News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers

About 80 percent of teen girls and 58 percent of teen boys send and receive text messages while they are driving, a very dangerous behavior that has been blamed for an increasing number of automobile accidents. Also, more than 65 percent of the teens who were surveyed said that they had asked someone to stop driving in a dangerous way.

These statistics were reached following a survey of 605 young people between the ages of 16 and 20.

Texting while driving is more dangerous than driving in rain or snow or using the phone while driving, according to the Allstate Foundation and the National Organization for Youth Safety, which conducted the survey.

Texting and other unsafe behaviors while behind the wheel are among the issues that have raised concerns about teen maturity and the ability of young people to drive safely.

Labels: driving, safety, text messaging, teen_culture

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

It's an assumption every parent makes: You figure out that your first child is easily distracted by toys when he's about to push buttons on the DVD player -- or her temper tantrums can be calmed by the right kind of music -- and you think that since it worked for the first kid, you already have the answer when your second child does the same thing.

Of course, it rarely works out that way. Columnist Karen Utley expounded on this dilemma in the May 26 edition of Oregon's Statesman-Journal newspaper

I know a dad whose oldest daughter always laughed at his jokes. Whatever her trouble -- from toddler tantrums to the trauma of teen angst -- he always could relieve the tension and restore her good temper by tickling her sense of humor. Her little sister, on the other hand, didnt think Dad was quite so funny; she interpreted his hilarity as teasing that was directed at her.

The resulting misunderstandings and hurt feelings on both sides threatened to permanently damage their relationship.

Though most parents know in their heads that every child is different, the reality -- lived out in a second child who is completely unaffected by previously successful disciplinary tactics -- often comes as a surprise. But a parent who figured out the best way to raise one child has a proven track record, and can certainly figure out the second ... and third.

Has your child exceeded your ability to provide structure, guidance, and supervision? If so, a private therapeutic boarding school for teens such as The Academy at Swift River may have the answers you and your family have been looking for.

Labels: parenting_styles

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

A new study from Harvard University and the University of Pittsburgh found that fathers become more involved with their teenagers once the teens have sex.

Researchers surveyed 3,200 teens (ages 13 to 18) about their sexual practices once a year for four years. The teens tended to become closer to their fathers after the father found out they were having sex; however, mothers were more knowledgeable about their children's lives.

Spending a lot of family time together was the most important factor in reducing risky sexual behaviors such as multiple partners and inconsistent use of birth control.

"There is a second, really important message from our research," said the study's lead author, Levine Coley. "When adolescents engaged more with their families in really simple activities, like eating dinner together, then engagement in sexual activities declined."

The study did not find that parents get angry when they find out their child has become sexually active, which was a conclusion of previous studies.

This study appeared in the journal Child Development.

Labels: sex, teenagers, parental-involvement, fathers

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Many teenagers will be, or have begun, looking for summer jobs. But in today's economic climate, they may not find employment. Without a summer job to get them up and out of the house, teenagers may spend too much time sleeping and watching television.

Writing in the May 20 edition of The Joplin (Missouri) Globe, guest columnist Mat Anderson encouraged parents to make every effort to keep their kids active during non-school months:

Part of the reason for this decline in physical activity among todays youth is an increase in media and technological consumption among young people. Rather than playing outside for hours as they did as children, many of todays teens would rather play video games, watch TV and spend time on MySpace or Facebook.

You can help get your teens get off the couch by giving them chores to do, and planning family activities such as going hiking or playing mini golf. To ensure that your teens have a supportive, educational, and motivational experience during the summer, you may want to consider enrolling them in a reputable, professionally operated summer camp for teens.

Labels: parenting_tips, summer camps, summer

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

At the age of 23, Erin is not too far removed from her teenage years to remember having questions about sex. Questions her mom never answered, or even gave Erin opportunities to ask:

Over the years, my mother and I missed many opportunities for honest and healthy conversations about sex and sexuality. We could have shared our values, experiences, hopes, dreams and even our fears. Looking back& I wanted my parents to talk to me about sex. I wanted them to know where I stood on the issue; I wanted to know where they stood. (Source: The Ventura County Star)

May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, which gives parents the perfect opportunity to start  or continue  talking to their teenagers about sex. It may be awkward, but the conversation can be an immeasurably valuable tool to help your child with one of the more difficult aspects of the teen years.

Sexual promiscuity among teenagers has been associated with a wide range of problematic behaviors -- many of which, if not addressed early enough, may necessitate enrollment in a private boarding school.

Labels: parenting_tips, teenagers, pregnancy, sex_education

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

To parent is to love. Most parents would agree with that. But would you also agree that to parent is to hate? Maybe not.

However, in a May 10 article on the Huffington Post,Donna Fish -- a licensed clinical social worker in Manhattan -- advises parents to admit feelings of deep disappointment or anger toward their children.

