually lose interest in studies and are not regular in school. They lag behind in the school work and assignments, which is clearly reflected by their dropping grades. It is very essential for parents to keep a check on the attendance record of the child. This helps in knowing if your ward has missed classes.
• Health gets severely affected with the intake of alcohol. The most common signs are sudden loss or gain in weight, bulging of eyes, poor concentration power, mood swings, change in sleeping patterns, poor hygiene et al.
• There is an appalling change in the behavior pattern of teenagers. They begin to make excuses, become verbally and physically very abusive. They also tend to switch their peer groups.

Parents need to take a number of precautions to help their child cope with the problem of alcoholism. To lend you a helping hand in the cause, there are certain institutes that deal with several teenage related problems.

Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas is renowned nationwide for its various programs that it runs for the betterment of youngsters. It aims at guiding your kid not just in the academic field, also in extracurricular activities. Special programs like SMART Moves and SMART Leaders are run by this club which prepare teenagers to help their peers resist alcohol, tobacco, other addictive substances drugs and premature sexual activity.

Get your child enrolled in this program to help him get rid of the alcohol addiction. For more information, contact Ms Carol Dunn (Administrative assistant) at 254-699-5808.

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Adolescence is considered to be the transitional period, generally between 10 to 19 years of age, during which physical, social as well as psychological development of the person takes place. There is a dramatic change in the behavior pattern which affects the whole family of the person. Hence, these changes need to be addressed in the right manner.

Parents also face various problems in handling their kids during this phase. It is very essential for them to understand their kid’s problems first, and then guide them with care and love. Following are some of the problems that the adolescents face:

• Consciousness about the looks: Once your kid reaches the stage of adolescence, they start getting very particular about their looks. Having an improper body can make them uneasy, depressed and tensed, thereby affecting their health.
• Problem of self-definition: The adolescents crave for more attention and build up a desire to make a special position in the society. If at any point, they feel that they are not acceptable in any group, they get insecure and anxious very soon. This could later lead to various other serious issues like alcohol abuse, drug abuse and even suicide.
• Stress:  Stress can be caused from various factors like peer groups, parents, school as well as the society. They affect the adolescents in the following ways:

1. Peer pressure is also a problem as the adolescents easily get influenced by one another. It is very important to keep a check on what kind of peer group your kid has.
2. Parents tend to pressurize their kids with their high expectations regarding studies, career, behavior and various other aspects, which may stress them.
3. Increase in the study load along with extracurricular activities in the school, leads to lot of stress and pressure on the kid.
4. The societal changes, like dating, partying, hanging out with friends, social networking, and relationships etc. also pressurize them to match up to other’s expectations.

• Health problems: Along with the other changes, there is also a remarkable change in their food habits. They tend to consume more of junk foods, than the healthy food. This leads to various health issues. Hence, it must be ensured that they consume a proper diet and participate in physical activities, along with sufficient leisure time for relaxation and hobbies.

It is very important for both the parents as well as the teachers, to contribute their best in helping the adolescents to cope with these problems and solve them creatively. We at Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas, run various programs for the overall development of your kid. To enroll your child in our programs contact Ms. Carol Dunn at 254-699-5808.

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Making decision regarding your kid is very crucial aspect in every parent’s life. Career decision involves not the momentary desire of choosing a career line, but the long term thinking process in deciding the professional path in a rational way.

Career objectives which are achievable and also gives pleasure in the real essence should be considered. Though it is most commonly found that a person excels in whatever he enjoys doing, it is equally important to keep a check on the positives of profession he or she chooses. 

Kids generally seek guidance from their parents; this makes it important for parents to be well versed with various aspects of education and professional accomplishment in various career paths.

Most of the kids set their career goals during the school time itself. It all depends upon their interests and likes. Exploring these interests in the right perspective and getting them trained for it is very essential to keep up the motivational spirits in children.

A career chosen by the child should emerge from his own interests. Though parents should guide their kids about the beneficial career options, but the ultimate choice of working in a particular field should be with the kid itself.  This makes it even more important for parents to do proper research about various options that may be good for the child. A thorough understanding of various career options makes sure that proper path is chosen to reach the ultimate goals.

It is important to encourage your child and ensure that he checks out all the alternate choices as well. Never bias towards the gender of the child for his/her wishes, as the times have changed and variety of options is available for each gender. Help your child in exploring his hobbies and leisure activities, which gives him pleasure and peace of mind. It can prove to be a right career goal for them. 

We at Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas, conduct various programs for developing the confidence in your child to choose the right career according to respective interests. For further details about our various programs, visit Boys and Girls Clubs of Texas, 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541 or call Ms. Carol Dunn at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

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It is now an Omni present problem that youngsters are suffering from various life threatening problems. These can be either social or physical or mental in nature which cannot be handled by parents alone. It requires a specialized person to talk to them and make them understand in the right way. Situation can get even worse if we become harsh on them.

