Recently, we sat down with Tammy Walsh, a mom and advocate for drug awareness. She is a member of the Five Moms Campaign for StopMedicineAbuse.org, which provides tips for monitoring your kids’ online activities. They say: “Parents often find it difficult to balance between keeping a watchful eye on their teens and invading their privacy. Some parents may shy away from proactively monitoring their teens’ online behavior because they don’t want to be overbearing, ‘uncool,’or untrusting.” StopMedicineAbuse.org says definitively: “IT’S OKAY!” Here’s how:

• Monitor what your teen searches and where they go online. Keep tabs on the list of websites visited and items searched on your computer by reviewing your internet browser’s history. You can do this by opening your internet window and using the shortcut Ctrl+H. Look for suspicious sites or search terms related to dangerous behavior, such as terms like “robotripping” or “dexxing” and pro-drug use sites like GrassCity.com and Erowid.com.

• Address online behavior offline. If you see your teen using their Facebook page in an inappropriate way, or if you see red flags for dangerous behavior, address it offline! Don’t use their profile as a way to communicate your concerns. Instead, take it as an opportunity to talk to your teen offline. For example, if you see friends referencing drinking or drug use on their wall talk, to them about the risks of this dangerous behavior.

• Friend away! According to a recent study by Lab42, 92% of parents are Facebook friends with their children and more joining to monitor their kids’ interactions, with 40% citing safety as the top reason for looking at their profiles. This will allow you to keep tabs on who your teen is interacting with and will allow you to identify any red flags for risky behavior, including dangerous teen trends like robotripping, surfing, and 30 seconds.

• Bring Internet use out from behind closed doors. Insist that your teen uses the computer in a communal space rather than in their bedrooms.

There are, in fact, ways to be hands-on without hovering.

How do you teach your teens to act responsibly online?

Feature photo courtesy of Flickr.

How to Save Money on Food at High School Prom

Here are 3 ways to save on prom food:

1. Find an Interesting Venue

Prommers think they have to go to a fancy restaurant for dinner before prom and that is just not the case. It just requires a little help from mom to pull off a great dinner that can also be fun! Look around and you may be surprised at the amount of interesting places you can have a dinner. A cool walking bridge or the roof top of a building; the sky’s the limit. Last year my son’s group of friends wanted to do a beach theme, so we rented a local clubhouse and brought the outside in. We pooled everyone’s resources, put up a large umbrella decked with lights, and put together a table that everyone could fit around. Then added candles and great food (prepared by the moms) and it was a really great evening!

2. Order Out the Food for Dinner

For Homecoming, they wanted to order Chinese and eat on a large grassy island by a busy street. So we loaded up the tables and chairs and found a beautiful spot under a flowering crabapple tree. Everyone driving by smiled and waved and enjoyed seeing fancy dresses and tuxes. And the kids felt like movie stars. We had tiki torches for light and a modge podge of tableware. And no one had to cook!

3. Have the Kids Do the Cooking

This year we set up in my husband’s art studio. Another big table with candles everywhere. Each couple got together and made their food assignment before hand (their menu was Italian). The atmosphere was perfect. The proof that it was a success was the lingering and laughter! Who wants to go to the dance anyway?

The prom experience can be magical with just a little thought and collaboration. It can also be memorable with creativity and an open mind. Use your local dollar stores and thrift stores for candles and decor. Most everyone has a portable table and a few folding chairs these days. Dig out your silver and china and put them to good use. It’s only once or twice a year. Have a little fun!

What creative ideas have your kids come up with to make their prom fun?

Susan lives in Boise, Idaho, and is a self-taught artist and a jack of many artsy trades. She is married to professional artist and has two great teenagers. She has her hand in a lot of pots. She is very involved in her community and church. She loves friends, family, movies, eating out, laughing, and vacationing to warm destinations! She just started her own blog! Visit susansspinningplates.wordpress.com.

Feature image from flickr

Thanks goodness schools have dress codes that are mostly reinforced, but what about outside of school?  The mall? The movies? School sporting events?

Our girls are influenced by their friends, magazine models and celebrities when it comes to fashion. What are some ways we can help our daughters dress modestly, have positive body image and still own a wardrobe that is trendy?

How to Help Your Teen be Trendy and Modest

• Encourage her to be a trendsetter. New fashion trends are started all the time; do not be afraid to try something different. Just because all the girls are wearing short shorts, mini skirts and plunging necklines, does not mean you have to.
• Know your body. Try clothes on so you know what looks good and flatters your figure. We are all built differently.
• Set a fashion standard for yourself and stick to it. Others will respect you for your modest taste and choice in clothes.
• Exercise is good for us. If you can stand to lose a few winter pounds exercise and eat healthy. Avoid the starving and crash diets that bring on other issues.

We want our girls to be healthy, happy and feel good about themselves in clothes that are modest and trendy. For my own daughter these are the first four steps.

How do you and your children make decisions about fashion that you both agree on?

Robin Greene is a mom of a teen daugther and a teen son.  She is also Kindergarten teacher at her local Christian school. Robin enjoys trying to find ways to save money, spend time with family and freelance write for mybabyclothes.com. Your little one will be the cutest one at their next play date in their new Spring baby clothes or a beautiful baby tutu with a matching baby headband.

How to Teach Teens Healthy Eating Habits

• Take a trip to the grocery store. Let them pick out fruits and veggies they will eat.
• Have fruits and vegetables your kids like rinsed and ready to eat. (We always have a bowls of grapes, strawberries and celery in the refrigerator.)
• Have regular family meals. Eating around the same time every day offers stability and ensures everyone gets a  nutritious meal. Breakfast is also a great time to offer the kids something healthy to eat.
• Fruit smoothies are a big hit and great for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack.
• Cut down on sugar but do not rule it out completely. Have foods available that are naturally sweet instead.
• When you are eating fast food on the go, encourage grilled chicken instead of a hamburger.
• Tell them why eating healthy is good for them—“It will give you brain power to do well on the test” or “Milk helps your body grow stronger.”
• Do not take away the snacks your child loves, substitute them. Try frozen yogurt for ice cream, pretzels for potato chips, vanilla wafers for chocolate chip cookies and bagels instead of doughnuts.

If your teen is an athlete, involved in clubs or other extra curricular activities, you know how busy they can get. My teen often leaves before anyone else in the morning and does not get home until late evening on school nights. I encourage him to eat breakfast and take a healthy snack. Not skipping out on meals is also very important for your growing teen!

How do you get your teenagers to eat healthier?

Robin Greene is a kindergarten teacher and a busy mom of two teenagers. Eating healthy is a hard task, but they are learning together. In between going to her son’s baseball games and her daughter’s dance lessons and recitals Robin enjoys writing for mybabyclothes.com where you can find the best selection of unique baby clothes, dashing baby hats and gorgeous baby headbands.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

I am also trying to teach them valuable lessons they can apply the rest of their lives. My son has fallen into friendships and conflict resolutions pretty naturally. That is not to say that he doesn’t have things to work on. He is definitely a work in progress.

My daughter is a new teen and has it a bit harder. There are 13-year-old friend adjustments taking place, plus the natural changes in her body that make things quite confusing. The mix of the two can make life a bit emotional. She is a highly motivated, passionate girl, so I am always looking for ways to encourage her.

Books to Help You Parent Your Teenagers

Last year I found two fantastic books that have helped us along the way.  The first one’s for me. It is called The Five Love Languages. I learned so much about my husband, kids and everyone else in my life with this book. I also learned about myself and what I need in the way of relationships and love. This is a must read for newlyweds and anyone struggling to understand someone important in their life. Gary Chapman breaks down 5 identifiable ways that we give and like to receive love. Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. When I am frustrated with my kids’ decisions, I take a deep breath and stand back for a moment and think of their love language. What are they really trying to say with their actions? This has stopped me from making quick judgements and I react in a different way than I normally would. There is also a version for teenagers.

The second book is for teen girls who are struggling with relationships. It is an updated sequel to a best seller by Dale Carnegie written by his daughter Donna. It is called How to Win Friends and Influence People for Teen Girls. It is written in easy to understand language with great examples and things to try. I LOVE this book! It helps girls (or anyone for that matter) focus on others and the signals that often are interpreted incorrectly. It also sheds light on how to get out of your own head, begin to understand others and get what you need out of much needed relationships. Here are some of the chapter headings- The Big Secret of Dealing with People, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Making Friends, Listen Up, and Admit Your Mistakes. This is a must read for any girl about to enter Junior High, and could be something that she refers to over and over again in her quest to maintain strong relationships.

I think the most important thing our teens should feel is value. A long time ago when my kids were little I read somewhere that “whatever you say about your kids will be.” If you are always saying, “He is so aggravating! I just don’t get him!” that is exactly what you will get. Kids know how we feel about them. It is hard not to think negatively about unwanted behaviors but we can also hope for the best and choose to see the good first. If our children feel loved and accepted, they will take our counsel so much better. They will also make better decisions and want to please us more. We have to stay positive in our approach to parenting and we will gain greater relationships with these wonderful people we are raising. We really can enjoy the teenage years. It just takes a lot of love and hard work! But, oh… is it worth it! Hang in there!

What are some resources that have helped you deal with your teenagers?

Susan lives in Boise, Idaho, and is a self-taught artist and a jack of many artsy trades. She is married to professional artist and has two great teenagers. She has her hand in a lot of pots. She in very involved in her community and church. She loves friends, family, movies, eating out, laughing, and  vacationing to warm destinations! She just started her own blog! Visit susansspinningplates.wordpress.com.

Growing Up With Epilepsy

I’m 14. One day I’m watching an after-school special with my classmates about a kid with Epilepsy. He has a seizure during a basketball game. Isn’t that funny? We’re laughing. We don’t understand. We all join in on the laughter.

It’s a month later and now I’m having a seizure.

A week after that, I’m on medication that makes me fall asleep in the middle of class. I’ll be on it for the rest of my life. I’ll drop a gallon of milk, because my hands are so unsteady I can’t hold it.

My teachers will get mad at me, because my otherwise beautiful handwriting somehow turns sloppy. As it turns out, a gallon of milk isn’t all I can’t hold. Even a pencil is tough.

I’ll break my jaw in three places. I’ll fracture my skull. I’ll get 42 staples in my head. I’ll break off all of my front teeth. My platelets will drop into the below normal range, spotting me with bruises, and we won’t know why. I’ll have bone marrow aspirations to discover.

I’ll lose hair. I’ll gain weight. I’ll be scared to get pregnant. I’ll have high-risk pregnancies. I’ll have seizures in an airplane, at the gas tank, and in a parking lot. I’ll give speeches and wonder every time what will happen if I fall and whether people will still see me as normal if I do.

But, I don’t see all that coming when I’m 14. I can’t know it, but even still, I have had a seizure. And suddenly the after school special doesn’t seem as funny. I’m not laughing anymore. I work hard to hide my secret, because I don’t want the kids laughing at me like we laughed at basketball boy. Because now, I’m that kid with Epilepsy. And I grow tired trying to hide my secret. And finally, I have a seizure that everyone sees and the secret has been uncovered. And, I am horrified and relieved all at once, even as I struggle to learn that everyone has their things and that there is no such thing as normal.

Parenting Children With Health or Other Challenges

Back to current time. You’re the parent. You have a challenged child. Meaning that your child has Epilepsy or Diabetes or is on the Autism Spectrum or has Schizophrenia or Food Allergies or Low Self-Esteem or a mixture of other challenges. You want to raise him or her with confidence, with the opportunities to enjoy a happy childhood without worrying about such seemingly adult challenges like health or mental health or other such issues. You want to help navigate through the symptoms. You are scared. You don’t have all the answers. What do you do? Where do you go for help?

While I can only speak from the point of view of someone who has epilepsy and not the parent of a child with epilepsy, I have had many conversations with my mom about how she parented me.

7 Keys to Parenting a Challenged Child

My 10 year-old son suffers from anxiety, so now it is my turn to take all of the lessons I learned from her and to apply them as a parent. Here are some things I learned from my mom that I hope will also help you:

1. Increase understanding. First and foremost, learn everything you can about your child’s diagnosis. This could take years, but search high and low, online and offline, to get in the know!
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2. Find support. Whether you join a support group in your community or find one online, make sure to reach out to others with children in similar circumstances. Not only are other parents great resources for information, they will help you feel that you aren’t alone in your parenting struggles.
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3. Set realistic expectations. Once you are armed with information, help your child learn to understand his or her challenges. Do this in a factual way. For example: “You have epilepsy. If you don’t take your medication, you will most likely have a seizure. If you do take your medication, you may experience some side effects, but they won’t be as bad as having a seizure.”
   X 
4. Learn to live within limitations. I found that I really wanted to be in control of my health, so learning what I could and couldn’t control was really important to me. In my situation, I could control whether or not I took my medication. But I couldn’t control whether I had a seizure. However, the risks of me having one almost 100 percent decreased if I took my medication. So, it was up to me! Knowing that helped me feel in control and like I had options.
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   Note: I pushed every limit as a teen. I skipped taking my meds. I lived with a lot of stress. I stayed out all night in college, etc. And, I reaped the consequences every time until I finally said: “I HATE having seizures. I’d rather live within my limitations than have one.” So, if your child is pushing limits, consider it part of their growth process of learning to live within their limitations. Ultimately, it is up to them to decide the lifestyle they want to have and to choose accordingly.
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5. Don’t compare. Every person, whether you can detect it or not, lives with challenges. Not everyone has health issues. You just can’t compare your challenges as a parent to the challenges other parents face. So don’t compare! You’ll be miserable every time.
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6. Give opportunities for growth. If I could only give huge kudos to my mom for one thing, it would be for her ability to help me feel like I could do anything, even when some things were more difficult for me. If your child is challenged, regardless of how severe, find opportunities that make sense for him or her and offer ways to help achieve success in those areas.
   X
   My mom was really scared to let me travel alone, but I really wanted to be a foreign exchange student. She got a lot of push back from other parents, including family members, when she encouraged me to interview for a spot. But I never knew that until I was an adult. All I knew as a teenager was that she helped me prepare for the interview and was ecstatic when I got accepted into the program. My dad was the same. She always made me feel that I should reach for the stars. If I worked hard enough or was resourceful enough, she thought I could achieve anything. It didn’t mean she wasn’t scared. Or didn’t lose sleep. But, I grew up thinking I could do anything and eventually forgot epilepsy may get in my way.
   Note: I did have a seizure while I was a foreign exchange student and my mom’s worst nightmare came true. But, it taught us all that I could handle my health challenges on my own, which was an important lesson for a 17-year old to learn (and the parent of a 17-year old)!
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7. Get help! Some challenges are far more severe and difficult to deal with than something like epilepsy. I have a brother with schizophrenia and I always think that my epilepsy prepared my mom for that much bigger challenge and yet if you ask her, she’ll tell you that nothing prepares you for something like Schizophrenia or mental illness in general.If you are feeling hopeless or don’t know what to do, reach out to someone with more information. Talk to a doctor or other parents about ways to get help and then seek out that help. Information is the first step, because knowledge is power.
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8. Have hope! This is so easy to say, especially in tough moments. But, do whatever you can to build a reservoir of hope. Recognize that you may have to go through a grieving process. Come to terms that this situation may be long term. Then, have hope, knowing that with information, support, and going through the other steps listed above will help you to do everything you can to influence your child’s life. Ultimately, the health struggles he or she faces will be outside of your control, but how you deal with them and in turn, how you teach your child to approach them and manage them, is completely within your influence.

I am now 41 years old. I have two happy and healthy boys. I am married to a fantastically funny guy! I enjoy life by eating large amounts of cheese, dancing like crazy whenever I get the chance, traveling to the ends of the earth and back, and (yes!) giving speeches even though I am nervous I may have a seizure. And life is good! Now… to help my son face his challenges with anxiety so he, too, can feel that life is good!

What tips do you have for raising kids with health or other challenges? How do you help them enjoy life in spite of their challenges?

Photo 1 courtesy of Flickr and Photo 2 courtesy of Flickr.

Tips for Choosing the Right Car for Your Teen

Here are a couple of points that you should consider when choosing the right car for your teenager:

Price Range

First, you must decide on a price range. This is probably the best first step in any major purchase, though with a teenager involved, it becomes even more important to set boundaries right from the beginning.

Will the teen be contributing any money to the purchase price? Do they have a job? If so, do they have the work ethic to make a car payment? If no one can afford a car payment, is there someone in the family that will be able to work on the vehicle? A $2000 budget can go a long way if there’s a mechanic in the family. Otherwise, that same amount of money might be better spent on a down payment on a loan, if someone in the family has good enough credit to obtain one. All of this must be considered before deciding on a final price range.

Driving Ability

Next, you must decide how much you trust your teen’s driving ability. According to studies, teenagers are the most dangerous drivers on the road. Handing them a high-powered, rear-wheel drive sports car is not going to help their odds of having a trouble-free first few years. As a general rule of thumb, rear-wheel drive cars are more dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced than front wheel drive.

Also, consider whether your teen can and should be allowed to drive a manual transmission. Although manuals do provide more control, when one is new to driving, manually shifting requires a higher level of concentration. If your teenager learned to drive with a stick, it’s probably safe to add cars with manual transmissions to the list of those to consider. Otherwise, sticking with an automatic is probably a safer choice.

These are just a few of the things that should be considered before purchasing a car for your teenager. Though there will certainly be other things to think about, these points are probably the most important, and should allow you to quickly narrow your list of potential cars to a manageable level.

What influenced you when you made your first car purchase? Or when you helped your teen purchase his or her first car? How can you teach your teenager to be a safe driver?

Ken is an automotive blogger, who writes for a cash for junk cars company. The company helps individuals sell cars. He speaks from experience, as he has witnessed many parents purchasing cars for there teenagers.

Most people with eating disorders have a difficult time experiencing and expressing emotions. Symptoms are a behavioral way to express what cannot, or is not, being expressed emotionally. So, a typical child who is angry at a parent may slam their door, sulk, avoid contact, or not follow through on household chores. A child with an eating disorder might choose to not eat or vomit.

It is easier to have consequences for the power struggle that ensues when a child won’t take out the garbage; but it is painfully sensitive and scary to have consequences for the child who chooses not to eat as a way to express their dissatisfaction or wish for autonomy.

Either way, my advice for families is the same. Helping a teen find an emotional – not a behavioral – voice is key in dismantling power struggles. For families who have a child with an eating disorder, this is paramount. Words need to replace destructive or life-threatening behaviors. Here are things to consider for families struggling with their child’s eating disorder:

• Separation and autonomy are inevitable and necessary tasks of adolescence. Supporting healthy separation of a child with an eating disorder is a key in recovery.

• Children with an eating disorder have an increased difficulty in working out these tasks and expressing their feelings, especially anger. Understand that their eating disorder is not a willful act, but one of helplessness and pain. Their attempt is ultimately not to thwart you, but to hurt themselves.

• Teens with an eating disorder need your voice of understanding, sensible limit setting and compromise. Talking about what they are – or are not – eating is typically not helpful and often provokes the power struggle. Point out when you see your child using their symptoms as a weapon, and ask whether they can share in words what they are feeling.

• A parent’s anxiety is likely to be understandably escalated during the course of their child’s illness. Keeping your anxiety in check will help with rational thinking in your responses, particularly when your child’s behavior is provocative and scary.

Most importantly, seek the help of professionals. Solid family therapy can teach all members how to understand and interpret power struggles and how to dismantle them so that eating disorder behaviors are replaced by communication and appropriate teenage rebelliousness.

How do you handle your teenager’s urge to be rebellious?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Dr. Scheel has been treating eating disorders for more than 25 years. She is the founder and executive director of CEDAR Associates, a private outpatient practice specializing in the treatment of eating disorders and other self-harming behaviors. She is also the recent author of When Food is Family: A loving approach to heal eating disorders, which looks at how childhood relationships and experiences can play a role in contributing to the development of eating disorders. More can be found at www.whenfoodisfamily.com. A member of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), and the Eating Disorders Coalition, Inc., Dr. Scheel emphasizes the importance of mutual respect, empathy, trust, and the need to live authentically in eating-disorder treatment approaches.

If you want to give your teen the best chance of remaining heart-healthy and cancer free as an adult, you must make smoking a serious offense in your home. If you’re reading this, and you have a teenager in your life, you already know “because I said so” rarely works. So arm yourself with these statistics to help debunk your teen’s – and maybe even your own – most commonly believed myths about smoking. 

Myths About Smoking

Myth 1: “Smoking Helps Me Relax.” 

Not even close. According to a review of psychological studies featured in the American Psychological Association’s American Psychologist, nicotine has been shown to actually intensify stress among smokers.

Myth 2: “I’m Too Young to Get Sick from Smoking.”

When it comes to the health risks associated with smoking, age is nothing but a number. According to the American Cancer Society, common health problems among early smokers include damage to the lungs, diminished ability to smell and taste and premature aging of the skin. 

Myth 3: “I Just Want to Try It, I Won’t Get Addicted.”

The truth is that almost all smokers today started by just trying it once. According to the American Cancer Society, anyone who starts smoking can become addicted to nicotine, and may have difficulty quitting over the long-term.

Myth 4: “I’m Just a Social Smoker.”

Unfortunately, occasional smokers do not reduce any of the risks associated with tobacco use, simply by smoking fewer cigarettes than serious addicts. The potential negative outcomes described in the above myths still apply.

Myth 5: “Fine, I’ll Quit. On My Own.” 

Many teens believe that quitting tobacco is easy and doesn’t require parental involvement, much less professional guidance. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 82 percent of 11 to 19 year olds who do smoke think about quitting. They simply lack the tools and support network to achieve success. The Youth Tobacco Initiative reports that 3 out of every 4 adolescent smokers that have tried to quit smoking have failed.

Being able to debunk these common teen smoking myths is one way to prepare yourself for a useful conversation about tobacco use with your child. But even parents whose teens are already frequent tobacco users need to know that it’s never too late to intervene.

One thing I’ve learned about working with adolescents in my 20 years as a counselor is that there’s always a way in and parents can connect their teen to cessation programs specifically for young people. By providing a support network, real-life tools, and focusing on taking “baby steps” to quitting through reduction, I’ve seen many hard-to-crack teens leave tobacco behind for good.

 How do you connect with your child? Do you schedule a specific time when you and your children can talk?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Mylene Krzanowski is the executive director of Student Assistance Services at Caron Treatment Centers. Caron’s teen tobacco cessation and reduction program, Project CONNECT, has helped more than 600,000 teens in 13 states get on the path to tobacco freedom since 2001.

Passive aggressive behavior is a deliberate and masked way of expressing feelings of anger. This behavior thrives in the pre-teen and adolescent years when teens learn that compliant defiance can be more satisfying—and less likely to result in punishment—than fighting, yelling, and other disruptive ways of expressing emotion. Passive aggression explains why adolescents experience extreme forgetfulness at chore time and temporary deafness when homework is assigned. Although passive aggression is a common feature of adolescent development, there are distinct ways parents can cope with this behavior and help their kids develop skills for more assertive, relationship-enhancing communication.

3 Ways to Enhance the Communication With Your Teen

Recognize the Signs

Though people with passive aggressive behavior try hard to mask their angry feelings, evidence of it can be found, if parents know what to look for. Early detection prevents problem escalation. Watch out for red flags such as:

• Shutting down conversations (“Fine” and “Whatever”)
• Denying feelings of anger (“I’m fine.  Whatever!”)
• Verbally complying but behaviorally delaying (“I’ll clean my room after swimming.”)
• Intentional inefficiency (“I did put away the dishes.  I didn’t know where those bowls went, so I just stacked them on the counter!”)
• Avoiding responsibility for tasks (“I didn’t know you wanted me to do it.  Putting away the laundry is his chore!”)

Make Friends with Anger

Anger is a basic, spontaneous, normal part of the human condition.   Too often, kids are held to an unrealistic social standard about what it takes to be “good” and learn to perceive anger as a sign of being “bad.”  Passive aggressive behavior is commonly the result of kids believing that they have to suppress angry feelings in order to avoid feelings of guilt or the experience of confrontation.

Parents can teach kids to own, accept, and “make friends” with their anger. By teaching kids how to disagree without arguing, say “no” without feelings guilty, and stand up for themselves when they are being mistreated or bullied, they build a foundation for lifelong emotional intelligence and strong relationships.

Be Graceful on the Receiving End

A parent’s willingness to receive a child’s verbalized anger is a third essential element of helping him develop skills for assertive anger expression. Though none of us enjoy being on the receiving end of anger—and no one deserves to be a victim of verbal abuse—when our kids test out new skills of assertively voicing their angry feelings, parents must be willing to accept this open and direct form of communication. For many, this is truly difficult. But for lasting change to take hold, kids must know that the assertive expression of their anger will be tolerated, respected, and even honored!

How do you effectively communicate with your teen? What steps do you take to enhance the communication?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Signe Whitson is a licensed social worker, a writer and a mom with over ten year of experience working with children and parents.  Signe also has training workshops for professionals and parents across the US.  During her spare time Signe enjoys writing for My Baby Clothes dot com.  You can find great baby clothes and beautiful tutus with matching baby headbands for all of your little ones needs and special occasions.