3.02.2010

Signs that your Child is not Coping well with a Divorce

In the eyes of children, divorce is very different than for the parents. They don’t always grasp the reasons why it was necessary. You don’t want to get too caught up in your own issues to notice what they need. For many parents who are divorcing, the needs of their children is what they focus on. It also helps them to get through the issue as they have more than there own needs to worry about.

Not all children are going to come right out and tell you that they are having trouble dealing with the divorce. There are many signs though that can be an indication that they are struggling. You can then choose a good time to talk to them about it. If that doesn’t seem to help you may consider having them see a counselor.

You will likely have to use your own judgement to decide when intervention needs to take place. Sometimes children from divorced families just need some time alone to get trough what they are feeling. Keep in mind that they may have trouble dealing with it down the road instead of immediately. There is no set time frame as to when children will have issues with dealing with their parent’s divorce.

Anxiety is very common for children once they find out a divorce is going to be taking place. This can cause them to have changes in their moods. They may be happy one minute and then in tears the next. They may seem just find one moment and then showing signs of aggression the next. Changes in their eating habits and how well they sleep are also common.

Older children may change in appearance. They may not be paying attention to their personal hygiene like they should. Sometimes this is just an issue with adolescence but not always. They may rebel too so their choice of clothing and hairstyles may be different from what they would normally be featured with.

Watch for signs that your child is withdrawing. They may want more time alone to deal with their feelings so be respectful of that. However, if they aren’t doing well in school, aren’t hanging out with friends, and don’t engage in normal activities that they used to enjoy then they may be suffering from depression.

It can be difficult to punish your child when they are acting out due to the divorce. Yet you have to make sure you stay firm about boundaries. You don’t want them to end up being violent towards you or other people. They need to learn to deal with their feelings of anger in a positive way instead of destroying things.

Be careful if your child is blaming others for the divorce. They shouldn’t be putting the blame on you or their other parent. They also shouldn’t be looking for outside things to blame such as work or other people. Help them to see the situation for what it truly is so they can accept it.

If you are able to identify the signs that your child isn’t coping well with divorce, you can help them to handle it better. Your child may exhibit a variety of symptoms or just one or two. Communication is the key to helping to discover what the true situation is and how to help them find a positive outcome.

2.26.2010

Do You Kmow How are Silver Pendants Made?

There's something about the cool white glow of a silver pendant, which has captivated our senses throughout human history. Since ancient times silver has been used to make coins, decorative items, and silver pendant jewelry, from this precious metal. It has maintained its popularity throughout the ages with artisans, due to its pliability as well as because of its strength.

There's a lot that goes into the making silver pendants, from the time that it is brought up from the mine, to the time the silver pendant is sold on the general market. The silver pendant that is gracefully resting around your neck has gone through many transformations. In most cases by the time the silver arrives to the artist, it is ready to be utilized in crafting jewelry according to what method he or she may choose. The artist has a variety of options as to what form of silver he or she would like to work with. Often the artist is able to purchase pre -rolled sheets of silver in a variety of thickness or rolled wire in several different gauges and shapes, as well as silver blocks or scrap pieces of silver, that the artist uses to melt down and then pour into a mold, which is called casting.

Silver pendants can be made using different techniques, and can often represent the artist's unique style. One of the older forms of working with silver, because it is so soft, is to roll the silver out and then a rough shape, which will become the silver pendant, is cut out. Often the cut piece would be then pounded out with a mallet to flatten the silver and to temper it. Silver pieces were also sometimes pounded over some kind form, which would give it shape and definition to the silver pendant. Pounded silver often has a very unique look to it because of the marks left by the mallet, it also ensures that each piece is one of a kind, and no one will have a silver pendant just like yours.

Another method, which is also very old, is called casting. Casting is when pieces of silver are melted down and then poured into a mold and allowed then to harden. The process of making the mold is an art form in itself and is commonly referred to as the lost wax method. The artist takes softened wax and basically sculpts the wax into the desired shape he/she wishes the finished silver pendant to be.

This is then placed into another mold, and plaster of Paris is then used to encase the wax sculpture, leaving an opening at the top. Once the plaster has dried it is then heated up enough to melt the wax within the plaster, leaving the shape of what will be the silver pendant inside.
The artist next melts the silver, until it becomes liquid than pours into the mold. Once the silver has solidified, the mold is then broken open and the silver pendant is then removed once it is cool enough to be handled.

The silver pendant is now ready to be finished with hand tools, such as filing down any burrs along its edges and then buffed and polished to the shining gleam we have come to expect with silver jewelry. Once completed the silver pendant is then ready to be packaged and sold on the market.

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