Being able to handle emergency situations calmly and confidently is an important life skill and crucial for teens to learn before they are out on their own. Every high school student should know basic first aid. These valuable life skills are the difference between panic and action when something goes wrong, so parents should take the time to discuss the
Read moreThere are some basic things that teens need to know but that adults tend to take for granted and skip for discussion. Hygiene is one of them. We taught our little ones to wash their hands after they use the bathroom and how to wash their body in the bathtub, so we think these skills just continue or translate easily
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Read moreThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s annual survey of adolescents, entitled The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, offers helpful information on the behaviors of teenagers. This article is focusing on the sleep habits of 13- to 19-year-olds. Research has shown that getting enough sleep is linked with improved emotional regulation, physical and mental health, attention, creativity, analytical thinking, learning, immune
Read moreThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts an annual survey of adolescents on a wide range of topics. Entitled The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the report offers helpful information on the behaviors of teenagers. Today’s blog will be focusing on physical activity. Experts recommend that teenagers engage in physical activity at least one hour every day. Regular physical activity
Read moreThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts an annual survey of adolescents on a wide range of topics. Entitled The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the report offers helpful information on the behaviors of teenagers. Today’s blog will be focusing on dietary behaviors. Since adolescence is a time of rapid growth and development, having a balanced diet and good nutrition
Read moreA new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health released this month suggests that parents are talking to their children about puberty too late. Among the findings: As humans, we all feel less nervous and handle things better when we know what to expect. That’s why it’s a great idea to begin speaking to younger kids (ages 7-9)
Read moreToday begins Eating Disorders Awareness Week. It’s estimated that 30 million Americans (20 million women and 10 million men) have struggled with an eating disorder at some point over their lifetime. Eating disorders can affect people of every age, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic group. They are a serious illness; in fact, eating disorders are the mental illness with the
Read moreFrom the time they hit middle school, most kids are always on the go. Whether it’s extracurricular activities, socializing with friends, connecting online for video games, or keeping up with homework, the time of adolescence is a very busy one. With such busy schedules, tweens and teens rarely make the best choices in food. They might skip meals or grab
Read moreYour teen’s body image is not about the shape of their body, but rather, how they VIEW the shape of their body. How a teen perceives the way they look has a powerful influence on their life and self-esteem. Adolescence is a stage in life where teens begin to care a lot about how others view them, and your child’s
Read moreWithin the past decade, mental health problems in teens have been increasing at a rapid rate. A new report from the United Hospital Fund shows that 6.7 million U.S. adolescents have at least one behavioral health condition. Some of these mental health conditions may include depression, anxiety, and ADHD. While these numbers might seem alarming, the good news is that
Read moreThe thrill of victory, the agony of defeat! Regardless of whether you are a spectator or a participant, sports evoke strong emotions in us that are easy to get caught up in. It is no easy task to be a parent of a young athlete. Hard enough are the tasks of helping your child learn how to handle the ups
Read moreOne of our most important parenting responsibilities is to give teens the skills and tools they need to become successful in adulthood. We must teach them to cook, manage money, clean, and much more. And one of these vital skills is learning how to manage their own medical care. When you have small children, you must make all of the
Read moreWhat your teen sees when they look in the mirror can impact their mental and physical health, including how active they are and their risk for an eating disorder. According to the National Institutes of Health nearly half of children and teens have body image issues. And it’s no wonder since our society has an image-driven culture that focuses on
Read moreAt a time when many have made New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight, it might seem odd to be promoting weight gain, but pediatricians say it’s an important message for parents of adolescents. American culture clearly values small bodies and weight loss. We are bombarded with unhealthy messages about body image. And at the same time, we have heard there
Read moreNew research, published last month in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, demonstrates that potentially toxic chemicals found in everyday products are altering the hormonal and metabolic pathways needed for human growth and development in teens. What are “forever chemicals”? Researchers analyzed study samples from young children, teens and young adults, all of whom had a mixture of different synthetic compounds
Read moreAccording to the American Osteopathic Association, hearing loss in teens has risen by 30 percent since the 1990s, with 1 in 5 teens having some form of hearing loss. It’s important to know that the number one cause of hearing loss is noise, not age. Unfortunately, hearing loss due to excessive sound exposure is permanent, and there is no cure for
Read moreMore than a million kids ages 5 to 14 are injured each year in sports and require a trip to the emergency room, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Football has the highest incidence of injury, followed by basketball. Along with sports, the agency also reports significant injuries from things like playground equipment and skateboards. While high contact
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 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
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