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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.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Later Starts Mean Extra Sleep for High School Students

When high schools start their school day later students get more sleep, and that's a good thing, according to a new study from Norwalk Hospital Sleep Disorder Center in Connecticut.

Researchers followed 259 students whose starting time changed from 7:35 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Students used the time to sleep an extra half hour in the mornings, but did not change their bedtimes, which averaged around 11 p.m.

Previous studies have shown that increased sleep is linked to better grades and motivation, less emotional disturbance, and even reductions in ADHD symptoms. However, this does not mean that lack of sleep causes those conditions.

Author Mary O'Malley presented this study at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

Labels: school, sleep_deprivation

posted by ByParents-forParents at 4:59 PM 0 comments

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Florida Teacher Lets Class "Vote Out" Potentially Autistic Kindergartener

By Hugh C. McBride

A parent has filed a complaint with the Morningside (Florida) Elementary School administration and is considering legal action after learning from her 5-year-old son that his teacher had led a vote by his fellow students that resulted in his being banished from the classroom.

Melissa Barton had originally filed a criminal complaint after learning that her son, Alex, had been relegated to the nurse's office on May 21, 2008, by virtue of a 14-2 "election" in his kindergarten class. However, the state attorney's office declined to file charges, noting that it felt the actions taken by the teacher did not meet the standard for child abuse.

On the day in question, Alex - who his mother said is in the process of being diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (a high-functioning form of autism) - had been sent to the principal's office because of bad behavior. When he returned, his teacher, Wendy Portillo, had him stand in front of the class while other students told him what they didn't like about him. They then voted that he not be allowed back in the class.

On May 29, the TC Palm website reported that the teacher had provided police with an alternate version of the events. According to a report the Port St. Lucie Police Department released that day, the teacher claimed that she was attempting to demonstrate to Alex the degree to which his behavior was having a negative effect on those around him. She also told police that the vote was to decide whether Barton should be removed from class for that day only, and was not meant to establish his permanent exile.

"Portillo said she did this as she felt that if (Alex) heard from his classmates how his behavior affected them that it would make a bigger difference to him, rather than just hearing it from adults," the police report stated.

The St. Lucie County School District and Florida's Department of Children and Families are both conducting investigations related to the incident.

Labels: school, special needs, teaching

posted by ByParents-forParents at 2:26 PM 0 comments

Friday, May 30, 2008

Family Stress Affects Teens at School

Stress at home affects teens' lives at school, and stress at school carries over into their family lives, according to a new study from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Lisa Flook and her colleagues studied 503 teenagers in the ninth through twelfth grades. Those who experienced higher levels of family stress in their freshman years had poorer academic records by senior year. Students with higher levels of academic problems in ninth grade experienced greater family stress in twelfth grade.

"The two-directional process of spillover between family and school identified here suggests that reducing stress in the family may have benefits for adolescents' school adjustment and vice versa," Dr. Flook wrote in the journal Child Development.

Labels: families, school, stress

posted by ByParents-forParents at 7:14 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Most Students Pass National Writing Test

"The nation's newest report card" says that most middle and high school students score at or above the basic level in writing. Scores did not change in any significant way from the last time American students took the national writing test in 2002. About a third of the eighth-graders and a fourth of the twelfth-graders scored at the "proficient" or above-average levels.

Eighth-graders went from 85% to 88% passing, but twelfth-graders improved more: from 74% to 84%. Some educators suggested that the reason for that increase might be that the newer college board examination (SAT) now has a writing component.

Girls scored higher than boys.

Labels: education, school, studying

posted by ByParents-forParents at 4:53 PM 0 comments

Monday, March 10, 2008

Don't Know Much About History - Report Indicates Teens Deficient

Many of today's teenagers do not know basic dates and fundamentals of history and literature, according to a survey from the American Enterprise Institute.
Among the 1,500 17-year-olds in the survey, only 43 percent knew the Civil War occurred between 1850 and 1900. A quarter of the students could identify Adolf Hitler, and less than 20 percent knew which countries America fought in World War II. Only about half knew the theme of George Orwell's book, 1984, or that Senator Joseph McCarthy's scandal was about communism.

"The question of how much our 17-year-olds know is particularly pressing, given broader social trends. After all, these students are less than a year away from reaching legal adulthood, making them eligible to vote and serve in the nation's armed forces," said Frederick Hess, director of education policy studies for the American Enterprise Institute and the author of the report.

Private schools can often offer better, smaller classes than public schools. Help your teen be better prepared for college and the work place by sending them to a top private boarding school. Visit Boarding Schools Info to find the best boarding school for your child.

Labels: deficiencies, education, school

posted by ByParents-forParents at 8:03 PM 0 comments

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Parents Get Link to Grades

The information age is giving some parents the ability to track their kids' school performance. Several schools in the Chicago area have begun using electronic grade books that both students and parents can access online. It's an ability that most kids appreciate, as long as the parent doesn't get too carried away.

"The challenge for parents lies in keeping their children focused, but also encouraging them to take responsibility for their own grades, said Lee Shumow, a Northern Illinois University professor of adolescent development. It's important for adolescents to start developing autonomy, she said."

