News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers
The By Parents For Parents Blog is regularly updated with the latest news and information on topics that relate to parenting teenagers. We'll post parenting advice and tips from trusted online news sources and expert parenting columns.
We invite you to add your comments. Please let us know if you would like some specific topics covered, want to share your experience as a parent dealing with teens, or just have general feedback on the By Parents For Parents Blog.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Angry Teens Lashing Out at School
With the rise of violent behavior at school, experts have been studying why teens are lashing out at teachers and each other. Adolescence can be a scary and confusing time for teenagers, but that shouldn't excuse violence and anger. It's easy to say that teens are influenced by movies, music, and television, but our teens are often dealing with family issues, including illness, abuse or alcoholism, and they feel they have no other way to express themselves but through acting out at school. Learn more about how educators are dealing with violent behavior at schools and what it says are troubled teens from the
News-Journal.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 9:23 AM
Learning to Let Go
Many parents say the most difficult part of parenting teenagers is learning to let go. Even though they’ve endured a constant power struggle for years, parents have a hard time giving their teens the freedom to make their own mistakes, choose their own paths, and forge their own lives. Being a parent is all about keeping children safe and healthy. Being a teenager is all about pushing the envelope and testing boundaries. And while parents usually teach what they know to their children, the one thing they need to learn for themselves is how to let go. Read more from the
Scripps Howard News Service.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 12:03 AM
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Teenagers Aren’t Getting Enough Sleep
Because most teens aren't getting the recommended nine hours of sleep a night, our adolescents are falling asleep at school, being tardy to early classes, and driving while drowsy. And the problem gets worse as teenagers get older, getting less and less sleep each year. Parents believe their children get enough sleep – they are often unaware of just how much sleep their kids get each night. Since parents are their kids' role models, experts encourage parents to set a good example and aim for nine hours of sleep a night. Read more about the effects of sleep deprivation on adolescents from the
Daily Democrat.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 10:54 PM
Monday, March 27, 2006
Diagnosing Mental Health Problems in Kids
While there are now more kids diagnosed with mental health issues than ever before, experts say many are still undiagnosed. The American Psychological Association believes that one out of every 10 child has a serious emotional problem and less than half get the help they need. Mental health concerns need to be taken seriously by parents, health-care providers and teachers. Read more to find out about diagnosing and treating emotional problems in children and adolescents from
seacoastonline.com.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 1:53 PM
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Too Much Sex in the Media
As if parents don't already worry enough, research shows that adolescents are exposed to more sexual content on TV and in movies, music and magazines, which encourage promiscuity and irresponsible behavior. Because teenagers consume about six to seven hours of media per day, saturated in sexual images and messages, parents need to be even more aware of what their teens are watching, reading, and listening to. Read more from
bpnews.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 11:50 PM
Friday, March 24, 2006
Invisible Drug Culture Rapidly Growing
In the last couple of years, crisis workers at a Northern California teen crisis hotline have noticed an invisible drug culture among local teens. They help with any issues that teenagers face - drug and alcohol use, family conflict, runaways, etc. Counselors have watched a growth in drug use among students that aren't normally associated with drugs. These are good students from stable families headed for college after high school. Read more to learn about how to recognize the signs of teenage drug use from the
Ukiah Daily Journal.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 7:11 PM
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Projecting Your Dreams Onto Your Kids
Of course, parents want the best and brightest future for their children. However, often what they want for their kids may really be more what they want for themselves. While getting good grades and getting into a good college is never a bad thing, pushing teens to just get A's isn't enough. To really be a good parent, find out what your teenager’s interests and passions are; then help them develop those interests. Find out what
five questions you can ask your teen today to help them plan their future.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 9:02 PM
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
At-Home Drug Testing
Many parents are jumping on the ability to at-home test their teenagers for drug use. Sales of home drug screening kits, costing $6 to $15 and often sold on the internet, are soaring. With just one urine test, parents can find out if their child is using between five and 10 different drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines, opiates and benzodiazepines. Parents feel empowered knowing that they can quickly get the truth about whether or not their teen is using drugs. Advocates for at-home drug testing say it's also a socially acceptable reason for teenagers to say no to drug use. Learn more online from
fortwayne.com and feel free to post your comments and opinions on whether or not you feel comfortable testing your teenager for drugs at home.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 2:19 PM
Monday, March 20, 2006
Parenting Awareness Month
Parenting Awareness Month teaches parents effective parenting while stressing the importance of raising happy, healthy and productive young adults.
