These are subjects you’ll want to talk about with your children before there is a problem. As a family, you can establish boundaries and consequences and come to a common understanding of what is acceptable.

Sex: According to Advocates for Youth, statistics indicate that children who talk to their parents about sex are less likely to engage in high-risk behavior, such as having sex without condoms. 70.6% of teens who reported they didn’t feel comfortable talking to their parents had sex by age 17-19. That compares to 57.9% of teens who reported a close relationship.

It’s true. Not talking to your children about sex isn’t that likely to keep them from doing it. But the opposite is also true. Talking to them about it, isn’t more likely to have them engaging in sexual activity. If it means having sexually active children behaving maturely, talking things out can only help keep our kids safer.

If you think your child is already having sex, chat with them about it. Don’t get angry, but approach it in a calm and reasonable manner. Talk to them about your experiences and be honest. If your child has a boyfriend/girlfriend and things seem to be getting serious, start the conversation if you haven’t already. Above all, make sure they are being safe.

Drugs & Alcohol: Many professionals agree that when parents talk to their kids about drugs and alcohol, those discussions are very likely to shape the child’s attitude about those subjects.

Before you talk to your kids – educate yourself. Check with your local school, library or even look online for the straight facts about drugs and alcohol. Simply telling your kids, “Drugs and alcohol are dangerous,” isn’t going to be as efficient as truly illustrating the very real dangers of substance abuse. Try not to lecture, listen to what your kids have to say and really talk about the issues.

As always, keep it casual. If you spend time with your teenagers and keep the lines of communication open, bringing up the subject is much easier.

Signs of Drug & Alcohol Use: Look out for these tell-tale signs that your child might be using drugs or alcohol:

• Loss of interest in family and other usual activities
• Not living up to responsibilities.
• Verbally or physical abusiveness.
• Coming home late.
• Increased dishonesty.
• Declining grades.
• Severe mood swings.
• Big change in sleeping patterns..

Understand that a lot of the above signs, especially near the top of the list, could mean a multitude things. Teenagers who are depressed can act in similar ways. When approaching your child, don’t be accusatory. Try to connect with them and see what’s really happening in their lives.

Parenting Your Teen Program: How To Handle Your Teenager And All Situations Involving Him Or Her In A True “WIN-WIN” Manner And Develop The Co-Operative, Down-To-Earth, Frustration-Free Relationship That You’ve Always Wanted

By the time your child has reached the terrible twos, you will already know his or her personality quite well. By this tender young age, your child will have already started taking his or her first wobbly steps towards independence. At that age and even younger, you as a parent tend to actively support this burgeoning independence with encouragement and assistance, helping your child reach whatever goal it is he or she is trying to reach, whether it is walking independently, learning to talk. You are your child’s best cheerleader.

As your child grows, you continue to support that independence by helping him or her learn how to ride a bike, encouraging him or her to do well in school, and allowing him or her certain privileges like staying up late or going places with friends.  This continued support that you provide to your kids as they become more independent can build a strong foundation for self-esteem.

So what happens between the time your child wakes up at age 8 or 9 and the time he or she wakes up at age 12 or 13? Do you, as a parent, simply realize how quickly the time is going and try to slow it down? Do you suddenly not want to support your child or prevent him or her from reaching the next stage of development? Of course not!. But it does get more difficult to support independence when it is accompanied by sharp jabs, mouthy comments, and disrespect!

In many cases, parents end up in a catch-22. They have created a young person who has the expectation of increasing independence and support from Mom and Dad, because they have always been given the tools they need to get to the next stage in life. But parents often start holding back on providing these tools as their kids get older, either from discomfort or from thinking the teen is moving too quickly toward the next step. When this kind of tension happens, it can quickly lead to disaster and a broken relationship between you and your teen.

As your child enters the teen years, the most important thing you can do is continue to support his or her independence. This does not mean that you let your teen run free. In fact, I often think that parents have it backwards: they think it is important to be home with their kids when they are little, but I think it is when your teens start facing major life pressures and decisions that they need you most.

