News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers

A professor at the University of Minnesota has discovered that teens who watch five or more hours of television a day are more likely to have poor diets as young adults:

• Dr. Daheia Barr-Anderson studied 1,366 high school students at age 15 and then again at age 20.
• The study subjects who watched excessive amounts of television as teenagers were more likely to eat more fast foods and snacks and consume sugared sodas as young adults.
• Those who watched less than two hours of television a day as teens were more likely to eat healthy diets, including more fresh fruits and vegetables, as young adults.

This study appeared in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

One way to ensure that young people spend ample time away from the television set is to enroll them in a weight loss camp. Camps such as the weight loss and fitness opportunities by Wellspring Camps teach teens about healthy nutrition while ensuring that they get plenty of exercise in a fun, safe, and highly supportive environment.

Labels: teenagers, television, diet

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Obesity causes as many early deaths as does a 10-cigarette-a-day smoking habit.

• Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden studied 45,000 men ages 16 to 19 years old, and then followed up with them about 20 years later.
• Those who smoked more than ten cigarettes a day and who were also obese at the greatest risk for premature death, being five times more likely to die than non-smokers of healthy weights.
• Smoking between one and ten cigarettes a day was the equivalent of being overweight, but not obese.

Alone, obesity and heavy smoking each doubled the risk of premature death.

This study appeared in the British Medical Journal.

Labels: health, obesity, smoking

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

A four-year study of parenting styles found that stricter parenting of young children means better-behaved teenagers.

• Researchers from Iowa State University followed 300 seventh graders for 48 months.
• The researchers concluded that poor parental skills were more to blame than biology was for problem behaviors in teens.
• The behaviors studied were temper tantrums, talking back, bullying, blaming others or external forces for one's own problems, and oppositional/defiant behaviors.

This study appeared in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

Labels: parenting_styles, strictness

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

Adolescence comes with dozens of changes. For some teens, those changes can be hard to handle. Parents can help their kids adjust by letting them learn how to make decisions, cope with their choices, and accept the consequences.

"Practice giving them some room to make tough decisions, and then discuss with them the outcome. Try to suspend your judgment, helping your youth 'connect the dots' between their choices and the consequences, good or bad. You will likely be pleasantly surprised at how competent your child has become at making responsible choices..."

There is a risk that children who feel out of control can overcompensate by becoming too assertive and controlling. Help them maintain a sense of control by letting them explore their own independence and identity. Read more at PostIndependent.com.

Labels: consequences, confidence, independence

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 1 Comment

When Cassandra was 15-years-old she tried to commit suicide. Her mother received a frantic call from a friend’s mom, telling her that Cassandra had taken “a bunch of pills.” Cassandra was unsuccessful in her suicide attempt, but mom has been worried ever since.

“While Joanne admits there was some dysfunction in her home in the past, not unlike most families, she has tried to give her youngest of four girls all the attention and love she can muster hoping to help her overcome depression and a severe eating disorder… But despite her efforts, her now 17-year-old daughter’s mental health has only worsened.” - Source: The Toronto Sun

Cassandra has tried five times in the last year to commit suicide. She has been in and out of programs, never really believing she needs help. But her mom knows she does, and so she keeps trying – and hoping that she finds her daughter the help she needs before it’s too late.

Teen suicide attempts are often associated with teen depression, anxiety, and related mental health challenges. Parents who find themselves in situations similiar to the one Cassandra's mother is experiencing need to know that help is available for teens with mental health issues.

Labels: teens, suicide, mental_health

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 2 Comments

If a woman drinks alcohol when she is pregnant, her baby could be born with fetal alcohol syndrome, a complex of birth defects that can include hyperactivity, seizures, facial and head irregularities, cognitive deficits, attention deficits, memory impairments, learning impairments, motor coordination deficits, and poor psychosocial functioning.

Four first-year medical students from Georgetown University Medical Center recently studied the problem of fetal alcohol syndrome, and reported their findings in the journal Developmental Neuroscience. They concluded that very little progress has been made in preventing babies from being born with the syndrome.

