Are you keeping up on the new slang terms for 2009?

Thanks to government regulations meth use has steadily declined in the last couple years, but the popularity surged again in 2008.

The Pope has his own YouTube channel.

Two students were sent home from school because their hair was too blond.

There’s a new fashion trend for boys; knit beanies worn at the hairline.

The Supreme Court killed the Child Online Protection Act.

What do our teens wish we knew?

We have to wait until our kids are 22 before they’ll start to appreciate us?

What stresses college students out?

The next generation, Gen Z, will change the way we do business.

Young adults use more sleep aids.

I can’t get over a chest cold without a steroid, but apparently steroids don’t help wheezing preschoolers.

Girls are more techie than boys.

A researcher at Texas A&M International University says there is “no significant relationship” between school shootings and video games.

The Do’s and Dont’s of connecting with your kids on Facebook.

Provide an open atmosphere for your teenagers to talk to you about their love problems.

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Sunday Reading

More schools are educating teens on dating violence and how to get help.

72% of teens want to be involved positive activities rather than just sitting around being lazy.

Teens might be able to keep up with resolutions if they are monthly instead of annual.

Vision boards might help keeps achieve their goals.

Are energy drinks on the way out?

A doctor is getting teens to clean up their MySpace pages.

Screen time should be limited to no more than 2 hours a day to help teens stay fit.

Get kids involved in their own nutrition by teaching them to cook.

Is overeating in our DNA?

More boys are worrying about body image and suffering from eating disorders.

8 Traits of Teens Who Abstain From Sex

Teen birth rates are on the rise in many states, with Mississippi at the top.

For the very first time a dad will be president of the PTA.

Kids in California may have 5 less days of school thanks to Governor Schwarzenegger.

Thankfully I’m not the only mom who forces her kids to be her Facebook friends.

Is plastic surgery ok for teens?

There’s a cool new online community for tweens and teens interested in fashion and designing.

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Sunday Reading

Speaking of gift ideas, the National Institute on Media and the Family has a 2008 MediaWise Video Game Buying Guide including a list of great games for kids.

Melisa’s son experienced his first lockdown at his high school. How scary!

Teens prefer Gmail for their email needs, but texting is still their favorite form of communication.

Kids are actually learning life lessons by sending all those text messages.

But there are definitely some downsides of texting, including swollen thumbs, big bills, and sexting.

Flirting has gone high tech with about 20% of teens sending naked or semi-naked pictures of themselves via text message or posting them on the internet.

Expert says teens shouldn’t have cameras on their cell phones to curb sexting. Do they still make cell phones without cameras?

Dating 2.0 where cell phones play a big part in today’s relationships (aside from sexting).

There’s a new device to help protect our teen drivers; a car key that prevents them from being able to make a call or text while driving.

Too much TV can cause behavioral problems.

Teen smoking and alcohol use is declining, but the recent decrease in marijuana use has halted and prescription drug abuse is still a big concern.

Teens have gone past cutting and our now inserting objects in to their bodies.

Nearly 1 in 5 young American adults has a personality disorder. How do you know if it’s regular teen attitude or something more?

Teens are starting to feel the recession crunch.

Some college students are coming home for winter break to find their parents can’t afford to send them back for the spring term.

Is the recession a good thing for Gen Y?

Today’s teens are lying, stealing, and cheating. And they aren’t even ashamed of it.

Here’s 10 tips for your teen test taker.

Warner Bros is pushing a music tax to universities to allow file sharing without prosecution.

College students are choosing Time over Cosmo and want to be more informed.

Is Gen Y Too Soft to Be Entrepreneurs?

Schools are curbing teasing, but there are benefits to a little harmless teasing.

Pro-skater isn’t pushing her kids in to sports. Instead she wants them to enjoy many activities during their youth.

Char created a template for a printable training journal for girls. Very cool!

Exercise may help obese kids control their anger.

Is obesity genetic?

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Sunday Reading

Got teens? Then you should be reading This Full House.

The CDC says the HPV vaccine is safe.

Is Lego sexist?

Vanessa helps us understand our teen’s friendships.

Here’s 3 tips to connect with your teens.

More kids have food allergies than in the past.

Ford expanded Driving Skills for Life during National Teen Driver Safety Week.

Here are some tips on telling a partner your have an STD. Hopefully our teens will never need this information.

If the election was up to the under 18 crowd the next President would be Obama.

Lack of sleep can harm students grades plus decrease their reaction time and memory.

What lies ahead for abstinence only education programs now that Bush is leaving office?

The earlier teens start drinking alcohol or using drugs, the more likely he/she will struggle as an adult.

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Sunday Linky Love

Do you know the teen dating terms? If not, learn them.

Schools may start putting more weight on a student’s class rank over SAT scores when considering admission to college.

We’ve seen the Miley Cyrus photos floating around the internet. Is you teen a “Nokia Lolita” too?

What’s new with teens? Find out at the YPulse Mashup. A lot of really great info here especially tips on how to interacting with teens and tweens.

Instead of keeping cell phones in their lockers, teachers may be asking students to start bring their phones to class for lessons.

What happened to long division? Kids today are learning new ways to solve their math problems and some parents are totally confused. Some parents have even decided to “cheat” and teach their kids the “old” way.

Kids become “sluggish” when they hit their teen years. Get their butts off the computer chair and in to the outdoors.

How do you talk to your teens about your financial woes?

Cigarette companies have lowered the menthol content in their products to learn in our teens.

What are we doing wrong in the U.S.? Why do we have so many more teen pregnancies than our European friends?

It’s been over a month since many of our kids have been in school. Here are some tips to reduce brain drain.

Living with tweens and teens can sometimes be difficult, but here are some tips to help you live (and love) your teen.

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Sunday Reading

Boys handle puberty differently than girls. Many people think puberty is easier for boys. After all, they don’t have periods or growing breasts. But boys have a lot of questions too. Make sure they are prepared.

More teens are having sex and fewer of them are using contraceptives. Scary.

Turns out third base is no longer going up a girl’s skirt. Now it’s oral sex.

Summertime is partytime for many teens. Teens are drinking at parties and many of them are doing it to the extreme. Even though you’ve talked to your teen about drinking, you need to do it again. Set rules for special occasions. Make sure you expectations are clear as are the consequences. Come up with a plan B.

Now kids are getting drunk using tampons. Very disturbing.

Here’s an excellent example of why teens should not text and drive. Thankfully this teen was not hurt.

A new study finds that teens with cell phones may be sleep deprived. “The first study found teens who made more than 15 phone calls and sent more than 15 text messages a day, slept poorly and had more careless lifestyles compared to those who made less than five of each per day.”

Disney has their own website on internet safety.

Teens watch TV. Tweens are going green. Tweens spend money on candy and gum. Teens spend money on clothing. Read more interesting facts on teen and tween lifestyles.

Still need help finding things to do with your kids this summer?

Do you tweens and teens know proper phone etiquette? You don’t want this to happen to you.

Sandra Day O’Connor is creating a new video game; Our Courts. The game lets kids “step into the shoes of a judge, a legislator, an executive — teach them how to think through and analyze problems, take action and voice opinions to their elected representatives.”

Instead of pushing kids to diet, encourage them to move.

Are you kids excited about Disney’s next big movie; Camp Rock. On June 14th and 15th they can hear the premier of the new soundtrack as well as interviews with some of the stars.

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Sunday Reading

Convince underage girls not to drink by letting them know their drunken antics will be the butt of many jokes. Humiliation goes a long way with a teenage girl. Watch the videos on ALot2Lose.com with your daughter and see what she thinks.

Speaking of underage drinking, Vanessa Van Petten gives us the facts about teen drinking.

And Liz at This Full House points us to another great site called Grltlk.org website as she starts talking to her teens about drinking.

According to The Teen Drug Abuse Blogs, communication is the best way to fight drug abuse among teens. Are you communicated with your teens? Not just lecturing, but actually communicating and listening?

So how do you become and active listener? You use your whole body.

Paris Hilton is searching for her new best friend on MTV. Oh help us.

Is your teen the next Steven Spielberg? Or a comedian like Dane Cook? Or quirky like Jim Carrey? Then they might interested in MTV’s movie spoof contest. They could win a trip to the 2008 MTV Movie Awards.

Movie spoofs not their thing? Are they more of the Alex P. Keaton variety? [On a sidenote, I called my son Alex P. Keaton the other day and he didn't know what I was talking about. Oh the humanity.] Well he/she can post a video about what the new president should do on his/her very first day in office.

Or is your teen an aspiring journalist who wants to cover the election? Wiretap is looking for Millennials (age 18 to 28) to blog about the election.

Get in to the election spirit with a Declare Yourself Vote t-shirt from American Eagle.

Did you know eating disorder may be contagious?

Philly schools cut snacks and it helped kids lose weight. I’m still trying to figure out why schools ever introduced soda and candy machines in the first place.

But then again, with junk food bans kids are selling candy in the black market…or at least at school in secret. And they are making a profit. They are quite the entrepreneurs.

Teen dating violence is on the rise. We need to take notice and put a stop to this. Keep track of your teens.

Have you heard about this new children’s book, My Beautiful Mommy? It explains plastic surgery to kids. Thoughts?

Vanessa Van Petten tells us what to do if our teen wants to wear clothes we don’t find appropriate.

YPulse has some interesting tidbits about teen credit card debt, female athletes and catholic youths.

Over at Adventures in Parenting there is an interesting (and scary) prom story. Good thing her daughter was cautious and checked out the stoned limo driver before she got in the car.

A U.K. store was criticized for selling a plunging, padded bra for kids as young as seven. I recently had this same issue with a bathing suit I bought at Old Navy for my eight-year-old.

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Sunday Reading

Should you use a DriveCam in your teenagers car? On one hand you can keep track of them and make sure they are safe. On the other hand they don’t really have their privacy.

How knowledgeable are you about drugs? Do you know the street names? It’s important to be informed so you can keep track of your kids.

I recently threw out all of our old cleaning supplies and bought green supplies. And I’ve begun to buy organic foods. Now I have seven ways to help my kids be more green.

Know the facts about teens and sex so you can talk to them about it. “The health risks it involves can be reduced through communication within the family.”

We have spyware on our teenagers’ computers and I’m not ashamed admit it. It can be a good thing if you use it responsibly.

Eventually we have to stop cutting up their meat and let our teens make their own decisions. It’s our job to Coach our kids to make good choices and then let them loose.

If your teen is even considering a trip for Spring Break you need to watch the MomLogic series on the matter first. Part 1 addresses excessive drinking and drugs. Part 2 discusses risky sexual behaviors teens perform while away from mom and dad. Part 3 tells us “the right way to talk to your teen so they make smart decisions when you’re not around.” Vanessa Van Petten also has some great tips on protecting teens on Spring Break.

YPulse agrees YouTube and MySpace didn’t make the Florida teens beat up another girl. There are many other things in play on this one.

Adventures in Parenting has a list of things you should never say to your child. You need to keep your cool. Once you say it you will never be able to take it back.

Apparently you’re not really in a relationship unless you announce it on Facebook.

A sixteen-year-old girl has her own charity inspired by a trip to India when she was 13. She’s pretty amazing.

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Sunday Reading

Adventures in Parenting has the sixth and final article on effective discipline. Check out the series.

Online Teen Magazine has some tips for overcoming jealousy in a relationship.

The WSJ has an article about teens abusing prescription drugs.

A Long Island school tries to wean teens off of gossip one hour at a time.

New teen driving laws in Boston seem to be working to keep teens safe on the road.

Do you need some tips on how to talk to your teens about the upcoming election? BlogHer has you covered with links to several articles.

Kidz World has an interview with the Guitar Hero World Champ, Chris Chike. Have you played Guitar Hero? It’s quite addicting. I’ve gotten pretty good on the easy level.

A professor at Syracuse University walks out of class if students disrespect him by texting in class. How do you feel about this?

SciFi.com is launching a gaming blog. I’m pretty sure my boys will be grabbing their RSS feed.

Is using GPS to keep track of teens a way to keep them safe or is it just to spy on them?

I know some schools have boys and girls rooms on the same floor, but now some schools have mixed-gender dorm rooms. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that.

The glamorization of drugs in rap music has increased considerably over the last several years.

Emo bashing has become a big problem in Mexico.

Nickelodeon is planning their own version of High School Musical, called Spectacular.

There is a graduation gap between big cities and suburbs.

Getting teens a credit card does not teach them to be responsible financially. In fact it does just the opposite.

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Sunday Reading