"The whole idea is to get parents to think how much they appreciate their kids," said Diane Dykstra, executive director for United Way of Wexford County, a funding agent for several child-centered organizations.
Learn more about other programs that provide mentoring for teen mothers and parent discussion groups from
cadillacnews.com.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 11:46 PM
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Older Teens Mentor Freshmen to Help Avoid Failures
A program in the Reno area was created to help ninth-graders transition into high school. The "Kick-Off Mentor Program" assigns older students as academic big brothers and sisters to incoming freshmen. The juniors and seniors help the younger kids with effective study habits and time management. The mentoring program is designed to combat the increasing freshmen failure rates. Learn more about what is being done to help struggling freshmen at
RGJ.com.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 4:05 PM
Saturday, March 18, 2006
What Influences Teenagers
WCCO.com in Minneapolis reported about a survey conducted by the Boys and Girls Club of America on what teenagers are influenced by. The results showed that most teens believe the relationship they have with their parents most influences them. The report also said that drugs and alcohol are the biggest problems teens face, followed by violence. Learn more about teenagers and what influences them at
www.wcco.com.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 7:27 PM
Friday, March 17, 2006
Public High Schools Must Get Better
An article was written by Charles E. Finn Jr., an expert on education, declares that high schools must get better. Finn believes that high schools must be more personalized and challenging. Because consideration should be given in regards to interest and ability, not every student should have to take the same classes or choose the same courses. Learn more about Finn’s suggestions for improving public schools and what Joycelin Brown Hulett, Ph.D., an educational consultant for Columbia Public Schools thinks can also be done to help students from the
Columbia Daily Tribune.
If your teenager isn’t being challenged, or is falling behind in high school, check out
Teen Boarding Schools – there are lot of great schools listed there the have helped many students.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 7:04 PM
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Parenting Plan
A long-term parenting plan can help parents work towards the goals they want for their children. By knowing what kind of person you want your children to be when they grow up will help you develop strategies to help them reach each goal. Get more parenting tips about teaching values, being a good role model, and being fiscally responsible from
ContraCostaTimes.com.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 2:02 PM
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Teens Suffering Hearing Loss
Yesterday, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) announced the results of a survey that found "more than half of high school students surveyed report at least one symptom of hearing loss." The biggest factors contributing to hearing loss are listening too loud and too long with earbuds. Hands-free headsets for cell phone can also be a problem if the volume is too high. Learn more from
CBS.com.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 4:15 PM
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Most Important Part of Parenting is Offering Encouragement
In a popular book on parenting, psychologist Rudolph Driekurs believes giving children encouragement is the most important job of parents. He expands on his idea by defining what encouragement is not – humiliation or overprotection. Driekurs believes that giving children their space to make their own decisions is also required. Learn more about Driekurs’ parenting advice from
HearldToday.com.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 10:40 AM
Monday, March 13, 2006
Using Video Games to Treat ADHD
Researchers are hoping that having kids with ADHD play a special, patented video game system may help. This unique gaming system works with "controlling brain-wave activity, which some researchers say is too slow or too fast in certain areas of the brain when patients have ADHD." Read more about neuro-feedback and the connection to ADHD from
USA Today.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 8:01 PM
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Teens Getting High on OTC Medicines
Today's teens are getting high on over-the-counter and prescription medication. These range from prescription painkillers to simple medications found in any grocery store or pharmacy. Because 90% of households already stock these drugs, teenagers don't have to go to a dealer or steal money to buy them. Learn more about ways to spot abuse in your teenager
online.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 7:11 PM
Friday, March 10, 2006
Younger Kids Using Meth
Officials in Burnet County, Texas, are alarmed that kids as young at 10 are using and abusing methamphetamine. Some believe the meth problem there out of control – affecting one in three families in the county. Two factors seem to be feeding the problem: that meth is extremely addictive; and that some addicted children are getting and doing the drug with their parents. Learn more about the growing meth problem in younger children and what is being done about it
online.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 11:04 AM
Thursday, March 09, 2006
AR Girls Urged to Study Engineering
At Hold Middle School in Arkansas, 6th and 7th grade girls in the gifted and talented program took place in activities designed to introduce girls to the field of engineering. “Charlotte Earwood, project/program manager for the College of Education, said the event is designed to encourage girls to take an interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.” Since women are minorities in the fields of science and math, girls that like solving problems and discovering new things are being encouraged to look at engineering. Read more
online.
