We can use lessons from the workplace to help teens with homework.

A new study found a link between degrading lyrics and teen sex.

Teen obesity is just as deadly as teen smoking.

R-rated movies are prompting teens to smoke.

Today’s teens are volunteering, even more than working part-time.

Teenagers addicted to the internet may have more aggressive behavior than teens without the addiction.

Teens and young adults are concerned about finances and expect to cut back on items like electronics and snacks.

Need some tips to help your high school student overcome an eating disorder?

Kids are giving up social networking sites for Lent.

In the U.S. young people from 15- to 24-years-old spend less than nine minutes a day reading for pleasure.

Pimps are recruiting young girls on social networking sites like MySpace.

The debate on lower the drinking age continues to rage on.

States are cracking down on the “cool parents. About half of the states have introduced social hosting laws to discourage (and severely fine) adults who supply alcohol to teenagers.

A defensive driving school helps prepare teens for potential driving hazards they may not have encountered in regular drivers ed.

Do parents really not matter when it comes to raising kids?

But if parents do matter, here are some tips on keeping close ties with your tween or teen.

The gloves are on. In this corner Disney. In that corner Nickelodeon.

Did you catch the Jonas Brothers on Barbara Walters Oscar special. They talked about everything from success to failure, diabetes, and dating.

Post from: Blisstree

Sunday Reading

1. Give her your undivided attention. We’re parents. We’re busy. But we need to make time for our kids. Sometimes it feels like they’ve gotten so independent they don’t need us anymore. But they do. Put the Blackberry away. Shut down your laptop and just concentrate on your teen.
2. Don’t force him. Ask “Do you want to talk?” and if the answer is “no” then respect that. Sometimes teens (and sometimes parents) just want to be left alone. But let him now you are there if and when he is ready to talk.
3. Fight fair. Don’t bring up the past. Don’t say, “You always do this. Remember in the 2nd grade when I couldn’t get you to…” That’s not going to help anything. Stick to the issue at hand. Present your case. And then really listen to your teen’s rebuttal. Try to be understanding, but still be firm.
4. Share your day. We all know what the answer to “how as school today?” So instead of asking that question, tell your teen about your day. When you open up, it may get him to open up. Tell him about a funny conversation you had with a co-worker. Or about somebody that really ticked you off that day and see if he has any advice. Get him talking.
5. Be part of her world. Ask her if she heard the new Katie Perry song. Or how her friend’s surgery went. Or if the history test was hard. Know what’s going on in her life and show your interest.
6. Be sympathetic. If her boyfriend breaks her heart don’t say, “I told you that boy was no good.” Instead give her a shoulder to cry on. Let her talk about her feelings. Ask her what you can do to make her feel better. Pull out the ice cream and two spoons (you can count calories tomorrow).
7. Reach him the way he likes to be reached. Send him an email with the itinerary for the weekend family plans. Text him “I love you” so he knows you’re thinking about him. Create your own World of Warcraft character and try to figure out how to play that dang game. Send him a funny message on Facebook.
8. Ease up a little. Or as we like to say, “pick your battles.” Teenagers don’t respond to constant nagging. Stay firm on the big issues and let the little issues fly. Let your teen face the consequences of their decision and be there with a tissue if they fail.
9. Ask her opinion. Don’t just tell her what to do. Give her options. Ask her to choose the family activity for the weekend or ask her what chores she thinks she should do or what she thinks her punishment should be. Give her some input and honestly listen to what she has to say.

Also, there are three books I have read and highly recommend when it comes to communicating with your teen; How To Talk So Teens Will Listen and Listen So Teens Will Talk, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Parenting a Teenager, and Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!: Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind. All three books offer great advice to understanding and reaching your crazy (and I mean that as a term of endearment) teen.

So what are your tips? How do you communicate with your teens?

Post from: Blisstree

9 Tips to Help You Communicate With Your Teen

Did you see last night’s episode? This season the story has zoomed ahead five years so Lynette’s children are no longer trouble-making grade schoolers. Now they are trouble-making teenagers. On last night’s episode Lynette was worried her son Porter was still friends with a kid who had recently been arrested for drugs. To find out she created a fake profile on a social networking site (much like MySpace) and “friended” her son. While on the site she discovered Porter was truthful when he said he was no longer friend’s with the teen involved in drugs and she also found out Porter wrote poetry. She was thrilled to learn something new about her son; something he would never talk to her about since teenagers don’t talk to their parents. But it took a turn for the worse when she discovered Porter had a crush on her (or umm…her online persona) and she had to break it off. But when she broke it off she accidentally signed it “love mom” and completely blew her cover.

There was a great scene where she apologized to Porter and told him she really misses talking to him and being a part of his life. It was obvious Porter was a little touched by that even though he was angry that his mom had spied on him.

It’s hard to stay connected to our teens. When they get to this age we suddenly become the enemy. They no longer confide in us. Instead they are confiding in their friends. Somewhere along the line we became these old people who don’t know anything and certainly don’t understand what our teenager could possibly be going through.

But we’ve got to keep trying. We’ve got to keep communicating with them even if they won’t communicate back. I wouldn’t suggest lying or sneaking around behind their back. When you get caught it just makes it worse. But don’t give up on your teen either. At this age teens are very egocentric and thinking of the now rather than the future. But they still need their mommy (and daddy).

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Post from: Blisstree

Desperate To Communicate With Our Teens