Parenting My Teen

Standard Podcast Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The holidays can be loads of fun for some families but it can also be stressful and depressing for others. Teens are just as affected by the holiday craziness as are adults so it’s important to spend some alone time with your teen so they don’t feel lost in the hustle and bustle.

In this episode I share some great teen gift ideas and I also encourage you to talk to your teens about the dangers of drinking and driving. Many studies have shown that incidents of teen drinking rise sharply during the winter break from school so please pay attention to what your teen is doing in his free time and who she’s hanging out with. If it means being the uncool parent to confirm whether alcohol will be at a party, then be uncool. It could mean the difference between life and death.

Our good friend and author Vanessa Van Petten from On Teens Today joins us with some tips for handling a moody teen during the holidays. Sometimes you can help lift a teen’s mood simply by speaking to them as an adult, asking their thoughts on a subject, and listening to what they have to say.

Have a very Happy Holiday and a safe and Happy New Year!

Standard Podcast Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Computer technology is a double edged sword. The amount of information available on the internet is wonderful if your teen has reports or projects due but the internet also offers our teens a whole new world to explore, which can lead to dangerous or secretive behavior.

My guest this week is Katy Lee of Adventures in Parenting. She is a mother of 3 – two college age children and one 8th grader – and she is also a popular speaker whose passion is to help other parents raise children with good character, compassion, and integrity.

Katy’s latest passion is teaching parents how to parent in the age of the internet. She shares why she became interested in this topic, why kids spend so much time on the computer, and why spyware and filters aren’t enough to protect our kids.

Also on today’s show is Vanessa van Petten of On Teens Today. She shares a story and tips with us about pressuring our teens.

If you have any questions you would like addressed on the show, please leave a comment below!

Special Note From Our Sponsor:  We’re seeing and hearing everywhere that our teens are over weight and that the lack of regular, healthy physical activity is affecting their social and academic development.  It’s easy to keep them fit when they’re young and you can register them in all sorts of activities like, soccer and swimming.  But when they become opiniated teens some parents have to get a little more creative and determined in order to get their teens active.  Here’s a video and description of what I did.

Standard Podcast Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

How has your teen’s school year been going so far? Was it a tough transition? Are they still transitioning or having problems?

Opening up with your student and encouraging them to speak openly with you is tricky. But that communication is so vitally important to know what’s happening in your student’s life and if they’re experiencing any problems that they’re not mature enough to handle on their own.

This week parenting coach Vanessa Van Petten from On Teens Today shares some tips for middle schoolers who might experience bullying from “mean girls.” Bullying is not just a high school thing; very often it starts in the younger grades and can be devestating if your student is the subject of the torment.

I am also joined by Stacie Mahoe of All About Fast Pitch who talks about the top 5 mistakes student athletes and their families make during college recruiting. You’ll want to listen to every minute if you have a student athlete so you’ll know what to expect.

As always, I love to hear your comments about the shows. If you have a particular problem or interest that you’d like to see featured in a show, please leave us a comment below.

Standard Podcast Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This week I’m shaking things up a bit by having two guests giving you some awesome advice.

Vanessa van Petten is the parenting coach behind the popular blog, On Teens Today, which is read by hundreds of teens and parents daily. At the young age of 17 Vanessa wrote a book titled, “You’re Grounded” and and is now on a national speaking tour, reaching out to both parents and teenagers about how to cope and thrive as young people today.

This week Vanessa gives us six tips for opening up communication with our teens.

My other guest this week is Marguerite Wright from Mother Knows Best.  As a Certified Herbalist and Health Consultant, Marguerite has learned from the best natural herbalists across the nation.

This week Marguerite shares some ways to encourage our teens to live a healthy lifestyle using the benefits of natural health alternatives.

As always, leave me a note below with your thoughts about the show or with topics that you would like to hear about.

Standard Podcast Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drug and alcohol use among teens is still rising. Even though parents don’t ever want to think that OUR kids are using illegal substances, the statistics prove us wrong.

More than 33% of 8th graders have tried illegal drugs.

By the time they are high school seniors, almost 60% of all teens have used illegal drugs at least once.

These are serious numbers and parents need to speak to their children and take every precaution to keep them safe.

My guest this week is Doug Chinchar, the creator of KnowNoDrugTest.com . Doug is a drug testing specialist who has worked in the field of “on the job” safety for many years. Tired of seeing parents in denial and children killing themselves with drugs and alchohol, Doug created the site and a home drug test to get parents and children talking about the dangers and the peer pressure they face at school to try drugs and alcohol.

Listen in as Doug and I discuss topics such as:

1) Why is it IMPORTANT to have this “drug” test on your refrigerator
2) Why is home drug testing NOT an invasion of privacy???
3) How can can parents get more involved with their kids when they have such little time together
4) How does this test help kids with peer pressure at school
5) How the test can save lives & how it opens up communication between teens and parents

With teen drug use on a constant rise, Doug Chinchar says sticking his home drug test on your refrigerator is one way to possibly save a teenager’s life.

Please visit Doug’s website for some eye-opening information. Do you know what a “Fruit Salad Party” is? Or how about “Cheese”? Believe me, they are NOT healthy snacks!

Parents, time to face reality and keep our kids safe! Remember those statistics at the top of the page and don’t let your child become one of the tragic stories we hear about every year.