Bromley Brook School's unique approach to curriculum design makes science, mathematics, technology, and expressive arts accessible to all students. Learn more about this
top-rated boarding school for girls now.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 1:28 PM
TV Not Linked to ADHD
A recent study by experts at Texas Tech University shows that children who watch TV are not at a greater risk of developing ADHD. However, doctors believe more research will be needed because past research has shown the opposite to be true. Read more from
Fox News.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 1:19 PM
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
The New Era of CyberBullies
WISH-TV of Indiana recently aired a news story about the alarming rise of cyberbullies. Teenage victims of cyber space say they don’t tell their parents about being bullied because they don’t want their cell phones and Internet access taken away and because they are too embarrassed to talk about it with their parents. The victims say the worst part is that often they don’t even know who it is harassing them. Considering how “plugged in” today’s teens are, cyberbullies are able to constantly bombard their victims with IM’s and text messages without being held accountable. Learn more about the dark world of cyberbullies and how to help your children from
News Channel 8.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 10:44 AM
Monday, March 06, 2006
Indiana Teens Having Oral Sex
The latest Indiana study on Teen Risky Behavior shows that while the number of teenagers having intercourse is down, there is a rise in the number of teens engaging in oral sex. Among the misconceptions teens have about sex, they believe it’s safer than having intercourse, that you remain a virgin, and that it’s equivalent to a good night kiss. Learn more about the risks involved with oral sex
online.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 10:08 AM
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Parents Talk About Teenage Drinking
Recently a group of parents in Little Rock, AR discussed their concerns about teen drinking. They were surprised about how much teenagers drink and how much peer pressure today’s teens are under. The parents were also surprised that their children want their parents to be nosy and enforce strict rules regarding drugs and alcohol. Read more
online.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 11:43 AM
Saturday, March 04, 2006
How to Help Your Teenager from Failing
Throughout high school teens face challenges in and out of the classroom. If they continue for an extended period of time to have difficulties with their schoolwork, then parents and teachers need to step in. Students who exhibit characters and behaviors that prevent them from succeeding in school often respond to a change in parenting styles. Learn more about saving your adolescent teenager from academic failure online.
Sometimes academic failure isn’t because the student is failing, but because their school is failing them. Aspen Education Group has specialty
boarding schools for children with ADHD/ADD,
college prep boarding schools, and
private high schools for girls.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 10:57 PM
Friday, March 03, 2006
Teen Driving Survey
Allstate surveyed 1,000 teenage drivers in an effort to tackle the increasing problem of teen fatalities from auto accidents. Despite laws designed to protect adolescent drivers, there were 7,898 fatalities involving teenage drivers in 2004. Instead of dealing with skills, the Allstate study looked at attitudes and peer pressure. Adolescent psychologists feel that teenagers may not be ready to deal with the multi-tasking and risk assessing needed to be a good driver. Read more about the dangers of teenage drivers from the
LA Times.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 11:07 AM
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Parenting Myths and Facts
The Norman Transcript article discusses parenting myths, such as being consistent in discipline and ignoring misbehavior in children and teens, with facts that today’s parenting experts support. Read the myths and the facts
online.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 2:13 PM
Today’s Teens Aren’t Getting Enough Sleep
Teenagers face a variety of issues that cause them from getting enough sleep. Between homework and a busy social life, today’s teens have a difficult time falling and staying asleep. A recent study found that 11% of girls age 13 to 16 have insomnia. Learn how teenagers’ lack of sleep affects their productivity from
www.thestar.com.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 9:09 AM
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Teaching Morals and Ethics
Dr. Ian Russ, a marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles recommends keeping the lines of communication open to foster intimacy which will help parents raise moral and ethical children. By sharing their own values, parents can influence their teenagers’ behavior. Read Dr. Russ’ Seven Parenting Tips from the
Jewish Journal.
posted by ByParents-forParents at 6:21 PM