I promise you, this is not coming only from the Mom perspective of how I feel at times when I am in the biggest fight with my kids. It comes from the training I have gotten as an analyst, when I was told by one of my best teachers: Good enough is not only good enough, it is vital to help kids tolerate disappointment, and learn to hold onto us in their minds in the face of their own anger and hatred.

Fish writes that the word "hatred" may be a bit melodramatic, but that parents still need to be honest about the intense emotions -- positive and negative -- that come with parenting. Kids need to know that they're loved even when their parents are angry. And they need to see their parents work through their anger in healthy ways, so that they can learn to do the same thing.

Parents: Don't ever underestimate the value of open and honest parent-child communication (in all its many forms).

Labels: parenting_tips, parenting, communication

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Mothers may be partly to blame for childhood obesity, because many of them are overfeeding their infants, according to a study from Rutgers University that appeared in appeared in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

Dr. John Worobey and his colleagues monitored 96 mothers of babies at ages three months, six months, and twelve months old. The mothers tended to overfeed the children between six and twelve months old because they could not tell when the children were full. They fed them too frequently or did not slow the pace of feeding, which can lead to overweight and obesity.

Dr. Worobey said that such practices interfere with the childrens ability to self-regulate their own eating habits because their body gets used to the feeling of excessive amounts.

Weight-loss experts and other health professionals note that making
healthy food choices and eating appropriately sized portions are two important steps in the effort to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Labels: mothers, overweight, chilhood_obesity, eating habits

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Parents of autistic children in Colorado got some good news recently, as the state's legislature has passed a bill that would require health insurance companies to pay for therapy for children with autism.

"This bill will have a tremendous impact on the lives of people with autism and their families. It will also alleviate some of the financial burden on the public education, public health care programs, and social services systems in our state," said Betty Lehman, Executive Director of the Autism Society of Colorado.

Intense behavioral therapy performed in early childhood has shown to benefit autistic children, but it is very expensive. However, studies indicate that such treatment can save more money in the long-run, because the estimated lifelong cost of caring for a person with autism spectrum disorder can run upward of $4.5 million. With the early intervention, treatment costs about two-thirds less.

Once this bill is signed into law, Colorado will become the 11th state requiring insurance companies to cover autism treatment. Autism is one of five conditions that fall under the term autism spectrum disorders.

Labels: autism, insurance

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Victims of childhood bullying are four times more likely to become psychotic before they reach middle school, according to a study from the University of Warwick in Great Britain.

Psychology professor Dieter Wolke studied more than 6,430 children from birth to age 13 years old, administering interviews and psychological tests to the children and their parents. Prof. Wolke found that victims of bullies were more likely to experience psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, hearing voices, and believing others were spying upon them.

"Adverse social relationships with peers are a potent risk factor for developing psychotic symptoms," Dr. Wolke said in an article that appeared in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. "When we talk about bullying victimization, it is repeated, systematic and an abuse of power with an intention to hurt."

In recent years a greater degree of attention has been paid to the causes and effects of bullying, which has been linked to a wide range of social, emotional, and developmental disorders.

Labels: children, mental_health, bullying

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Children who have certain positive personality traits at age seven years old are more likely to grow up to become healthy adults, according to a study from Harvard School of Public Health.

Professor Laura Kubzansky reached this conclusion after tracking 569 people from the National Collaborative Perinatal Project from age seven to the mid-thirties. During her research, Dr. Kubzansky studied fifteen traits, with the most important traits being the ability to stay focused on a task, the tendency to react negatively, and shyness or being withdrawn. The adults were rated for diseases such as cancer, asthma, arthritis, and ulcers.

Having a superior attention span and a positive outlook as a child had the greatest effect on adult health, especially for women. Race, socioeconomic status, and/or ethnicity did not appear to influence the relationship between childhood personality and adult health. About 75 percent of participants had good health as adults.

"This study provides more evidence that behavior and emotions generally linked to certain temperaments play a crucial role in long-term health," Dr. Kubzansky said in the May 2009 issue of the journal Health Psychology. "Fortunately, early childhood characteristics can be shaped and guided by social, family and peer interactions."

Children who are struggling with unhealthy attitudes or unacceptable behavior may benefit from attending an innovative summer camp for troubled kids such as the ones that are offered by SUWS Youth in Shoshone, Idaho.

Labels: health, children, attitudes, development

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

A new British study finds that children with Aspergers Syndrome have lower levels of cortisol, a hormone that helps the body deal with stress by increasing blood pressure and blood sugar to adapt to changes in the environment.

People generally wake up with a double amount of cortisol to help them with the stress of a new day. However, researchers at the University of Bath found that Aspies have no such cortisol increase in the morning, yet their levels of the hormone drop off throughout the day as do everyone elses.

