News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers

A study out of Britain has found that teenagers who regularly talk to their fathers about their struggles and stresses are less likely to smoke tobacco. The study was led by Dr. James White from the Cardiff University School of Medicine, and traced the habits of 3,500 teenagers.

“None of the children had ever smoked when the study began. They were asked about the frequency of parental communication, arguments with family members and how often they ate a meal as a family …

White’s research found that one of the major factors preventing teens from picking up the habit was how often fathers talked with their children about ‘things that mattered.’ He found that talks had to be one-on-one conversations because the frequency of family arguments and family meals didn’t have a significant effect.” (Source: QMI Agency)

White is presenting the study’s findings to the British Psychological Society’s annual conference. He hopes the results will encourage parents, and especially dads, to set aside one-on-one time with their kids.

Labels: parental influence, fathers, smoking

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

Most teenagers do not talk openly with their parents about their serious romantic involvements, according to a new study from Ohio State University. However, girls tend to be more open than boys, and both sexes tend to talk more to their mothers than their fathers about such issues.

• Dr. Christopher Daddis and his colleagues interviewed 222 high school students in ninth and 12th grades, asking them how willing they were to disclose information about three categories relating to their romantic lives. 
• The first category was about the identity of their partner, such as information about their dates' parents and school interests.
• The second category was about sexual activities.
• The third category involved the ways that the couple showed affection, such as holding hands, kissing, and dating each other exclusively.

None of the teens talked to their parents about whether or not they were having sex. However, girls in general and ninth graders tended to disclose more information about their romantic partners' identities and other issues compared to boys in general and high school seniors.

"We found that adolescents were more willing to talk to their parents about an issue if they felt that it would render harm to themselves or have some consequences that may affect others," said Dr. Daddis. He said that his study indicates that parents should not feel frustrated about a lack of communication or take it as evidence of an increasing distance or diminishing influence between them and their children.

"What we found is that adolescents are willing to talk to their parents about some issues, but those issues may change as they grow older and feel more autonomous,"  he said.

The study appeared in the Journal of Adolescence.
 

Labels: sex, communication, romance

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Teenagers whose mothers smoke are three times more likely to smoke cigarettes themselves, compared to children whose mothers abstain, according to a new study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

• Only 9 percent of teenagers smoke tobacco.
• However, among teens whose mothers smoke, that rate is almost 17 percent.
• Teens whose mothers do not use cigarettes have an 5.8 percent smoking rate.

"We were a little surprised that the results were that high,"  said Fran Harding, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. "The percentages of teen smoking have been going down and this is showing us a recent increase."

Teens whose mothers suffered from a major episode of depression within the last year are twice as likely to take up smoking compared to teenagers not in that situation. The rate of smoking among teens with depressive mothers is 14.3 percent.
 

Labels: mothers, tobacco, influences, smoking

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Although children with autism are more likely to be hospitalized for infectious diseases, the diseases do not cause autism, according to a major study from Denmark.

• Researchers analyzed data for 1.4 million children and found that autistic children were more likely to be admitted to hospitals not only for infectious diseases but also for other causes including non-infectious diseases.
• Therefore, the research team concluded that childhood infections are not a cause for autism.
• Many parents believe their children developed autism after a severe fever or other ailment.

"We found the same relationship between hospitalization due to many different infections and autism," said Dr. Hjordis Atladottir, lead author of the study at the University of Aarhus.

Autism is characterized by problems in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.  It appears to be increasing among American children, with one in every 110 having such a diagnosis.

This study appeared in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
 

Labels: autism

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

Every Mothers Day, moms across the country are showered with affection from appreciative children -- but it rarely takes mroe than a day or so for the cards, flowers and fancy dinners have been replaced with attitude, eye-rolling and fights at the breakfast table. Author Silvana Clark hopes her book, Fun-Filled Parenting, can be the silver lining.

“Parents – Why you’ll love it. Each of the 17 chapters focuses on a specific aspect of parenting – from meal time to travel ideas. You can read the whole thing, or just focus on what needs to be improved in your family. These ideas allow you to seen as a ‘fun’ parent while still receiving respect from your children.” (Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

The ideas can work for kids ranging in age from toddler to teenager. The book also included real-life parenting stories, and a guide for creating “four-week family programs.”

Labels: advice, books

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

A study from Children's Hospital in Philadelphia found that children who live in rural areas are as likely to die by guns as those in big cities. However, gun deaths in rural areas tend to be suicides, and gun deaths in urban areas tend to be homicides.

The rate for both areas was about four deaths per every 100,000 children.

In large cities, the rate of suicide by firearms was less than one per 100,000 children, compared to a 2.75 rate in rural areas. However, the gun-homicide rate in cities was 3.8 per 100,000, compared to 0.8 in rural areas.

Lead researcher Dr. Michael Nance said the results of his study indicate that programs about gun safety and suicide prevention should be adjusted according to regional differences.

The study appeared in the journal Pediatrics.
 

Labels: violence, suicide, death

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

Parents who are hoping their teens will reap the many benefits of having a summer job may be in for a rude awakening this year.

Teenagers are facing a very bad summer job market because of the recession, according to a new study from Northeastern University.