Take a hands-on role in your teen’s life. Help your teen learn to make good decisions, but let your teen actually take some control of his or her life. You can do this by letting your teen choose his or her high school classes, allowing him or her to participate in a team sport, or letting your teen get a part-time after school job and have control over the money earned.

By letting your teen take steps toward becoming an adult, and by supporting those steps even when you do not necessarily agree with them, you provide your teen with the tools he or she will need to survive out in the “real” world.

Norbert Georget is an accomplished professional speaker, teen motivator and author of the book, No-Nonsense Parenting For Today’s Teenager.  Learn  How To Feel Like A Good Parent Even When Your Teenager Hates You.

Stress is a normal part of life. How we choose to deal with it, however, is an entirely different subject. As a parent or grandparent, it’s important to know how to help teens deal with stress effectively.

Today it’s unusual to see a teen simply relaxing. There are expectations from family, teachers, and friends, as well as technology and activities to keep them busy. Some studies suggest a third of all children suffer from undue stress. In fact, young children are beginning to show signs of chronic stress in ever-increasing numbers, enough to concern health professionals.
Listen to the children in your life and learn to recognize the symptoms of being overly stressed. They may act out, whine incessantly, or try to isolate themselves if they’re not verbal yet. Older children may show a lack of patience, become stubborn, or have trouble concentrating. They may also express physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach-aches, or lack of energy. Pay attention to the symptoms and try to determine if they’re caused by stress or if they’re simply misbehaving.

Teach your child to recognize the difference between being relaxed and being stressed. Explain how stress might make them feel tense or stiff like a piece of wood. Help them learn to relax by tensing their muscles and the letting the tension go. When they can tense and release their muscles at will, they’ll be able to learn to relax more efficiently.
Be available for them. Perhaps part of your child’s stress is caused by everyone in the family being too busy. Your child needs to know they can find you if they need you. You might want to reduce the number of activities your family is involved in so you’re more available for them. Take time to spend alone with them if you notice them starting to become apprehensive.

Try to be patient with them. The old saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day” can be applied to your child learning to deal with stress as well. Learning to deal with stress takes time and your child needs you to be patient with them while they learn.

Have some fun with your child. There is little that can beat laughter for reducing stress in children and in adults. Play games with them, watch silly movies, or just enjoy listening to their goofy jokes. You’ll both feel better and less stressed.

It’s important to remember that stress is common to nearly everyone. And while adults have years of experience dealing with stress, that’s not so for the children in their lives. Your child depends on you to help them learn how to deal with stress. This can begin at an early age and continue until they are in their teens. By the time they’re adults and able to better understand stress, they’ll have mastered dealing with it effectively.

Click here to Learn How To Handle Your Teenager And All Situations Involving Him Or Her In A True “WIN-WIN” Manner And Develop The Co-Operative, Down-To-Earth, Frustration-Free Relationship That You’ve Always Wanted.

Additional Guidance dealing with Teenage Stress is here.

This post is the beginning of a series of topics we will be covering over the next several days. With the new school year right around the corner, our teens will be looking at different after school activities and we want to make sure our teens are involved in activities that will help them grow and be successful. So, if you’re not subscribed to Parenting My Teen yet, why not hit that cute little “subscribe” button up there in the right hand corner so you don’t miss any of the helpful articles from Parenting My Teen. On to today’s post…

The educational system today is in a flux.  Reorganizations are occurring yearly in an attempt to better educate students.  Overcrowding and lack of good instruction makes it even harder on students to achieve.

The educational system today is in a flux. Reorganizations are occurring yearly in an attempt to better educate students. Overcrowding and lack of good instruction makes it even harder on students to achieve.

In order for students to achieve at the basic level of understanding and comprehending the subjects at hand, students can tutor those who need assistance. Moreover, study groups, while very common in high school and college, can also be utilized in the middle schools as well. It is estimated that the most important school years for any student is from 5th to 8th grade.

