Although it might seem counterintuitive, giving to others makes us feel good. Whether it’s spending our money, time, or energy on someone else, research is consistently finding that acts of altruism increase our happiness and well-being. Helping others is actually fundamental to being human! With so many adolescents struggling with depression and anxiety, it’s a good idea to share with
Read moreRaising a teenager with a spirit of gratitude, or who is thankful for the good things in their life, is a worthy goal. Years of scientific research has proven that grateful people are happier and more satisfied with their lives. Experts say that one of the best ways to encourage genuine thankfulness in our children is to role model it.
Read moreEven in the best of relationships, conflict is inevitable. Whether it’s a best friend, a dating partner, a parent, a classmate, a difficult teacher, a sports teammate, a college roommate, …well you get the point, every relationship has the potential for challenges. Conflicts by themselves are not the problem, but rather how we deal with them. One of the best
Read moreTeens can often come across as rude and disrespectful to their parents, teachers or other authority figures. Eye-rolling, backtalking, door slamming, dramatic sighing with a dash of know-it-all attitude can frustrate even the most patient adult. Understandably, many adults will respond by being rude and disrespectful back. Unfortunately, whenever a teen sees you being disrespectful, they assume that their behavior is
Read moreOur culture does not always seem to value integrity, and our youth receive a lot of mixed messages about the merit of having good principles. Some teens have seen too many adults acting unethically to believe it’s important. Meanwhile, media subtly communicates to teens that the ends justifies the means – to get ahead, do whatever you need to do
Read moreThe majority of teens today struggle with poor self-image. Our culture and media are constantly feeding them messages that imply they are not enough – not good-looking enough, not cool enough, not smart enough, not rich enough, etc. Social media, in particular, encourages teens to compare themselves to everyone else’s highlight reel. Inside, many teens wonder if they are valued
Read moreCritical thinking skills are the ability to imagine, analyze, and evaluate information in order to determine its integrity, importance and validity. Critical thinking is an important life skill that is necessary for a person to succeed at school, in the workplace, and while living independently. Students with this skill are more successful academically. Employers value this skill because it helps
Read moreBeing part of a team can teach young people responsibility, good communication skills, perseverance, and how to work together for a common goal. Additionally, good teamwork is a highly desired skill in the workplace, so youth who develop it now are more marketable in their adulthood. Being a good teammate doesn’t always come naturally, especially to youth. Children learn how
Read moreThanks to technology, our world is so much more interconnected than ever before. As a result, our children will be exposed to a wide variety of people with many differences, including race, language, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, disabilities, age, economic circumstances, customs, culture, and lifestyles. It’s important that we teach youth to behave and make decisions based on respect and tolerance
Read moreConfidence or self-esteem is how your child feels about themself and their abilities. These feelings develop as your child interacts with you and others. A child with a healthy self-esteem values themself as a person, trusts their feelings and abilities, believes they are capable, and is able to work toward their goals. All parents want their children to have a
Read moreIf you ask parents what they want most for their children, the majority will answer, “I want them to be happy.” But that’s hard to define. Happiness is an emotion, a momentary state of being, not a permanent state. Additionally, happiness can mean different things to different people. If we, as parents, have a goal to raise our kids to
Read moreWe all know that adolescents face an extraordinary amount of peer pressure, and unfortunately, when humans are under pressure, we don’t always make the best decisions. Despite our intelligence, we are not great at considering all of the consequences of our decisions while people are staring at us waiting for our decision. This is true of adults, but it’s even
Read moreLeadership is a valuable skill set to have, especially in adulthood. Employers are always looking for good leaders, and even if a person is not in a leadership role in their workplace, leadership skills are still helpful at home or in the community. While some people are more natural leaders than others, leadership skills can be learned, developed and improved.
Read moreTeens with self-advocacy skills are more likely to have higher self-esteem, a positive sense of identity, greater social connections, more leadership qualities and enhanced problem solving abilities. Self-advocacy is an individual’s ability to effectively communicate, negotiate or assert his or her own interests, desires, needs and rights. Self-advocacy can be used in many ways, for example a student with learning
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. 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 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 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 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 moreWith summer rapidly approaching, many teens are considering part-time employment. A first job for a teen can be a really exciting and positive entry into the adult world! A job can help teenagers develop responsibility, gain confidence, learn new skills, obtain increased autonomy, achieve new accomplishments, and build their resume. Having part-time employment demonstrates that a student has a good
Read moreThere’s been a lot of talk about “mindfulness” in our culture lately, but many people don’t fully understand the term. Mindfulness is when we try to stay consciously aware of an experience while it’s happening. This can be a helpful practice in any number of situations, but it can be especially useful while eating. Many Americans will eat junk food
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