"We think this difference in stress hormone levels could be really significant in explaining why children with [Aspergers Syndrome] are less able to react and cope with unexpected change," psychology professor Mark Brosnan of the University of Bath said in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Aspergers Syndrome is often defined as a form of high-functioning autism. Aspies often repeat behaviors and have narrow patterns of thought. Typically, they develop an obsession with a single topic or object.

Labels: asperger, autism, research

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

When most adults look back on their teenage years, they admit that times were often tough. Few teens consider themselves "kids" anymore, but they arent quite adults yet either. Issues such as dating, school stress, and peer pressure can be difficult to manage. In New York, young people who are experiencing these types of troubles can turn to community-based organizations:

Some adolescents find that they have few places to seek help or advice when it comes to navigating the tumultuous waters of the journey to adulthood. Fortunately, there are local organizations to help teens and pre-teens find their way."(Source: Democrat and Chronicle (NY), April 28, 2009)

One of these organizations is called Boys to Men, which helps boys ages ten to 17 by providing adult mentors who offer guidance and a ready ear. The group's mentors offer time and attention to help the boys learn how to become men of character and integrity.

Boys to Men is one of many youth mentoring efforts throughout the world that are designed to help young people navigate the challenging path between adolescence and adulthood.

Labels: mentoring

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

After studying 754 young people over a five-year period, researchers with Children's Hospital Boston have concluded that children who view adult-oriented television shows may be more likely to begin having sex at an earlier than usual age. A May 4, 2009, article on the ScienceDaily medical news website provided the following details from the study:

The study consisted of 754 participants, 365 males and 389 females, who were tracked during two stages in life: first during childhood, and again five years later when their ages ranged from 12 to 18-years-old.

At each stage, the television programs and movies viewed, and the amount of time spent watching them over a sample weekday and weekend day were logged. The program titles were used to determine what content was intended for adults. The participants' onset of sexual activity was then tracked during the second stage. ...

When the youngest children in the sample--ages 6 to 8-years-old--were exposed to adult-targeted television and movies, they were more likely to have sex earlier when compared those who watched less adult-targeted content. The study found that for every hour the youngest group of children watched adult-targeted content over the two sample days, their chances of having sex during early adolescence increased by 33 percent.

"Television and movies are among the leading sources of information about sex and relationships for adolescents," Hernan Delgado, MD, the lead author of the study, said in the ScienceDaily article. "Our research shows that their sexual attitudes and expectations are influenced much earlier in life."

Previous studies have revealed that many teens who don't engage in early sexual activity and a host of other potentially problematic behaviors cite positive parental influence as the key factor in their decisions.

Labels: adolescents, sex, teenagers, television, parental-involvement

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 3 Comments

A study from Erasmus University Center in the Netherlands concluded that governments should regulate iPods and other music players in such a way that they do not damage hearing.

Dr. Hein Raat and his colleagues have previously discovered that teens often play their devices at highest volume, unaware that this practice can cause permanent hearing loss.

One tip for parents and teens is to use over-the-ear headphones, not in-ear styles, which can result in greater exposure to high volumes.

This study appeared in the journal Pediatrics.

Labels: health, teen_culture, health risks

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

A study of 1,178 young people between the ages of eight and 18 years old found that 88 percent played video games, and almost one in ten shows several symptoms of being addicted to them.

The study, which was led by Dr. Douglas Gentile of the University of Iowa, found that 12 percent of the boys and 8 percent of the girls who played games had at least six out of eleven symptoms of addiction. Those who were addicted to the games were twice as likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Children had signs of addiction if they agreed to the following statements:

• They skipped homework to play games.


• They played to escape their problems.


• They were restless and irritable if not allowed to play.


• They lied about how much they played.


• They had stolen a game or stolen money for a game.


• They had poor test scores because they neglected homework to play video games.


• They had tried to quit and failed.


• They thought excessively about gaming.

Though many enthusiasts incorrectly employ the word "addiction" when discussing the object of their passion, video game addiction has been identified as a legitimate mental health disorder that can be treated with effective professional intervention.

Labels: video_games, teens, adolescents, addictions

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 1 Comment

Fewer teenagers are volunteering, according to new figures from the Tufts University Center for Information and Research in Civic Learning and Engagement.

Peter Levine, director of the Center, said that 33 percent of people ages 16 to 19 years old were volunteers in 2005, but that rate has dropped to 28 percent in 2007, the year with the most recent figures. Levine said a drop in funding for some youth-related programs such as Americorps might account for the decrease in volunteerism.

"They're still volunteering at higher rates than their parents did," he said, "but there has been a loss of momentum." The study did not consider how many teens volunteer as a requirement for a class or graduation.

The decline in teen volunteerism could signal an impending uptick in problematic behavior. According to a report from the Corporation for National and Community service, young people who engage in positive activities such as volunteering are less likely to have problems in school or engage in risky behaviors such as teen drug use, alcohol abuse, crime, and sexual promiscuity.

Labels: teen_culture, volunteers

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments