Mental health struggles are increasing among our teens. There are a lot of reasons for this. Higher rates of mood, attention and behavior disorders start many kids off behind the eight ball. The mental health statistics for kids and teens are shocking. Did you know.... 20% of youth ages 13-18 live with a mental illness 11% of youth have a mood disorder 10% of … [Read more...]
Are Parents Too Distracted?
Life is busy. For parents, it seems that much busier. Keeping track of our schedules, our kids schedules and keeping in touch with friends and family - not to mention actual work-we-get-paid-for - can be daunting. Our smartphones and devices can sometimes make parenting and life in general easier. Everything we need is in the palm of our hand. We can do everything from check … [Read more...]
Reader Question: How Do I Help My Kid Be a Good Problem Solver?
I want my grandchild to become a big problem solver for anyone who will pay her extremely well. My only requirement is that what she does must be ethical and legal. How do I teach her to consistently think of how to solve problems? - Anonymous Hi, Anonymous, This is a great question. Teaching kids to solve problems is simple... but not easy. They need loads and … [Read more...]
Help! My Kid Saw Pornography, What Should I Do?
Yikes, my kid saw pornography, what do I do?!?! First of all, don't panic. Every week someone writes in to ask, "my child saw pornography, what do I do?" From four years old to 24, this is a topic that parents struggle to manage - and it's easy to understand why. Sexual images are everywhere from catalogs delivered in the mail and billboards, to instagram ads and accounts, … [Read more...]
How to Talk to Your Kids About Binge Drinking
The last few weeks I shared with you the first few episode of my new Today Show parenting web series. In case you missed it, here is the first one about mental health struggles, and the second episode, on teaching teens about consent. Each episode I addressed a big issue, and how to tackle the tough topics we all have been struggling with (and in some cases avoiding) … [Read more...]
