Teenagers and Parenting Articles

Before parents decide to send their High School graduates off to college, they should carefully consider their student’s chances for college success. As they told me during my own freshman orientation, “Look to the right! Look to the left! One of those two students won’t be here for graduation.” Those odds are even worse at some colleges today. That’s why it doesn’t make sense for parents to send a child off to college when he/she is not prepared to succeed.

How to avoid toxic words and wrong motivations when confronting your teenager’s mistakes. “The difference between the exact right words and the almost right words is like the difference between lightning bugs and lightning bolts.” – Mark Twain I haven’t met a teen yet who doesn’t want to know they will continue to be loved when they’ve made mistakes. Loving someone seems easy when everything is going well. It’s a quite different matter when your teen breaks your rules, and their life spins out of control.

Are you a teenager who has the need and desire to acquire useful hobbies and skills you can use to live a better life? Are you the parent of a teenager who does not play a musical instrument or take any musical classes? I can tell you that a musical education is an invaluable tool and asset to possess; however, it is especially necessary for teenagers to learn how to play at least one musical instrument and engage in an education that includes music. You will learn numerous w

14 Year Old Author Encourages Volunteer Work With summer approaching, parents look for activities to fill their teenager's free time. This summer, take the advice of 14 year old Sondra Clark and encourage teens to spend their time helping a worthy cause. With a little adult supervision, children quickly learn the inner satisfaction that comes with helping improve the lives of people, the environment or animals. Sondra, the author of five books, raised over $75,000 after visi

The Game of Life – Chutes and Ladders by Joe Gandolfo My youngest son Duncan, now 8 and age 3 at the time, came to me one morning and asked if I wanted to play. Being a part-time stay-at-home Dad in those days mixed with the responsibility of growing a company, I was torn like an old faded pair of jeans. The difference was that I was not comfortable with this simple request. “Yes, I wanted to play” part of me thought. “No! You must work and grow your company” was the conflicting thought. Back and forth in my mind these two thoughts raced.

A sullen, non-communicative teenager. A frustrated parent. Is that the way it is in your home living with your teenager? Parenting teenagers is a demanding job, no doubt about it. Teens have the natural ability to challenge us on every level. Whereas once they simply accepted our authority as parents, no more. Many parents fight against this normal developmental phase. As a result, their homes become tense battlegrounds as they stand ready to defend their positions at a mo

On May 22, 2007, five schoolgirls at Sacred Heart Girls College in suburban Melbourne, Australia, became ill after receiving an injection of Gardasil, the newest vaccine to be mandated for cervical cancer. Soon after the vaccination, twenty-six girls were seen at the campus medical clinic; five were admitted to the hospital after being injected. Two of the girls kept in overnight in observation for dizziness; one had temporary paralysis and loss of speech.(1) nnIn the U.S., s

This will literally take 5 minutes. These 10 very simple tips about study skills will make all the difference in your life and, more importantly, in your kids' school life.

As a parent raising a teenager, it would be safe to say that you want what’s best for your teen. But as we evolve as beings having a human experience, our approach and understanding of “how” we raise our teenagers needs to change drastically. As the saying goes, “proof is in the pudding” and as we look around and see the general consensus of “how” parents are communicating with their teenagers, it’s just not working. In general, most parents still carry over their same approach to parenting their teen in the same way they did when they were kids (infancy to eleven).

Something just came to my mind recently observing the cats I have in my house. It really struck me how relevant this would be to kids and parents, and how much it can impact people. Earl Nightingale has a chapter in one of his recordings called “Attitude”. I played it to my class a couple of years ago and was very interested hearing the comments it raised amongst a group of 13-year-olds.

