Talking to teens takes special skills. It isn’t like it was when parents were teens. That is a classic line that teens use on their parents, unfortunately, it is true. Teens today live in a world surrounded by modern technology, drugs that weren’t even thought of in their parent’s generation and the pressure to accomplish and do everything. Talking to the teen of this generation may be more complicated, but it is a skill well worth learning.

Realize that there are times when your teen wants to talk to you.  Unbelievable, but yes this may happen. If you know your child, you may spot the signs. Teens are all different so there is no one way to spot a teen that is looking for your adult conversation. Pay attention to your teen’s actions moods and listen to their words.  Your teen may just need someone to listen. This accomplishes several things. It helps your teen get whatever it is off their mind. It also helps get things out in the open. Listen to what your teen isn’t saying as well as what they are. Look at their body language. Really looking and listening to them is helpful.

To gain a little more patience and whole lot more understanding of your teen, pick up Aurelia’s Real Life Guidance to Understanding Your Teen - it’s a lifesaver for so many parents.

Summer break for most students is not too far away. In fact, many teens will be looking for a way to earn extra cash. As a parent, there are things you can do to help your teen find summer work.

Here is a great article on helping your teen find a summer job.  Having a job as a teen is important in that it teaches responsibility at an early age, but more importantly, prepares them for when they become full-time members of the work force

With the declining economy it may be more difficult for teens to find summer jobs this year.  Be sure to let us know what your comments are. Do you have children that will be working during the summer?

Hi there - we officially took the new wrapping paper off of this site today and I am thrilled to have this new site up and all of you here visiting.  Take your time to browse the may resources that we have and be sure to tune into our latest show or one of our archived shows.

 I want to introduce you to our Virtual Assistant here at Parenting My Teen: Tricia Gardner.

Tricia is a ‘God Send’ and takes care of the site, advertising inquiries and she plays a huge role in seeking out and screening guests to appear on the show.  Tricia also keeps me on my toes and handles the bulk of the day to day tasks around here She’s been a guest on the show a few times and I have to tell you - she is a lovely lady both inside and out.

Tricia is a Work At Home Mom of three children and she has a very supportive husband. She is the proud owner of  TimeSaver VA http://timesaverva.com and has been in the administrative field for over 10 years.

You’ll see Tricia around here quite often adding content, graphics, moving pages around and commenting on the site.  Be sure to say Hi when you see her.