The problems that most of the youth suffer include addiction to tobacco, smoking, alcohol, drugs and premature sexual activity. They must be taught to differentiate between the right and wrong habits that can have a huge impact on their lives.

We at Boys and Girls Club Of Central Texas run a resistance training program for these kids who need personal attention and right motivation to bring them back on the right track. We make them get engaged in interactive and small group activities that helps them in enhancing their life skills and build in them leadership skills.

The education program aims at dealing with their problems and by involving them in discussions, practicing resistance and refusal skills, developing boldness, strengthening decision making skills and examining the media and peer influence. They are made to understand the harmful effects of tobacco and drug use.

The program is conducted throughout the year to encourage teamwork with the club staff, youngsters, their parents and guardians.  The program has been categorized as follows:

• SMART Kids, for children between 6 to 9 years of age.
• Start SMART, for children between 10 to 12 years of age.
• Stay SMART, for children between 13 to 15 years of age.
•  SMART Parents
• SMART Leaders, a peer leader/booster program for older teens
• F.A.N. Club (Family Advocacy Network), an educational program for parents and caregivers of SMART Moves participants, it is also offered in the collaboration between BGCA and Pennsylvania State University, with an aim to achieve a positive result in tacking the kid’s problems.

Our club understands the problems your child as well as you are going through and hence assure you that we would help your child to the fullest to make him lead a healthy and happy life. To register your child for the resistance training program visits the  Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas , 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX-76541 or call us at 254-699-5808.

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If you believe in ‘All work and no play makes jack a dull boy’, then this post is just for you. Often noticed that your kids scribbling in the last pages of their notebooks, making different models with typical household items, singing and dancing? Do not consider these as a worthless habit, rather it is great habit as this indicates your child has a deep love for arts and it is now time to give your child a golden opportunity to polish up his artistic and creative skills.

Not to worry if you are not able to give ample time to your kid. There are various clubs and organizations for children which cater to all their needs and help them bring out the hidden skills in them. These clubs are very safe and reliable as these are run by child experts. To name one is our - The Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas. We help in boosting the social, psychological as well as physical development of the children by engaging them in different recreational activities.

We target the social aspects of development which include cross cultural understanding, increase in the confidence level, learning the skills of working in a team along with development of a positive outlook.

The psychological benefits include expansion of the boundaries of learning, analytical thinking, developing problem solving skills and encouraging creativity.
The rise in self expression and the physical tasks leads to a remarkable physical growth of the child.

At the Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas, efficient trainers make sure that your child’s overall personality develops and his talent gets polished. For this purpose, the club has wide number of art programs like the National Fine Arts Exhibit Program, Imagemakers National Photography Contest, Digital Arts Suite and Festivals, Summer Music Camp for Teens and many more.

So do not make your child a book worm, give him a good platform to identify the hidden talent in him. You never know your child might become a great artist in the future!

To register your kid in the various art programs, please call Ms Caroll Dunn at 254-699-5808.

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Outdoor activities are very important for kids as it helps in overall development of a kid. Intellectual knowledge is not wholesome as a child also requires recreational activities to fully develop into an intelligent and physically fit human being.

Jumping, running, playing all these things have to be part of daily routine of the kids for proper and full development. Exploring, risk-taking, fine and gross motor development and the absorption of vast amounts of basic knowledge, these are some of the reasons as to why outdoor activities are important for kids.

Other things which make outdoor activities essential for kids are:

• Physical exercise: Playing outdoors is a part of physical activity of the child and therefore is immensely important. If the child does not play at right age he comes out to be weak and frail. Physical exercise is important for a healthy living.
• Recreation: Playing is also a kind of enjoyment for the child. While the elder ones talk to each other and spend most of their time, playing outdoors can be exciting and enjoyable experience for the child.
• Learning while playing: A child learns a lot of things when he plays with other kids. He is introduced to failure at times and learns how to react. This is the learning stage for a kid. Outdoor activities introduce the child to various aspects of life which can be made use of in the later life.
• Health: Taking in lot of fresh air helps the child stay healthy. Children who get involved in a lot of physical activity are more likely to enjoy hiking, gardening, jogging, bicycling, mountain climbing, or other outdoor endeavors in later life.
• Mental growth: The initial years in a child’s life is the time when they learn the most. Outdoor activities are very significant for the full mental growth of the child.
• Letting children be children: You have to let the children be how they are. Outdoor activities with rules help the child become disciplined. Similarly such activities involving one thing or the other only help the child grow up in the right manner.

You can contact us at Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas, 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541, phone: 254-699-5808   Ext:102

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