Who is Likely to Become a Bully? Bullying can have a wide-ranging impact on teens - from victims, to those who witness bullying, to the bullies themselves - and affect each one well into adulthood. Bullying can lead teenagers to feel tense, anxious, and afraid. It can affect their concentration in school, and can lead them to avoid school in some cases. If bullying continues for some time, it can begin to: affect teens' self-esteem and feelings of self-worth increase their social isolation, leading them to become withdrawn and depressed, anxious and insecure.r

Study skills are a subject that is breezed over by students around the world. Each student has a different learning style that needs to be optimized. When you compare two students one seems to naturally grasp the importance of good study skills. Another student may face challenges because they ...

Teens, Alcohol, and Sexual Activity Impaired Judgment Puts Teens at Risk Teens who drink are more likely to participate in dangerous sexual behavior for a variety of reasons. Help them understand the risks. Alcohol use and sexual behavior are a common but perilous combination for teens. The risks are especially pronounced for young people, who have limited experience with alcohol coupled with limited sexual or social experience and raging hormones. Worse, they may be unaware of the effect alcohol has on their perceptions and decision-making.

My daughter is finishing grade 6 and everyone in her class had to apply to an intermediate school. The selection process is quite grueling but I was very confident that she would be accepted in one or both of the schools she applied to. As the announcement date approached, the stress experienced by these children became more and more evident. That morning, I received an email from the first school indicating that she was not selected and placed on a Wait List due to space con

The days of not talking to strangers and not accepting sweets from them have long gone, as your child can make friends with people from around the global community in an instant. But how do you know who they are talking to and how do you monitor and keep a watchful eye on their activity? How ...

Sir Liam Donaldson the Medical Chief launches five-point guide for parents on how to stop children abusing alcohol As all my friends know, I like a glass of wine or two, but teenage drinking is a very big problem here in the UK and it needs your support, your confidence and your belief in your ...

I try to move parents away from thinking in terms of 'signs and symptoms' of drug abuse because trying to spot 'warning signs' is really no substitute for good effective communication. The risks of relying on checklists are that you may jump to the wrong conclusions, think the worst, get it ...

When a teen makes the ultimate decision to take their life, everyone feels the loss. Family members, counselors, friends, teachers, and teammates often feel guilt, confusion and an intense grief. There is always the sense that maybe the suicide could have been prevented if they had seen the signs. Some of these signs may be subtle while others are a desperate cry for help. Learning these warning signs of suicide and reaching out for help can save a teen's life. Changes in Behavior

Take a moment to reflect on your interactions with your children today. What was the general tone of the day? What emotions predominated for you? Were you calm, listening, curious, frustrated, angry, or impatient? What message do you feel your child will take to bed with them tonight?rnOne of the great challenges of parenting is finding a balance between allowing our kids to discover who they are, while teaching them about expectations, rules and consequences. Sometimes in ou

Pregnancy is essentially one of the joyful experiences of being a woman. The process of anticipating, nurturing and giving life can be a momentous event for a woman. Despite some discomforts, pregnancy is one on the pivotal moments in a woman’s life. But perhaps not in the case of unwanted teenage pregnancy. Teenage life is basically the stage of adolescence, and as such, pregnancy for a teenager can cause much distress and anxiety. Instead of discovering her potential and

With Halloween just around the corner, it got me thinking about masks – not in the costume sense, but rather in the way we hide our true selves from others.nnWhen we were little, wearing masks was all about playing make believe and pretending to be someone else just for fun. But as we get older and the pressure to fit in gets bigger, we may wear a mask to try and get others to like us or accept us into the group. Before long, we get so good at fooling others that eventually

Having recently returned from the Second Australian Positive Psychology in Education Symposium I am buoyed by the passion and commitment of the educators, psychologist, counsellors, coaches and practitioners that attended. This article will focus on some of the key takeaways from the Symposium and how we can integrate this into our parenting. Positive psychology finds its roots in the humanistic psychology of the 20th century, which focused heavily on happiness and fulfilment. It is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive.

Isn’t that what everybody wants? Wouldn’t you just love to go home to find your kids doing their homework without your having to nag? Wouldn’t it just be great if you didn’t have to negotiate the priority of school work over their favorite TV show? Well, it can happen. You just have to build the right circumstances and conditions at home and teach your kids a very simple concept.

Despite the old adage that "kids don't come with instructions", any parent who actually believes this has never attended really meaningful parenting classes or read any of the great books or checked out any of the great websites on child behavior and development. While not all parenting classes, books and websites are worthwhile, some do present essential insights and invaluable tips for parents that can make a huge difference in raising kids. Parenting classes based on the

"Conduct disorder" refers to a group of behavioral and emotional problems in youngsters. Children and adolescents with this disorder have great difficulty following rules and behaving in a socially acceptable way. They are often viewed by other children, adults and social agencies as "bad" or delinquent, rather than mentally ill. Many factors may contribute to a child developing conduct disorder, including brain damage, child abuse, genetic vulnerability, school failure, and traumatic life experiences.

THE PAST TO THE PRESENT Carl Jung named the personality types in his book Psychological Types and gave rise to an industry that specialises in the assessment of peoples abilities to work in a specific style; this was called psychometric testing, they were used to describe the character of the psyche. Jung’s four functions, thinking, feeling, intuition and sensation could all have introvert or extrovert attitudes making eight types in total. He called thinking and feeling rat

How discussing consent is the ultimate way to discuss abstinence with teens. Throughout the country, some parents and educators are saying, “Our schools believe in discussing abstinence. Won’t teaching teenagers about consent lead to more sexual activity among those same teenagers?” Teaching consent stresses establishing personal standards, respecting boundaries, and always understanding the importance of having a choice.

Time and time again, I experience teens making decisions based entirely on emotions. With this age of instant results from the internet and speed-of-light text messaging, our kids, like never before, are prone to making quick decisions. Unfortunately, these decisions are often based on ...

Beginner's mind is a Zen expression asking us to look at everything as though we're seeing it for the very first time. As adults, this can be quite a challenge. We typically don't stop to look at something afresh, but instead rely upon what we already know from memory to form opinions, make choices and move quickly to the next task. We are great at multi-tasking and having our minds in several places at once as we go through our day. Have you ever gotten home after work or ru

How can you eliminate those distracting thoughts that keep popping up in your mind? Achieving an optimal mental state of clarity before each shot involves removing all thoughts of the past and future and focusing on the present task. By clearing the mind of distractions that are unrelated to ...

The most important, life-changing practice that completely changed my outlook on life is in learning the process of active listening. You see, the greatest listeners in the world are the greatest achievers. Great, Active-Listeners have the following qualities: 1. They summarize what the ...

Studies show that teenagers today are lying more. They are cheating and stealing more, too. The latest Report Card on the Ethics of American Youth, by the Josephson Institute of Ethics, shows teens are lying more often and more easily than ever. The report indicates an increase in lying, cheating and stealing among youth since 2006, when the report was first published. Forty-two percent of those surveyed said they lied recently for financial gain. Sixty-four percent said they cheated on a test during the past year, and 38% had cheated more than once.

I have recently been coaching a local group of parents on their philosophy to life and their general family ethos. I asked them to think about things that were important to them in life like their values, their beliefs and their principles because parents who know what they feel strongly about ...

The following is a re-ordered compilation of a few thoughts that randomly came to me while running this morning, listening to the great Zig Ziglar on my IPod. You'll find that it is more intended to parents who have teenagers and who want them to regain their motivation, but, in the process, I think there is something for everybody.

I have been mothering for many years and am currently parenting a teenager (my third). One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that if your teen has stopped listening to you, then you have lost the parenting game. Recently I sat down with a young woman (I'll call her Cindy) who is 17. I asked her to tell me what types of situations make her stop listening to her parents. Here are Cindy's answers. "I don't listen to my parents when they start yelling. Doesn't matter wh

Once you’ve received the official notice that you are the keynote speaker it’s time to prepare for your speech. One of the biggest challenges is deciding how to get started. Too many presenters wait until the last minute to put their speech on paper. Even seasoned speakers can fall into this trap. You need to write a speech that will engage the audience and leave them with a greater pursuit of excellence. The important part of writing is staying true to your values and the personal philosophy that distinguishes you.

In my home, I am currently enjoying a high school senior. My third child is preparing to leave the nest and build a life for herself. While parenting teenagers, I have come to realize there are some fundamentals that can help a parent ready their teen to move onto the next stage of their young life. Here are a few I have identified as extremely helpful.nn-- Take high school seriously. My teenagers have all been quite different in personality and all have experienced high sc

The teenage years are usually the toughest both for the teenagers themselves and the parents. It is almost as if a switch gets hit when a child reaches about 13 or 14 years old and they suddenly crave privacy. Many parents may be astonished by how quickly their child has changed into a secretive and often disobedient teen, but this does not mean that they can walk all over their mother and father. Teenagers can be reckless and will often lie about their whereabouts, so at tim

Raising resilient teenagers Webster's dictionary defines resilience as "an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change". Teenagers learn to understand the depths of their resourcefulness and resilience through adverse conditions such as failure, disappointment, loneliness, grief and sadness.

Be patient with your parents! • Stand on a piece of paper and write your parents names on it. As you step onto it imagine you are stepping into your parents view of the word. Really get inside their heads and see through their eyes. What do they see……. what do they hear….. and how do they feel ...

“Don’t wish it was easier; wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom.” Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speake Rude and greedy behaviour among adults is contributing to the ...

In my years working closely with kids and their struggles at school, I have found one big common denominator: Kids, especially teenagers, are always the victim of some kind of metaphysical injustice that gets them constantly in trouble… At least if you listen to them!

It began one night my senior year in high school. One of my best friends dropped me off at another friend's house after work. Holly and I used to be inseparable. We did everything together, and now she had recently met a guy and started seriously dating him. Now, I never saw her. So this was a rare opportunity for us to talk. And that we did. I told her that she didn't know me as well as she thought she did. I had attempted suicide. After a brief conversation, I walked in Hol

The Veteran’s Administration is providing additional funding to encourage more veteran’s to attend college. This is a great financial commitment but many veterans are intimidated by the thought of attending college. Most veterans fall into the adult learner category because most of them are over 24. Sitting in a class with much younger students can seem awkward. Some veterans have graduated from high school and they have right into the armed services. There was no time to think about college.

How does gratitude work? What's the point of it? Will this new craze of daily gratitude be something that changes my life? If it did, what would it change, how would I be different? Isn't gratitude some kind of religious thing? Like meditation, gratitude has been sidelined with religious beliefs to be practiced once a week, if you attend some religious facility. However, is it really? I recovered a note from a friend from 1998: Thoughts for this week: Abundance:

When having conflict and struggle with your teen, it’s easy to feel as if the entire family is falling apart. I’ve found that a better view of handling conflict is to see it as an opportunity to pull your family together, like never before! Conflict Can Be the Precursor to Positive Change I believe that relationships that stick together through conflict and hardship become closer relationships.

It’s May in my 8th grade class and I am giving the kids time to review for their up-coming French final. I am absolutely puzzled: Most kids are just sitting there, looking at their books, notes or old papers. They sit and swing on their chairs, spend one minute on each page and after ten minutes are at a loss as to what to do. They’re done! They’ve just read through the latest lessons and they’re ready.

Are you struggling to get your teen to follow your direction? Is your child flat-out ignoring you? This can be really frustrating, especially when you take into consideration all you’ve invested in their upbringing and wellbeing. Teenagers usually do whatever they feel like doing, not necessarily what you want or ask them to do. Be Fair to Your Teen

The Dance of Intimacy This week will be all about Valentine’s Day and can be a time of great romance or great pain. Many people put their children first and of course while this is necessary and honourable is it at the expense of your own relationship? I remember a great friend of my Mum and ...