• The researchers found that only 25% of teenagers 16 to 19 years old are finding jobs
• In 2000, the teen employment rate was 50% in 2000.
• This year's is the lowest rate since the end of World War II.

Dr. Andrew Sum, director of Northeastern's Center for Labor Market Studies, said that teenagers who are unable to find summer jobs will be at a disadvantage when they look for permanent jobs in their 20s.

"We are denying them an opportunity to acquire the skills that employers value very highly," Sum said.
 

Labels: summer, jobs, energy drinks

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

The United States ranks 29th in its childhood mortality rate, according to new data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

• The United States had a 42% decline in childhood mortality in 1990.
• The current rate is 6.7 deaths per 1000 children this year.
• Nations such as Serbia and Malaysia, have shown more dramatic decreases and are now ranked higher than the United States.
• Singapore has the lowest child mortality rate at 2.5 deaths per 1000 children.

The authors of the study blame the United States' poor performance on a fragmented, poorly planned health care system.
 

Labels: health, children, infants, death

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

Kids want to hear more than just words of correction from their parents. They want to hear words of encouragement, too. So, the Summit County (OH) Children’s Services is encouraging parents to be encouraging.

“Praise is one of the most powerful tools a parent can use to guide children’s behavior and build self esteem. When parents call attention to positive behaviors, they teach children what is right and encourage more positive behavior.” [Source: Akron Examiner]

It’s especially important for parents to praise the efforts of their children, not just the results. Your teen might, for example, try hard to excel in Track & Field, and still not be the best on the team. He is, however, better than he would have been if he’d never tried at all. And that’s worth noticing.

Labels: parental influence

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

For many of us, the phrase “Money doesn’t grow on trees” was the only financial education we got from our parents. We weren’t taught how to live within our means, balance a checkbook, create a budget or save money. Parenting author Stacy DeBroff hopes we’ll do better by our kids.

“’There’s this immediate gratification: “I really, really want this great pair of jeans,” not “I can’t afford this pair of jeans,”’ she explains. This disconnect from the need to budget sets teens up for a shock when they leave home. Suddenly they face the harsh reality of paying bills for rent, food and often tuition at a post-secondary school.” [Source: Canwest News Service (Canada)]

To make it worse, college is often where kids get their first credit cards, making it easier for them satisfy those instant gratification urges, and saddling them with debt that could take them years to pay off.

Some parents may rely on school to educate their kids, but financial responsibility isn’t taught in most schools. Instead, parents need to take an active role, making sure their kids are prepared for the real world – where nearly everything has a price tag.

Labels: finance, parental influence, money

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Too often, parents who are misinformed about today’s social networking sites (such as Facebook and MySpace) will simply prohibit their kids from logging on to them. Unfortunately, most kids will do it anyway, so the best thing parents can do is education themselves about the benefits and dangers on online social networking.

"If [parents] engage and have their own experiences on Facebook, LinkedIn, [etc], they will better understand the attraction, the possibilities, and the issues that their teenagers face," said Sue Blaney, author, speaker and teen parenting blogger at PleaseStopTheRollercoaster.com.” [Source: Mashable]

Blaney goes on to suggest that parents guide their teenagers through the process of creating privacy settings on social networking sites. If there are things you don’t understand about a certain site, ask your teenager, he’s probably an expert -- and asking for his help shows that you recognize and appreciate his level of expertise.

Of course, permitting children to use the Internet and social media sites isn't the same as allowing them unfettered access to the online world. Responsible parents should work with their children to develop realistic plans to limit and supervise children's use of computers and other technology.

Labels: internet, computers

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Raising kids takes patience, dedication, self-sacrifice, and a couple of other things that parents don’t always have: perspective and a sense of humor. Licensed marriage and family therapist Bruce Fountain often reminds parents of the importance of keeping things in perspective, and learning to laugh.

“Without a sense of humor, everything children do can seem to be leading to catastrophic destruction. I do everything possible to help parents reduce their anxiety and helping them learn to laugh about what their children do before they respond is one of those things.” [Source: Redlands (CA) Daily Facts]

Fountain tries to encourage parents towards a healthy perspective, keeping in mind that although a child’s behavior may be shocking to an adult, but to a child it’s perfectly normal. A parent who overreacts to a child’s behavior can create unnecessary anxiety and tension, neither of which benefits the child … or the parent.

Labels: parenting tips

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

Journalist Kate Wheeler recently found out that her sister has cancer. In addition to figuring out the best treatment, she’s also had to figure out how best (and how much) to tell her teenage children.

“There’s no easy way to tell your child you are sick but the experts say headlines first, facts next and delete the editorials. Then you need to get ready to field questions. Know that teenagers may not want to talk right away. They will likely be in shock and disbelief and not want many details while they take in the bigger picture, but be prepared just in case.” [Source: Telegraph-Journal (New Brunswick, Canada)]

In her book titled “Parenting Through Crisis,” author Barbara Coloroso uses the acronym TAO to describe what kids need during crisis: Time, Affection and Optimism. Be honest with your kids about tough situations, but be willing and able to find the silver lining, too – even if it just means being grateful that you have access to good medical treatment.

Labels: health, parenting tips

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments