There are a number of ways teens can benefit from having a part time job. They earn their own money (and are responsible for some of their personal expenses to learn the value of a dollar). It fills their time with something productive (compared to updating their social network page or playing video games). A job gives them the irreplaceable …
Does Your Teen Need (or deserve) A Car
A teenager’s first car. It’s the embodiment of freedom in America. It’s access to the open road. No more asking permission to use the family car. No more listening to a parent’s playlist. Every teenager needs their own car, right? (Sound of screeching brakes) No. There is no compelling justification for a teenager to have a car of their own. …
Off the Beaten (Asphalt) Trail
Late spring and early Summer is an ideal time to take the family out for a stroll in the woods. But, just because you don’t want to go to the trouble of packing up everyone and everything to drive out to a national park doesn’t mean you can’t take a country stroll. More and more communities have created parks that …
Is Your Teen Ready to Babysit?
The walls are closing in on you. It’s hard to catch your breath. You have GOT to get out of the house. But you can hardly afford your favorite half-caf double vanilla latte with a dusting of cinnamon at the local coffee shop let alone a babysitter to watch over your precious little darlings. Your oldest should be ready to …
Respect, Consent and Teenage Sex Reflections on the Stuebenville, Ohio Teenage Rape Case
“Many of the things we learned during this trial that our children were saying and doing were profane, were ugly . . .[Parents need] to have discussions about how you talk to your friends, how you record things on the social media so prevalent today and how you conduct yourself when drinking is put upon you by your friends.” Judge …
Star Gazing
The Lyrids Meteor Shower April 21 and April 22 There is something magical about a shooting star that seems to quicken the pulse and fill you with a sense of wonder. Unfortunately, in order to actually see them you have to be up at night. You might be surprised how memorable it is for kids (even teenagers) to lay under …
4 Affirming Messages Parents Can Give Boys About Body Image
Teenage boys, like teenage girls, worry about their appearance. Unfortunately, businesses with products to sell have become aware of this over the last several decades providing a whole new set of insecurities, fears and desires that can be targeted by marketers. So, now parents face the same need to help their sons develop a healthy body image that parents of …
Taking Teens on a High Risk Spring Break
Any time you take teens on a Spring Break where there is at least one other teenager, it qualifies for a high risk Spring Break. Imagine how bad it can get when there are a bunch of teenagers and college kids crammed on a beach, snowboarding down the slopes or wake boarding on the lake. So does that mean you …
A Walk in the Park
Spring arrives this month but the weather is still unpredictable making walking in real Nature potentially muddy and messy. Luckily, every city has parks where walkways are paved and Nature is corralled in flower beds and tended as well manicured lawns. It is easy to pack everyone up and spend a couple of hours just walking around. Here in Nashville, …
What To Do If You Catch Your Kid Drinking?
Most teens are going to drink before they get out of high school. By 18, 69.4% of teens have tried alcohol, 41.5% drank within the last month. Some of these kids will abuse it (15.8% binge drink) and get lost in it (4.4% heavy drinking). (Monitoring the Future Study) As parents even single instances of your kid drinking should be …