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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.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Risky Behavior Declines Among Teens

A report released June 4 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that risky behavior among teenagers is declining. The study found that teens today drink, smoke, and have sex less often than their peers did 16 years ago.

"The 2007 national data were collected from 14,041 students who self-reported their behavior and included only blacks, whites and Hispanics because other populations are too few for a representative sample, the CDC said."

The only "red flag" in the CDC's findings concerned Hispanic teens. Though risky behavior declined among the members of this group, Hispanic teens are still at higher risk than their Caucasian or African-American counterparts. Source: USA Today.

If you're looking for help for your troubled teen, then visit TurnAboutRanch.com. The youth ranch programs for troubled teens offer a rural setting that removes teenagers from their destructive environments.

Labels: drinking, risky_behavior, smoking

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

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Government Study Says Today's Teens Less Likely to Smoke, Drink, and have Sex

Fewer of today's high school students are smoking, drinking, and having sex than were their counterparts in the 1990s, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cigarette usage is down to 11 percent from 26 percent in 1991. Alcohol use declined from 27 percent to 20 percent today. The percentage of sexually active teens changed from 54 percent in 1991 to 48 percent today. Condom use went up to 61 percent from 46 percent in 1991. Today's teens are also more likely to wear seat belts, the study found.

Labels: drinking, sex, smoking

posted by ByParents-forParents at 3:17 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Sports and Exercise May Prevent Smoking among High School Boys

High school boys who work out or participate in sports are less likely to smoke, according to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Boys who exercise individually are 12% less likely to smoke; those on sports teams are 18% less likely. The effect did not hold true for girls.

Dr. Daniel Rodriguez, who did the study for the American Cancer Society, said the results were important because most people start smoking in high school.

"If you can make it out of the adolescent period," he said, "you're pretty safe."

Stone Mountain School, a boarding school for boys, helps boys who are exhibiting unacceptable behaviors due to out-of-control emotions or learning disabilities like ADD/ADHD. Visit StoneMountainSchool.com to learn more.

Labels: boys, exercise, smoking

posted by ByParents-forParents at 8:32 PM 0 comments

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Talking to Kids about Smoking

The dangers of tobacco use are well-known. Despite that, about 20 percent of the nation's adolescents smoke cigarettes, and about 8 percent chew tobacco. This Q and A from the Des Moines, Iowa register helps parents figure out the best ways to talk to their kids about smoking.

"According to the Centers for Disease Control 'parents can be the greatest influence in their kids' lives.' Being involved and interested in a child's life is a great way to avoid a whole host of problems. The Centers for Disease Control also suggests 'talking directly to children about the risks of tobacco use. If friends or relatives died from tobacco-related illnesses, let your kids know.'"

The Q and A goes on to suggest being open with kids about the diseases and other risks of tobacco. Don't use scare tactics, but be honest. Choosing to dine in restaurants and other places that are smoke-free can help keep kids away from cigarettes as well.

Learn about adolescent drug treatment at Adolescent-Substance-Abuse.com.

Labels: health, influences, smoking

posted by ByParents-forParents at 12:05 PM 1 comments

Friday, October 12, 2007

Teens with Part-Time Jobs More Likely to Smoke

High school students who have part-time jobs are three times as likely to become smokers, according to a new study published in the Journal of Public Health.

Dr. Rajeeve Ramchand, lead author of the study, believes that teens with part-time jobs are more likely to smoke because they have the money to buy cigarettes, they are with older youths who smoke, and their jobs are so boring that smoking breaks monotony.

Labels: jobs, smoking, working

posted by ByParents-forParents at 4:17 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

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