They are everywhere. Cell phones have become a major part of the American culture and that trend is seeping into the youngest generations as well. A recent study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project reports that around 75 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds own a mobile device. In 2004, less than half of that age group owned phones.
Read moreThe ultimate goal of parenting is for your child to develop into a responsible adult who will live independently. All parents want their children to feel confident out in the world and to become successful, but it’s not something that will ‘just happen.’ There are certain life skills that every adult must have to be independent, but those skills are
Read moreMany teenagers consider prom to be a BIG deal, which means it can be a BIG headache for parents. Depending on your teen’s perspective, they may have visions of the perfect (expensive) dress, or perhaps an incredible night of partying, or perhaps a romantic night leading to sexual activity. The good news is there are steps that parents can take
Read moreSo, your teen is finally ready to enter the job market, but they don’t know how to actually get hired. It can be overwhelming to a young person beginning this process, but it becomes manageable when you break it down. If you have a teen in your life who would like to find work, then print out the advice below
Read moreWhat do you want to do with the rest of your life? This is a hefty question! Some adults don’t even know the answer to that question, so imagine how it might overwhelm a youth. Teens have a hard time wrapping their head around the concept of their future, yet it is absolutely essential that they begin considering what they
Read moreAll children – yes, even tweens and teenagers – need the routine and structure that firm family rules provide in order to develop confidence in navigating their environment. Curfews are one of those rules and are an important part of developing a teenager’s (and tween’s) responsibility. Benefits of Establishing a Curfew Curfews help youth learn to follow a normal routine
Read moreThe teenage years should be thought of as a training period for adulthood. This is the time that they can make small mistakes with parental support to learn important life lessons before they’re out on their own and make huge mistakes that could have life altering affects. Part of being a responsible adult is managing money well, so it goes
Read moreLying is not uncommon in children. At some point, most older children lie to avoid punishment, shirk a responsibility or protect their privacy. However, lying becomes a more serious problem when a child is telling stories to seek greater amounts of attention, it has become a more repetitive behavior that is easily fallen into, or your child is covering up
Read moreEveryone gets mad. Getting angry is normal, but sometimes anger can lead to behavior that is uncomfortable or out of control. People who learn coping skills for managing their anger receive innumerable benefits including getting sick less often, better relationships with others, and feeling better emotionally. No one is born with these types of skills; they must be learned, so
Read moreThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group. In 2008, nine teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to
Read moreOur goal as a parent is to be successful at helping our children accomplish the developmental goals of the teen years – becoming increasingly responsible and independent. One of those developmental steps is dating. Dating is a normal adolescent life stage experience for all teenagers. There are a variety of issues that come up when teens want to date, so
Read moreAdolescence is that difficult period of time when carefree children transition to responsible adults… we hope. That is the goal, after all, for teens to develop into mature, productive, responsible members of the community. One method for assisting this transition is obtaining part-time employment. A job can help teenagers better develop their identities, obtain increased autonomy, achieve new accomplishments, develop
Read moreIt’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. A resolution is a promise that you make to yourself. In many ways, resolutions are like goals. Setting goals is a skill that
Read moreWho taught you how to cook? Or how to get a driver’s license? Or how to budget? Many of us may roll our eyes at our parents’ attempts to share these skills – how they kept hitting the imaginary brake on the passenger side of the car whenever we took the wheel or maybe it was their constant harping that
Read more