Your teen is probably thrilled to have the next couple of weeks off from school! Here are several ideas for fun activities your teen can do over the holiday break to fend off boredom. Encourage your teenager to choose a couple of these activities as a family experience or time with their friends. Middle Earth wishes you and your loved
Read moreA Pew Research Center survey released this month examined teen usage of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. The survey, conducted online between September 25 to October 9 in 2025, asked approximately 1500 U.S. teenagers, ages 13 to 17, about their online habits. Pew reported the following results: Parents can use these findings as a way to open conversations
Read moreA study published in June 2025 in the Journal of the American Medical Association was able to determine when youth were at risk of poor mental health related to screen time. Many parents, teachers and psychologists have worried about whether the amount of time kids spend on their phones, laptops and other devices were negatively impacting their mental health. This
Read moreMore teens obtained part-time employment in 2024 than in any previous year since 2008. Most believe the increased teen employment last year was due in part to an increasing demand for labor, as well as high inflation and the need to help out the family with rising costs. Experts believe the reasons the teen employment rate was previously so low
Read moreNew research published last week in the journal Computers in Human Behavior showed that a short period away from your smartphone can lead to noticeable shifts in brain activity. Scientists discovered that just 72 hours of smartphone restriction altered activity in brain regions linked to reward and self-control. These changes suggest that our constant connection to smartphones may have a more
Read moreEvery time a new year begins, many of us join in the ritual of making resolutions. Humans have an innate motivation to mark the start of something new with hopeful goals. Coming up with resolutions isn’t always easy, and the common goals to quit some bad habit or lose weight can sometimes create a negative mindset. If you want this
Read moreTime management is an important skill for a variety of reasons. First, managing our time well decreases our overall stress and increases our productivity. It also helps us to achieve goals and enjoy our free time more. Time management is also a highly coveted skill for employers. If your teen can learn it now as a student, they will excel
Read moreSummer break can be filled with new opportunities and lots of fun for many families. But summer also can exaggerate irritations that parents and teens have with one another as they spend more time together. Don’t let these problems ruin the whole break! Here are some of the most common complaints parents have about teens over the summer and some
Read moreRecent studies and research have demonstrated that too much screen time has a negative impact on our youth. Unfortunately, with over 95% of teenagers having a smartphone, screens are simply part of their daily lives. Even more disheartening, technology platforms are specifically designed by companies to maximize the amount of time we spend on them; in other words, they are
Read moreExperts believe that extracurricular activities are very important to a youth’s development and offer many benefits to teens. (You can learn more about the benefits in our previous blog.) However, not every teen is excited to engage in extracurriculars. If your child is resistant to participating in activities, should you force them? The short answer is no. Teens are never
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 and create lasting memories. While we often focus on creating traditions for December holidays, Thanksgiving can offer
Read moreSome teens seem to find a hobby or sport that they really love and stick with it. Other teens seem to flit from activity to activity, often losing interest as soon as the hobby gets a bit challenging. As a parent, it’s hard to know whether it’s important to let your teen have control over what activities they pursue or
Read moreThe U.S. Surgeon General recently issued an advisory that social media is hurting our nation’s children. Social media causes teens to lose sleep, withdraw from face-to-face interactions, spend too much time staring at screens, and engage with content that is making them anxious and depressed. Unfortunately, 95% of teens between 13 and 17 have a smartphone, so there’s a general feeling among parents
Read moreSummer is fast approaching and many families are wondering the best use of the school break. Should teens have time to just relax and be free from responsibilities? Should they be working on academics that they found difficult during the school year? Should they be obtaining experiences to develop their resume? There are so many choices that it is hard
Read moreAdolescence is both a time of critical brain development and high social media use. Adolescent brains are going through the most development and reorganization, second only to infancy, making them more susceptible to environmental influences. As a result, many doctors and parents wonder how social media will impact this generation. In today’s blog we examine the results from two recent
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 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 moreSummer is rapidly approaching, and many of us are considering vacations. The only problem for many families is that parents aren’t sure they want to spend an entire week traveling with an eye-rolling, attitude-copping teen. Don’t bail yet! Traveling with your teen can be a great experience, if you just follow a few guidelines: Let your teen have input. From
Read moreDo you have a teen who doesn’t ever give their best effort? Do they hide behind screens with no interest in extracurricular activities or finding a job or determining a future path? Many teens seem to struggle with motivation and the confidence to move forward. It could be due to the fact that teens have become more reclusive in their
Read moreDuring the pandemic, many businesses had to close their doors and lay off workers. Now that everything is opening back up, there is a huge demand for labor. However, many adults are still hesitant to return to the workforce, either because they have health concerns, difficulty finding child care, decided to retire, or are trying to find higher wages to
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