Many students are taking initiative and tracking their own grades, which gives them the opportunity to monitor their performance and make necessary improvements. The program, called Pinnacle Internet Viewer, was developed by Colorado-based software company Excelsior Software.

A good private college prep school, like Mount Bachelor Academy in Oregon, helps students with academics as well personal growth.

Labels: grades, involment, school

posted by ByParents-forParents at 6:51 PM 0 comments

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Adults OK Contraception to Students

About two-thirds of American adults believe it is okay to allow public schools to provide birth control to students, according to a recent poll by the Associated Press.

However, most respondents said that schools should ask for parental consent first. Those surveyed were divided on whether passing out contraceptives encourages teens to have sex, and how to go about teaching sex education classes. Higher-income earners and older adults tended to believe that schools should not provide birth control. The views of men and women were similar.

About five percent of public high schools provide condoms for students.

NorthStar Center offers treatment for drug addiction to young adults who are in recovery and on the road to success. Visit www.northstarcenter.com to learn more.

Labels: contraception, school, sex

posted by ByParents-forParents at 3:20 PM 0 comments

Sunday, November 11, 2007

AMA Report Warns of Superbug - Deadly Drug-Resistant Bacteria

A new report from the American Medical Association indicates that 18,650 people died in 2005 of a drug-resistant strain of bacteria.

The super-bug, known as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus areus) is on the increase all over the United States. The AMA report estimates that between 25 to 30% of Americans carry the infection in their bodies. Parents worry because several high school athletes have died from MRSA infections.

Dr. Julie Gerberding, of the Center for Disease Control, said it was important to get medical treatment early for wounds that are swollen and red. Death occurs when people wait too long for treatment.

"The healthy person -like the high school athlete-is going to be able to be treated adequately without adverse outcome," she said. Children undergoing MRSA treatment can be allowed to go to school.

The study appeared in the October 18, 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

4TroubledTeens offers help for parents of struggling teenagers, including programs for troubled teens and private schools that offer therapy in addition to accredited academics.

Labels: athletics, health, school

posted by ByParents-forParents at 12:41 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Getting Back to the Basics

When Marlene Hoefler was in school, she remembers teachers who were attentive to students' needs, and parents who were involved in her academics and her life in general. Today, however, she finds that's more the exception than the rule, and she urges both parents and educators to 'get back to the basics' of teaching and parenting.

"More parents need to get involved with the schools and in their children's lives and know what the schools are doing and speak up. Encourage children and give them morals and values to live by. Teach them to be respectful."

Though it's tempting to try and be a child's friend, parents need to be parents, mentoring and guiding their kids, and helping them develop into healthy adults.

College preparatory boarding schools offer the classes high schoolers need to be prepared for higher education. Find a college prep school at BoardingSchoolsInfo.com.

Labels: parenting, school, teaching

posted by ByParents-forParents at 9:12 PM 1 comments

Monday, September 24, 2007

Starting High School Creates High Stress Levels in Students

Some educators believe that the first year of high school is the most stressful in a child's school career. Now researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress plan to measure saliva stress-levels among teens entering high school to study the effects of stress on their capacity to learn effectively.

The pilot program study will involve 500 children in Montreal.

A previous research project at the Centre found that children from families of low socio-economic status experienced more stress than children from wealthier families. However, the same researchers made an unexpected discovery when they found that nearly all students in the year before high school had elevated stress levels regardless of family backgrounds.

Tania Schramek, coordinator of the pilot study, said that starting high school provides all the ingredients for human stress because it is a situation that is new, unpredictable and threatening, and one that creates a sense of loss of control.

Private boarding high schools, like the Academy at Swift River, offer therapy and counseling for students feeling stressed out about school and life in general.

Labels: health, school, stress

posted by ByParents-forParents at 3:54 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Back to School Tips

The start of a new school year brings an unsettling combination of excitement and anxiety - for both parent and teen. Getting in the routine of the school year can be tough, so KidsHealth.org has offered some suggestions to help smooth the way.

"Start the routine early: Start the school routine 1 or 2 weeks before school starts, especially mealtimes and bedtimes. Be sure that kids are having a healthy breakfast each morning."

If possible, it's good for parents to be home at the end of a school day for the first week. Having mom or dad present when he walks in the door can help an anxious teen feel more secure and supported. If it's not possible to be home, parents should keep evenings free for the first week so they can spend some extra time with their kids. Read more online.

Would your teen benefit from a private high school boarding school? Learn about Oakley School to learn about the ways they help teenagers.

Labels: parenting tips, school, time_management

posted by ByParents-forParents at 10:04 PM 0 comments

Monday, March 05, 2007

Helping Teens Develop Study Habits

Many people agree that study habits should be formed early - when a child is in elementary school. But even when good habits have been developed, some kids struggle when they reach their teenage years.

"Do yourself and your student a favor and contact your school's guidance office to see if they can test your child for learning style. No guidance office? Check the local high school or even a local college."

By helping your teen understand her learning style, you can help her develop study habits that work best for her. Read more at online.

Labels: learning_styles, school, studying

posted by ByParents-forParents at 4:13 PM

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