While reports increasingly state that the reading and math scores of students are on the decline, especially in high school, it is clearly evident that additional support has to become available for elementary and middle school students.

Tutoring and study groups can make all the difference. Studying with one’s own peers makes it easier for students to grasp the subject matter and make strides to improve on school exams, and city and state tests. While there are certainly teachers who offer their services, as well as Dial a Teacher which is available in most states, it is the one on one or group study that is most successful and effective.

More importantly, students who need help in a certain subject feel more comfortable with a tutor. In this way, it is done in the privacy of their home where the environment is safe and comfortable. Moreover, some students may become embarrassed at the thought of anyone knowing they are being tutored.

Conversely, study groups in middle school and high school can produce students who take lead in establishing study groups in college. Networking with other students is one of the most important resources currently utilized in college, and it is a result of study groups formed by students who felt the need to embrace this type of educational tool.

For more great tips on helping your teen through high school, get Helping your Teen Through High School. from Life Coach, Aurelia Williams.

Even though the economy has slowed down, college applications are up. Many people are enrolling in undergraduate programs, or going back for an advanced degree.

But, unfortunately, some people don’t consider pursuing a degree because they lack the finances. The costs can be steep. During the 2008-2009 academic year, the average annual cost of a public four-year degree was $6,585 and for a private four-year degree, $25,143, according to The College Board.

The good news is there is money out there to help you pay for tuition or room and board, you just have to find it. Here are some tips:

* Apply for every scholarship or grant you can find.
It may seem like a full-time job searching for and applying for scholarships, but the dollars do add up. And they’re free. Start your search early — many scholarships have deadlines. If you’re a high school student, begin with your high school guidance counselor for a list of local resources, and then move on to the college you plan to attend. Don’t expect large amounts — the competition will be fierce for these scholarships. But smaller awards of $1,000 or less typically have fewer applicants and are easier to obtain.

Educational Web sites are also good sources for scholarship information — but remember, the information should always be free. For example, U.S. Bank has a powerful scholarship search engine, as well as an Internet scholarship program that will begin this autumn. Over the past 13 years, U.S. Bank has awarded more than $320,000 in scholarship funding from the U.S. Bank Internet scholarship program.

* Plan to earn some extra cash.
Working and going to school at the same time is very common for today’s students. Some are earning money for tuition, while others for living expenses. You can apply for the Federal Work Study program, find a job on campus, or look for something off campus. Graduate students can look for a teaching assistant or research positions, which sometimes offer tuition discounts in addition to a salary.

* Apply for federal aid
Student loans are some of the most commonly used financial tools. Use the following steps to apply for financial aid:

1. If you filed an extension for your 2008 taxes, get them finished immediately.

2. Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA form) and submit it as soon as possible.

3. When you receive the Student Aid Report, double check the information, and make corrections if needed. Return the report.

4. You will receive an award letter containing all the financial aid details regarding what you can receive. Consider your options carefully — look into your anticipated tuition costs, living expenses, cost of books and supplies, etc. Reply with your acceptance by the deadline. If you have questions, contact your school’s financial aid office.

* Get a supplemental loan for the rest of your expenses.
Supplemental loans are often used in addition to federal student loans when you find you still need more financing to cover the cost of your education. U.S. Bank offers a No Fee Education Loan for full-time, part-time or less than part-time students making satisfactory academic progress in an eligible four-year institution or graduate school. Students receive the full approved loan amount. This may help in handling those additional expenses such as books, laundry and food.

A few attributes of the U.S. Bank No Fee Education Loan include no fees, a low interest rate, automatic deferment on payments while in school and for six months after graduation or less than half-time enrollment. Or, choose to make interest payments while in school.

Visit www.usbank.com/studentbanking or call (800) 242-1200 to learn more.

For more tips on what to do if you need money for college, visit our college financing tips page.
Courtesy of ARA Content