Statistics show that there are as many as 46 million adult cigarette smokers and 3 million teenage smokers in the U.S. By creating awareness about the hazards of smoking, the number of adult smokers has dwindled but the awareness campaigns haven’t made an effect on the teenagers. Research shows that 80% of adult smokers started smoking as teenagers. The reason for this is that when one starts smoking as a teenager, the chances of ending up as an addict increase manifold. Once the body gets used to a certain amount of nicotine present in cigarettes, it begins to crave for it when it is deprived of it. This is where addiction begins.

A majority of teenagers are getting hooked to cigarette smoking for a variety of reasons. Some prominent reasons are:

• Teens surrounded by family members who smoke can easily take to smoking. They might find it okay to smoke as well.
• Peer pressure also influences teenagers to smoke as a part of their lifestyle. They may start smoking just to fit in the circle and not be the odd one out. Acceptance by peers is crucial to their self-esteem.
• Media bombards teens with images of their favorite celebrities or singers smoking at a young age. This is usually presented as being harmless and cool. A teenager may get carried away with such images and want to emulate such personalities.
• Some teens start smoking as an act of rebellion against their parents or some people of authority.
• Others smoke to combat their low self-esteem and to reduce stress.
• Some smoke just for the heck of it. They want to know why there is a fuss about prohibition on smoking.

Whatever are the reasons for smoking, it is very important for teenagers to be aware of the fact that it can be incredibly damaging to their life and future. It can even sabotage their relationships with their loved ones and deeply hurt them. Every time you take a puff, you are greatly damaging your body. Here’s how:

• Cigarettes have tons of harmful chemicals including tar, carbon monoxide and nicotine, which are highly addictive.
• Smoking causes diseases like bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease and many types of cancers including lung and mouth cancer.
• It reduces your endurance when playing sports.
• It really bad breath and yellow teeth.
• Research shows that nicotine can cause a significant damage to the growing brain of a teenager.

The special programs at Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas like SMART Moves and SMART Leaders prepare teenagers to help them resist alcohol, tobacco, other addictive drugs and premature sexual activity.

For more information 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.

Boys And Girls Club Texas - Child Care Texas

The trickiest years in human life are probably the teenage years ranging from 10 to 17 years. It is a challenging journey from childhood to adolescence in terms of physical, cognitive, social and moral development. An adolescent’s self worth largely depends on how they look like and feel about themselves. They go through tremendous physical changes due to the hormonal releases in the pituitary gland. Their brains begin to process thoughts that are more abstract and most of these thoughts are focused on themselves. As they gain confidence and self-awareness, they become more capable of making friendships based on intimacy and loyalty. They lean on friends for support and cut down on time spent with family.

Teenagers are highly conscious of their appearance and have wrong notions of how to stay fit. Media and peer pressure send mixed signals regarding the ideal weight and fitness thus confusing a teenager. Most of the girls fall prey to dieting and end up with eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, which prove fatal sometimes. It is very important for teenagers to engage in rigorous physical activity regularly. An upward trend of teenage obesity has been witnessed in the recent years, which call for cutting down on junk food and amending poor lifestyle habits. A healthy diet for teenagers should comprise of plenty of fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates and protein.

Good health care is very essential for teenagers as they usually bypass it thinking they are immortal. Keeping a proper check on their health in the teenage years can ward off fatal diseases in their adulthood. They should get themselves screened for any possible heath problems. A track should be kept on their height, weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Car accidents, physical injury, homicide and suicide are responsible for three out of four teenage deaths in addition to cancer and heart disease. The need of the hour is to follow a holistic approach towards maintaining good health. A good diet, physical exercise and healthy mental health are vital in these crucial years.

Peer groups become an indispensable part of a teenager’s life. They prefer sharing their feelings, secrets and sorrows with their peers. Parents are shoved into their outer circle and peers suddenly find space in their inner circle. It is important for parents to be patient and understanding during this transitionary phase as it is a sign of maturity and is a natural process. A balance has to be struck between parents and peers for a positive outcome in the long run.

Enroll your kids in various programs offered by the Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas. These programs aim for improvement in health care of your kids. For more details, visit us at 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541 or call Ms. Carol Dunn (Administrative assistant) at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

Child Care Texas - Boys And Girls Club Texas

It has been truly said that we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. By making a donation, one not only makes someone’s life better but also gets blessings for this noble cause. We know that there are hundreds of people who do not have enough money to meet their basic needs. But, there are various charitable organizations which cater to the needs of these people.

Apart from raising the fund, these charities also organize several activities for the betterment of the society. These activities may include health awareness programs, sports activities for kids, art & craft classes etc which are conducted with the money received by the organizations from various sources.

If you want to make a valuable contribution for your society, donating in charitable organizations is a great and secure idea. You can be assured that your contribution, no matter how big or small, reaches the right hands.

We at The Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas are an organization that works for the overall development of children mainly between the ages 6 to 18 years (both boys and girls). We provide a number of recreational, educational and social programs like:

• Character & Leadership: These programs works for building up the kid’s academic performance and moral character. We make them explore the wide range of career opportunities in life and make them confident and a good public speaker.
• Education & Career: These programs aim at enhancing their writing, reading and discussion ability. The power hour caters in providing them thorough guidance in their home work and school assignments.
• Health & Life Skills: These programs aim at increase health awareness amongst the kids. While the cavity-free zone make them aware about good oral hygiene, the SMART Moves program helps youngsters to resist alcohol, tobacco, drug use and premature sexual activities.
• Arts: This program encourages the artistic abilities in the kids. The activities include drawing, painting, printing, collage making, mixed media, photography, sculpture making, web page design, graphic design and many more.
• Sports & Recreations: The sports activities include football, track, basketball, volleyball, cheerleading etc.

