It’s that time of year again where we feel the urge to reflect on the past year and hope for all the possibilities in the coming year, and that often results in the all-too-famous New Year’s Resolutions. While it’s a great idea for teens to practice goal-setting, so often, resolutions seem to become a way that people punish themselves. Some
Read moreThe school break for the holidays is rapidly approaching, and our absolute best tip for surviving it with your teen is to have fun! Here are several ideas for activities your teen can do over the holiday break. Encourage your teenager to choose a couple of these activities as a family experience or time with their friends. Middle Earth wishes
Read moreAs the holidays approach, many of us feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety. While holidays have the potential for fun and special memories, they also have the potential for stress and family conflict that can take the joy out of the season. If one of the reasons for your holiday anxiety is because you dread your teen’s possible behavior,
Read moreResearch has shown that the maintenance of family traditions is far more important to children of all ages than most parents realize. Despite their eye-rolling, teens gain a sense of belonging through family rituals that make them part of a clearly defined unit. Simple things – such as sharing a special meal or wearing a holiday outfit or watching a
Read moreGambling is quite popular in our society, and children are exposed to the concept at early ages. There are many gambling advertisements on TV and social media that promote the idea that gambling is fun, exciting, and a way to get rich easily. Movies glorify gambling and show the “big win.” Many video games and apps allow children have gambling
Read moreAs Thanksgiving approaches, many parents might be wondering how to make the holiday meaningful to their teens or how to raise their teens to be more grateful… or at least less entitled. Raising a teen who is grateful or who appreciates the good things in their life is a worthy goal. Years of research convincingly shows that, when compared with
Read more“I don’t want to go to school” is a phrase nearly every parent has heard many times. Every child complains about going to school now and then, and even resists going to school. But when a teen refuses to attend school on a regular basis, or has problems staying in school, something more serious is likely at play. A teenager
Read moreIn the last decade, there has been a big push to reduce the stigma of mental health to great effect. More and more people are recognizing the importance of good mental health and willing to discuss mental illness. As a result, the subject of mental health is significantly increasing on social media. For example, TikTok videos with #mentalhealth in the
Read moreThere is a lot of talk in our culture about misinformation particularly on social media platforms. Since youth spend a huge amount of time on social media and even get their “news” from these platforms, it’s important that we raise adolescents to be able to distinguish the difference between real facts and possible fabrication. We want the next generation to
Read moreWhen our children are irresponsible, disrespectful or disobedient, it’s extremely difficult to stay calm. Teens especially seem to know just the right buttons to push to make us see red. Typically, when we get very angry, our normal reaction is to yell. Honestly, it can feel good to scream at the source of our frustration. The problem with yelling at
Read moreOver the last decade, mental health among youth has deteriorated, and it’s only gotten worse in the past couple of years. Compared with 2019, emergency room visits for suicide attempts rose 51% for adolescent girls in early 2021. Depression and anxiety doubled during the pandemic, with 25% of youths experiencing depressive symptoms and 20% suffering anxiety symptoms. The National Institutes
Read moreYouth sports have been proven to offer teens substantial benefits. Unfortunately, almost half of youth stop playing sports by the time they get to high school. The way our nation currently views youth sports doesn’t set most teens up to participate. This article will examine the reasons sports are invaluable for our teens, the reasons more teens aren’t participating in
Read moreIn a recent report from Network Contagion Research Institute and Rutgers University, researchers describe a dramatic rise in social media posts, particularly on Twitter, related to self-harm. Among the disturbing statistics in the report is that since October 2021, hashtags related to self-harm such as #shtwt,” which is short for “self-harm Twitter,” have increased roughly 500 percent, and the number
Read moreWhen teens are ready to enter the job market, many run into a big problem right away. They have no idea how to actually get hired. It can be overwhelming to a young person beginning this process, but it becomes manageable if the adults in their lives can break it down for them and offer a little guidance. If you
Read moreVaping is continuing to rise among youth. The Centers for Disease Control report that in 2021, 1 in 9 high school students said they had vaped in the past month. Two recent studies demonstrate the increases. Research from Columbia University found that the frequency of vaping cannabis among adolescents from all demographic groups is reported at six or more times
Read moreSeptember is National Suicide Prevention Month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that, in 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-14 and 25-34. It is estimated that 12.2 million Americans seriously considered suicide, 3.2 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.2 million attempted suicide in 2020. Believe it or not, all
Read moreAlmost every adult wants a magic formula that will make conversations with teens easier. There actually is one, but it’s likely not what you expected or want to hear. Communication with teens always improves when we practice active listening. Most of us aren’t as good at listening as we’d like to think. Hearing someone talk is different from concentrating on
Read moreAs many students head back to school, we are facing a possible teacher shortage. Between the pandemic and recent political attacks on curriculum, teachers are stressed and considering different careers. Many teachers have already quit, and a recent teacher survey by Merrimack College discovered that 44% of teachers were likely to leave the profession within two years. Every parent wants
Read moreClasses, social stress, homework, sports, chores, part-time jobs, after-school activities… teens live busy lives. Does your teen seem to be dragging? Many teens feel tired from their many commitments and look for ways to increase their energy. Some of these ways may be unhealthy. Before your teen gets burnout, it’s a good time to teach your adolescent about how their
Read moreAs our nation deals with extreme weather, heat deaths in the U.S. have increased 56% from 2018 to 2021. The high heat and humidity across our country are a danger to all of us, but particularly athletes who are participating in sports outdoors. High school sports practices are either underway or starting now, and youth are at a high risk
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