The only things teens need to know about sex is it will result in pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases or infections, problems making it to Heaven, and a life of devastation and ruin as a sex starved pervert. That is, if you try to teach teens about sex the old fashioned way. Unfortunately, this approach won’t get you very far with …
Families that Cook Together . . . stick together like overcooked pasta
There are lots of different things you can do as a family. One activity that can be fun while benefiting your kids is cooking together as a family. It can be a risk to put all the family together in small space, light fires and give them knives but the benefits (in most cases) will outweigh the risks. Cooking together …
8 Life Skills Kids Need Before College
Countdown to High School Graduation: Preparing High School Seniors for Young Adulthood By Dr. James G. Wellborn Senior year. EVERYONE is counting down the days to graduation; teenagers, parents, teachers, school administrators, the local police. Finally, your kid can enter the phase psychologist Jeffrey Arnett calls emerging adulthood; a time of life marked by career training, partial independence, and lack …
One is Not Enough: 9 Skills We Learn From Having Siblings
Adults have to share their lives and living space with other people; family, friends, spouses or spouse equivalents, children, roommates. Unfortunately, even people you love can be a pain, (especially when you share a bathroom). So where do kids learn to deal with people they love but who drive them crazy? You need look no further than their annoying, beloved …
Fall Creek Falls
You know how I am about suggesting families get out of the house and do something together that has the lowest probability of conflict and the highest probability of something memorable (meaning enjoyable) happening. Nature is perfect for this kind of thing. Day trips to public areas are affordable on even the most limited budgets. Just got back from spending …
Winter Solstice
The darkest day of the year marks the point at which light gradually but inexorably begins to fill more and more of the days that follow. Don’t forget to fill your days (and nights) with peace, love, and joy. Peace [list style=”circle”] Calm Quiet Harmony Contentment Serenity Tranquility Rest [/list] Love [list style=”circle”] Affection Concern Devotion Compassion Care [/list] …
New Year’s Eve
It’s the biggest party night of the year when everyone is encouraged to throw out the past and celebrate the wondrous possibilities inherent in a new beginning. Out with the old, in with the new! Put the past behind you. Look to the dawn of the very first day of a new year! Start the New Year with a bang! …
Encouraging Adolescent Career Interests
I spent some time with parents from Harvest Hands during our monthly parent discussion group talking about things parents can do to encourage their kid to be aware of and examine a wide range of possible career options. In between making kids pick up after themselves and breaking up sibling arguments, parents also need to help kids develop into happy, …
Teen Pregnancy Rates, Sexual Decision Making and Intimate Relationships
I’ve been interviewed recently about changes in teen pregnancy rates across the last decade. In a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control, the rate of teenage pregnancies has declined by 40% from what they were in 1995. This is one of the many indications of how well teenagers are doing these days. * You’d think that with all …
Helping Your Middle School Kid Grieve When A Teacher Dies
Jim Benton, a teacher at Grassland Middle School in Franklin, Tennessee, died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed medical condition while on a field trip with some of his students. Here are a couple of things to consider in helping your kid understand and deal with death when it comes to a teacher they and their friends knew in a setting like …