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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.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Today's Kids May be Better Off Than Their Parents Were in 1975

A report from Duke University indicates that today's young people are slightly better off than their parents in seven categories of well-being.

The 2008 Child and Youth Well-Being Index Project found a 2 percent increase in well-being from 1975 to 2005, in terms of economic well-being, health, safety and behavior, education, community connectedness, social relationships, and emotional and spiritual well-being. The only two categories to decline were community connectedness and social relationships.

However, today's teens are more likely to be overweight and live below the poverty line. They score higher on math and reading tests, have lower rates of accidental deaths, are more likely to be in school, and are less likely to abuse alcohol and drugs as compared to their parents' generation.

Labels: children, parents, well-being

posted by ByParents-forParents at 8:10 AM 0 comments

Friday, August 01, 2008

Can Parents Exert Too Much Control Over Their Children?

A frustrated teen wrote to Dear Abby in search of advice on how to deal with her mother, who monitors her actions so closely that she won't even let her daughter close her bedroom door. Mom has no reason to mistrust her daughter, the girl wrote, noting that she is in the top two percent of her class in school and is heavily involved in extracurricular activities.

Abby sided with the teenager:

"While I'm all for conscientious parenting, it appears your mom has gone over the top.. Is your father in the picture? If so, talk to him about the situation."

Abby suggested that the teenager also talk to a female relative or the mother of a close friend, and ask them to talk to her mom as well. The mom, Abby wrote, needs to realize that exerting too much control may simply drives her child away. Source: Fox23.com

Labels: control, independence, parents

posted by ByParents-forParents at 6:29 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Heroic Parents

Parents of teenagers rarely feel heroic. And most of the time, kids' attitudes towards parents and rules enhances a parent's non-heroic feelings. But parenting teens is tough, deserves some recognition, and will benefit kids in the long run.

"Yes, you will get the 'eye roll'; yes, you will get the 'I don't believe you are actually doing this to me'; yes, your teen might be upset. But, in a private moment years hence, when reflecting on his or her teenage years, your child might say, 'Well, yes, my parents embarrassed me at the time, but I certainly knew they cared about my well-being. My friends' parents didn't check up on them; they thought I was the lucky one.'"

Though boundaries can be hard to set (and even harder to defend); though your insistence that they 'check in' might cause tension, you're letting your kids know that you care and you're helping them grow into the adults they're meant to become. Read more at JewishJournal.com

Old fashioned values are the core part of Turn-About Ranch's programs for troubled teens. Through equine assisted therapy, traditional therapy, and hard work, troubled teens work through their issues to turn around their lives. Visit www.turnaboutranch.com to learn more.

Labels: parents, respect, role_models

posted by ByParents-forParents at 12:25 PM 0 comments

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Second-hand Smoke Affects Academic Testing

Second-hand smoke can affect more than a child's health. A recently published study found that it also significantly affected academic performance.

UK students take O-level (ordinary level) and A-level (advanced level) exams at 16 to 18 years of age to test their knowledge of various subjects. The researchers found that students who had at least one parent smoking in the home were 30 percent less likely to pass their O levels. Teens who smoked one to nine cigarettes a week were 45 percent more likely to fail, while those who smoked 10 or more cigarettes weekly were at a 67 percent increased risk of failing this exam."

The study was conducted on over 6,300 kids and also found that, though prenatal smoking causes other health risks, it didn't affect academic performance at all.

Copper Canyon Academy is a boarding high school for girls in Arizona that offers accredited academics and therapy.

Labels: health, parents, smoking

posted by ByParents-forParents at 9:21 PM 0 comments

Monday, May 28, 2007

Professional Drivers' Training Cuts Risks of Injury Accidents

Teens who learned to drive from their parents, relatives or other non-professional instructors are 50 percent more likely to get into an injury accident, according to a study by the Texas Transportation Institute.

Researchers looked at the records of 1.4 million drivers under age 18. Those drivers who were taught by anyone other than a professional instructor were more likely to be involved in a serious injury accident. Before 1997, all Texas drivers had to have professional training.

Would you like to help your child or teen with Asperger's to achieve success in school? Read "Achieving Success in School Settings for Children and Teens with Aspergers Syndrome".

Labels: driving, parents, teenagers

posted by ByParents-forParents at 10:48 AM 0 comments

Monday, February 19, 2007

Lawmakers Want Tougher Penalties for Parents who Provide Alcohol to Teens

State lawmakers in Illinois are pushing for higher fines and prison time for parents who provide teenagers with alcohol and a place to drink it. Parents who allow their teens and their friends a place to party will face tougher penalties if state representatives and police agencies get their way.

"'It's not acceptable for parents to allow teenagers to break the law in their own homes,' said state Sen. Susan Garrett, a Lake Forest Democrat and mother of two. 'Parents might think that as long as teenagers are at home, they're in a safe environment. But there's nothing to keep those teens from leaving, there's nothing to keep them off the roads.'"

Throughout the state, and the country, high profile alcohol-related deaths involving teens who have been given alcohol by adults has brought the issue to the forefront. Read more online from the Daily Herald.

Labels: alcohol, laws, parents

posted by ByParents-forParents at 6:26 PM

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