Watching TV with your teen is a great way to promote family bonding. Typically this consists of watching an adolescent drama and then attempting to engage in a relevant growth promoting conversation. I support and encourage all parents that do this.
A recent survey reports that kids now spend more time listening to music, playing games and watching TV on their cell phones than talking on them. Even more surprising is that most of the students surveyed commented that their parents do not have rules about how much time they can spend watching TV, playing video games, or surfing the net.
AVOIDING OVERINDULGENCE HELPS TEACH KIDS VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS
It’s that time of year when kids are creating their lists and checking them twice to make sure mom and dad know everything they want. But parents, keep in mind that it’s merely a “wish list”, not a “must get list”.
Recently a beloved school teacher in Kansas City, KS was fired for making an inappropriate comment in the classroom. The teacher made a “bad” joke that pushed the limit of acceptable classroom banter.
Anxiety is an inevitable part of life in today’s society. It is important to understand that there are many life situations in which anxiety, stress, or a little fear is an appropriate and reasonable reaction. If you don’t ever feel any anxiety in response to everyday challenges, something may be wrong. In fact anxiety can, in some cases, be a positive thing. Good stress motivates and energizes, pushing you do your best work. A little fear may actually cause you to work harder and be more productive.
Holidays are tricky times for divorced families. For parents, it can be troublesome knowing your teen is enjoying special moments with the other parent. For your teen, a juggled schedule between families can be very disruptive and disheartening.
I recently read an article on WebMD that discussed Internet addiction. Researchers examined the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and Internet addiction in 2,162 junior high students over a period of two years. About 11% of study participants were classified as having an Internet addiction in the initial assessment. This is an alarmingly high statistic.
A student in a suburb of St. Louis was beaten on a school bus earlier this week because of his seat choice. On KMOX radio, I had the chance to listen and comment on the the incident during an on-air inteview. A brave Belleville West High School senior internvened to help stop the fight. The student is interviewed and my comments follow. Listen to the interview.
Texting has been in the news as kids head back to school. The NBC Today Show did a feature story about a rather graphic commercial related to the hazards of teen texting while driving. I think it makes a big statement, but some critics also think the ad is a bit over the top. What do you think? What the video.
All parents lecture their kids. Even as an adult child, my mother still lectures me, usually about how I am raising my kids. Interestingly, I know that parental lecturing is an ineffective method of persuasion, but I feel it is my adult right to “annoy” my children with lengthy and meaningful/less stories to make them better men.