You can help us in making these programs more fruitful and productive by making a donation to our organization. If interested or to know more about our organization, visit us at Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541 or call Ms. Carol Dunn (Administrative assistant) at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

Boys And Girls Club Texas - Kids Activities Texas

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.

Child Care Texas - Boys And Girls Club Texas

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.

Child Care Texas - Boys And Girls Club Texas

Media is having a huge impact on the children these days. Along with Television shows, movies, advertizements, and internet, they learn a lot from their surroundings. They quickly grasp what they observe around them. This makes it very essential to keep an eye on what they are getting into. It is equally important to keep a check on their peer groups.

The role of parents, guardians and educational institutes becomes vital in building up the character in kids. Character building is very gradual process that needs a lot of care and dedication. It is wrong to say that character building takes place only in the childhood as it keep getting build up with time.

Following are some points that will guide you to build a good character in your child:

• Teaching mannerism:  As a parent, it is your soul responsibility to turn your kid into a responsible, honest and determined person. Make him understand the value of these qualities and how essential they are to lead a successful and happy life.
• Teach him to adjust in all kind of environment: Kids get used to the care and love they get from their families and this makes their expectations higher. It is very important to make them learn that time is not the same always.  They need to be strong enough to face even the harsh situations without getting frustrated.
• Keep a check on what they watch or surf on internet and television:  This is very important as kids learn and imitate a lot from what they watch on TV or Internet.
• Interact with your kids: Healthy interaction is very important between the kids and their parents because of the generation gap. Be a good listener and always spend some time to listen to what your kid has to say.
• Be polite:  It is important to deal with kids in a sensitive manner so that they do not pick up any negative sentiments from the conversations.

Boys And Girls Club Of Central Texas is a renowned institution that run a number of qualitative programs to enhance your kid’s personality.  Get your child registered in the  various programs and make your child a better person .For more details, contact Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas, 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541 or call at 254-699-5808, Ext:102.

Boys And Girls Club Texas - Kids Activities Texas

It is a well known fact that music heals our soul, and also relieves us from all the stress and tensions that we come across during daily course of our lives. Nowadays, kids have a heavy burden of studies and summer breaks provide them the chance of using their leisure time in learning things which gives them real happiness and pleasure. These are the times when kids get along with their friends and join summer camps to refresh themselves from the year long schooling pattern. 

Music camps for kids provide them the opportunity to develop their singing skills. Such camps also help them to get trained in various musical instruments like guitar, piano, drums etc. It allows kids to experience various art forms which give them an artistic bent of mind. The best part of such music camps is that the kids become familiar with various musical instruments and can develop interest to pursue it as a career latter in life.

As kids get trained according to their interests in a particular field, they can anytime utilize these skills while participating in school functions or TV shows etc. Music camps not only help in enhancing their personality but also aid them in making new friends and peer groups. With such camps, kids learn to handle life’s stress more comfortably and shape their career line according to their likes and interests.

Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas has developed the summer music camp for teens, in partnership with the Texas Folk Music Foundation. The prime motive of the camp is to let teenagers explore different art forms like music and poetry. This music camp included professional training on various musical instruments and lyrics writing.

We, at Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas, would be conducting more such music camps for different age-groups for the over-all development of your kid’s personality. 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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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.

Boys And Girls Club Texas - Child Care Texas

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.

Boys And Girls Club Texas - Child Care Texas

Leadership is a quality which can be inherent or can be developed through proper training and practice. Leadership qualities are an amalgamation of many factors that facilitate children to rationalize their mindset and outlook towards life. 

Developing these skills may not assure their future but would definitely teach them their duty. They will be more empathetic towards others, which would help them in becoming better human beings in life.

Some of the inherent leadership characters that might be present in the young ones can be easily detected through your keen observation in their daily behavior pattern. Notice if your child has the enormous urge to find solutions when faced with daily life challenges or does he lay back and avoids them. The urge to find the solution and finding different creative ways to solve the problems depicts the leadership character of your child. He might have a sturdy sense of reasoning and critically examine the situation before him. 
 
Leadership character can also be located if your child displays strong bonds with friends, and gets along well with the strangers also. Self- motivation is an important ingredient of becoming a leader, as there is a very strong desire to accomplish the set goals.

However, these qualities, if not inherent, can also be developed through consistent practice and training. Developing these in your child is a not an easy task, but these skills can be taught through different methods and strategies. Some of the strategies you can follow to inculcate these skills are:

• Teaching the communicative skills for better verbal understanding through different listening and public speaking programs.
• Teaching the spirit of team work and organizing groups to do the given tasks with the feeling of togetherness.
• Teaching the importance of cooperation and compromising at critical situations, respite various disagreements.
• Teaching the importance of completing the given tasks on time, despite difficulties.
• Teaching the art of planning and organization skills, to do the given tasks and making specific strategies for its completetion.

    Thus, leadership qualities play an important role in our everyday lives. Being a voracious reader also helps in inculcating these qualities in your child and it should become a part of your child’s upbringing. Developing leadership qualities in your child helps in determining their better future with strong sense of dedication, beneficial for the country at large.

We at Boys And Girls Club Of Central Texas, conduct various programs for developing the leadership skills in your child. 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.

Boys And Girls Club Texas - Kids Activities Texas