“Although there is a lot of research in the field to determine how alcohol acts on the developing brain, there is not much translation into the clinic," said Sahar Ismail, one of the four researchers.

“What surprised us the most was the lack of sensitive and specific diagnostic tools to identify children with FAS, given its prevalence and harmful effects on the child, family and society.”

The study found that many factors influence FAS, such as genetics, the woman's history of alcohol abuse, and her age. Yet questions remain, such as -- Is there a safe level of drinking during pregnancy? Will there ever be a way to reverse the effects of alcohol exposure on a fetus? Are some children more at risk because of factors unique to the baby and the mother?

Some studies indicate that FAS only occurs if the mother is an alcoholic, and does not occur if a pregnant woman consumes fewer than eight drinks a week. Other research indicates that between 10% and 30% of pregnant woman drink alcohol at some point during pregnancy, but FAS occurs only once in every 100 births.

Labels: mothers, alcohol, pregnancy

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 2 Comments

From the "do as I say, not as I do" files: About 63% of adults talk on cell phones when they drive compared to only 43% of teenagers, according to a new study from Pew Internet and American Life Project.

As for texting while driving, the percent of teens and adults who admitted to doing it was about the same, slightly over one in four.

Almost half the adults in the study told researchers they had been in a car driven by someone who was talking on a phone, and 44% said they felt they were in danger as a passenger under such circumstances.

"It is just as hard for adults as it is for teenagers to resist chatting with friends and sending off a text even in the midst of heavy traffic," said Lee Rainie, co-author of the study. "Constant mobile connectivity to friends, family and colleagues is the hallmark of the age, and it is hard to resist even in situations where it would seem smart to stay focused on the task at hand."

The authors estimate that at any given time two million people are talking on cell phones while driving.
 

Labels: driving, cell phones

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 1 Comment

Is it possible that your teenager is overscheduled and at risk of burning out? A few years ago this would have been a far-fetched idea, but today it’s becoming a real problem.

High school, sports, extra curricular activities, friends, boyfriend/girlfriend relationships and family demand time and attentiveness from your teen. So much so, he could be experiencing signs of stress or worse – burnout.

If your teenager is feeling anxious for no real reason, is less effective when trying to accomplish certain tasks, can’t sleep, or is behaving more impulsively than usual, he may be on the verge of burning out. If you suspect he’s heading in that direction, talk to him, and help him find a better balance – which may include eliminating one or more activities.
 

Labels: health

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 3 Comments

A child's ability to control his behaviors and impulses affect his reading, mathematics and vocabulary scores, according to new research from Oregon State University.

Michaella Sektnan and her colleagues studied 1298 children from birth to first grade. Many of these children had factors such as poverty and low parental educational levels that put them at risk for poor academic performance. Sektnan took out these factors so that the study was only about the child's ability to self-regulate, defined as paying attention, listening, following directions, and staying on task.

Children with these abilities scored about ten points higher in math, vocabulary and reading on tests during kindergarten.

"What we wanted to know is, controlling for factors such as poverty, ethnic status, and maternal education, does self-regulation make a difference? ... We know now that we can help children become successful by teaching them how to self-regulate," Sektnan said.

This study appears in the journal Early Childhood Research Quarterly.
 

Labels: academics, school

Posted By: By Parents For Parents 3 Comments

Nearly every parent knows from experience that kids learn to lie at a young age. As toddlers, they lie to get out of trouble, to get the toys they want, or to avoid eating vegetables at dinner – among other things. As they grow up, they should know better, but sometimes they don’t.

“Honesty is like a muscle. It must be practiced in a safe setting and in lots of situations to become strong. We need to give our children lots of safe space to practice honesty because what we really want is teenagers who feel safe coming to us with even tougher situations.” [Source: NBC Action News (Kansas City, MO)]

Ultimately, our goal is to raise kids that are honest, trustworthy, and can build healthy relationships. We need to teach, set the right example, and give them the freedom to make mistakes along the way.

Labels: parental influence, communication

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment