5 Ways Parents Can Help Teens Get Through Summer

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5 Ways Parents Can Help Teens Get Through Summer
Summertime can be a challenging time for parents. Work schedules don’t change for many parents yet your teen’s schedule is up in the air, which can cause distress as families adjust. Depending on the age of your children, summer can be more difficult than other times of year. Younger children and tweens are more likely to follow the summer plan you have outlined for them, whether that means more time with the grandparents, a trip to a summer camp, or some summer schooling. On the other hand, older teens are more independent, especially if they drive or have their own car. So as a parent what can you do this summer to keep your teenager off the couch and out of trouble while preserving your sanity?
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5 Ways Parents Can Help Their Teen Overcome Peer Pressure

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5 Ways Parents Can Help Their Teen Overcome Peer Pressure
As a parent, you see it all the time. Overnight, your teen has a new profound interest in the latest gadget or fashion style you’ve never heard of. That iPhone 4s you gave them last year is an “embarrassment” to have in public and now they want purple highlights in their hair. It all becomes so clear when their BFF (best friend forever) comes over to visit and proudly displays their new hair style and an iPhone 5 with a customized case. Close friends can exert a tremendous amount of influence even if they’re not trying to do so. We are social creatures and those we choose to spend our time with will, to a certain degree, shape our opinions, actions, and interests.
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Parenting Tips for Teens & Mental Health Report by the CDC

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Parenting Tips for Teens & Mental Health Report by the CDC
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has released its first comprehensive report on the state of mental health in children aged 3 to 17. The report titled, Mental Health Surveillance Among Children – United States, 2005 – 20011, compiles research and statistics from a number of federal agencies such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Institute of Mental Health. This report is an important step in identifying the prevalence of mental health disorders in children and teenagers and is of great use to parents, educators, and health professionals.
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5 Ways to Improve Your Teenager’s Self-Esteem

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5 Ways to Improve Your Teenager’s Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is a person’s perception of their self-worth and is an important part of succeeding in life and being happy. How we view ourselves affects how we act with others and influences what we believe we can achieve. Teenagers commonly struggle with poor self-esteem because they are still developing a sense of who they are and what they are capable of. Fortunately, as a parent you can help your teenager develop a positive self-image and high self-esteem.
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Understanding Teen Disrespect

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Understanding Teen Disrespect
When I was about 25 I got a job working at a wilderness camp for juvenile delinquents between the ages of 13 and 17.  These kids already had disturbingly long rap sheets–battery, multiple court violations, truancy, theft, possession of narcotics, etc. Many of them had been sent to the camp involuntarily by a judge. After my first few days I remember trying to speak to one particular teenager about something. As I spoke he interrupted me over and over again with loud engine roaring sounds to drown out what I was trying to say. He looked me right in the eyes as he was doing it with a “what you gonna do about it?” look on his face. I was blown away by this level of disrespect.
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Consequences of Cyber Bullying

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Consequences of Cyber Bullying
Three teenage boys were arrested today and charged with sexual battery in connection to the alleged rape of Audri Pott back in September at an unsupervised party in Saratoga, California. Images of the sexual assault were subsequently shared at school, texted, and posted online. After discovering what had happened to her and learning that the images were posted online, Audri posted on Facebook that her life was ruined and committed suicide just a few days later. In Canada, a story with similar tragic consequences has reignited open conversation about cyber bullying. In this case, a 17 year old girl called Rehtaeh Parsons was raped at a party while she was black out drunk in 2011. Images of the event were shared via social media and the ensuing humiliation and harassment was too much to bear.
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Firing of Rutgers Head Coach Puts Spotlight Back on Bullying

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Firing of Rutgers Head Coach Puts Spotlight Back on Bullying
Mike Rice, the head coach of Rutgers University men’s basketball program was fired today as video of him physical and verbally abusing his players during practice surfaced. No other word came to mind after watching Mike Rice belittle and push around his players than “bully.” It is a reminder that bullying can occur in a variety of settings and the bullies themselves can be people entrusted to instill value and work ethic into young people.
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Should I let my teenager go to Ultra?

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Should I let my teenager go to Ultra?
The Ultra Music Festival is the nation’s largest electronic music festival.  It takes place yearly over a two week period in Miami.  This year it is expected to attract about 160,000 young people from all over the country.  It is a popular event for teenagers to attend because of the festive atmosphere and the large array of trendy electronic music available.  However, Ultra does have a dark side.
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Why Is My Smart Teenager Getting Bad Grades?

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Why Is My Smart Teenager Getting Bad Grades?
One of the most common complaints I get from parents is this one:  “I know my teenager has the intelligence to get good grades but he/she doesn’t and I don’t know why!” There is always a reason for this problem.  In my experience, smart teenagers who get bad grades are preoccupied with something else.  The majority of the time it is not by choice but a reaction to emotional difficulty.
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How to Explain the Importance of High School to your Teenager

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How to Explain the Importance of High School to your Teenager
Some teenagers hate high school.  They don’t want to be there and they don’t want to deal with difficult people or situations.  They don’t want to do work they consider useless and boring.  Teenagers can have a difficult time tolerating the emotions that being forced to go to school can elicit.  Often teenagers feel that they should somehow never experience frustration.  There are developmental reasons for these beliefs that have to do with earlier childhood experiences when they had no responsibility at all.
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