Quality of Life & Character Development Teen Living 1.01 Quality of Life & Character Development

What makes you the person you are? Why do you look the way you do? Why do you enjoy the activities you enjoy? Why are you friends with the people you are friends with?

We are all affected by our environment and our heredity Environment is what SURROUNDS us at any time. (home life, school, peers) Heredity is the sum of all traits passed on through genes from parents to children.

You are a UNIQUE person with needs You are a UNIQUE person with needs! Maslow’s Hierarchy shows us what we need:

I Need It! Need – something that is required; a necessity like food, water, clothes, or shelter.

I Need It! Physical Needs: items that the body needs to live. Food Sleep Clothing Shelter Water Emotional Needs: non-physical needs, often expressed as feelings. Love Acceptance Recognition Security Safety

Teens go through three types of changes during adolescence: Physical Intellectual/Emotional Social

Physical Called puberty- A stage lasting 2 – 3 years and is characterized by rapid growth and an individual becomes capable of sexual reproduction. Puberty begins between the ages of 9 and 11 for girls and between the ages of 11 and 13 for boys. Hormones (chemicals in the body) trigger certain types of growth Sexual development, weight gain, height, deepening of voice, menstrual cycle begins.

Intellectual Influenced by heredity, environment, and desire to learn. If your environment lacks stimulation, your intellectual growth suffers. The ability to reason and form complex, thought patterns. Can think abstractly as opposed to hands on, concrete examples of young children

Emotional Development in the range of feelings and the ability to express these feelings. Emotional swings-sensitivity to criticism Express emotions positively! Develop a range of feelings and ability to express them. Self-Concept – how you see yourself.

Social Developing the ability to get along with other people Begins in CHILDHOOD as you learn to take turns and share Peers are people who are your age. During social growth, teens want to be with peers rather than family. They no longer wish to be treated as a child by parents, teachers, and other adults. Causes you to desire more control!

Self-Discipline – training and control of yourself and your conduct. Self-Confidence – confidence in yourself and your abilities. Even the most successful people can improve.

What a Boss Might Think Some ways that self-concept affects job success: Provides self-confidence to do the job or task. Creates a desire or want to do a good job. Encourages self-discipline. Allows a person to take reasonable risks, such as go to new places, make new friends, and learn new tasks.

A. Physical A. Physical health can be determined by: 1. Exercise 2. Nutrition 3. Safety 4. Sleep/rest 5. Stress Your health and the health of your family is very important. Some people are born in poor health but for those of us who are born healthy, we must maintain it. We often do not realize how important our health is until we lose it!

1. Exercise You should include at least of aerobic activity in your daily schedule. 60 minutes Out of shape people will have a higher pulse rate than those in shape. The faster your pulse rate returns to normal, the more capacity you have.

2.Nutrition Nutrition includes eating healthy and getting all the nutrients you need to maintain bodily function and target weight.

3. Safety Look through a window or peephole before opening the door. Check around you as you get in your car and lock the doors as soon as you get in. Safe driving and choices.

4. Sleep/rest Most people feel best with 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Insomnia is the inability to get sleep when you need it. Sleeping pills are a poor solution.

5. Stress Stress – is the body’s reaction to events. Happens with something good or bad. Body response ~ fast heartbeat, sweat, tightening stomach, or flushed skin.

Ways to positively deal with stress: Exercise Time management Setting realistic goals Eat regular meals Talk to someone Leisure activities

Responsibility More independence=More responsibilities Which is responsible? Cheating on a test you forgot to study for. Turning in jewelry you found. Borrowing clothes without asking as long as you return them.

Oh, the Pressure! Peer – person with equal standing. Peer Pressure – pressure from peers to do something they want or believe in.

Positive Peer Pressure To practice for your game so you can help your team win. To join a club. To study for a test. To try out for honor choir. To make B’s instead of C’s. Invite the new student to eat lunch with you.

Negative Peer Pressure To be friends with the “in” crowd only. To wear a certain brand of clothing. To smoke/drink alcohol/or use drugs. To lie to your parents. To stay out past curfew. To make fun of people.

Study Skills Organization Take notes in a regular format, using highlighting, different colors, or rewrite notes when you go back to study. Tape your notes and listen to them while you complete other tasks (dovetailing)

Study Skills Troublemakers Procrastination – putting off doing something until the last minute. Overcommittment – not being able to say no or taking on too many activities at once

Time management tools Calendar- Can be helpful if you are planning more than a week in the future. Dovetailing means doing activities together to save time. Ex: Listening to a book on tape while driving.

Time management tools Schedule activities in a planner so you don’t OVERCOMMIT or FORGET! PRIORITIZE To-Do lists by listing the most important things to accomplish at the top so you do those items first.

F. Character Definition – Inner traits, such as conscience, moral strength, and social attitudes that guide a person’s conduct and behavior into acceptable standards of right and wrong.

Character Traits a. Caring b. Citizenship c. Fairness d. Respect e. Responsibility f. Tolerance g. Trustworthiness

Traits Caring – is demonstrated by people who are kind to everyone. They also have empathy! Citizenship – refers to the quality of a person’s response to membership in a community. Fairness – is the ability to be honest and impartial and not prejudice toward others’ opinions, ideas, or ways of doing things.

Traits d. Respect –to hold someone/thing in high regard. e. Responsibility – being accountable and doing what’s right! You accept the consequences, good or bad. f. Tolerance – respecting the individual differences, views and beliefs of others g. Trustworthiness – means you can be relied on.

Defense Mechanisms Defense mechanisms are behavior patterns people use to protect their self-esteem. They can be + or - solutions to problems. Sometimes people begin to rely on DM’s and can lose touch with reality.

Common Defense Mechanisms Projection Fight Fantasy Denial Regression Conversion Rationalization Withdrawal Repression Compromise Displacement Avoidance Flight

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