Teens Lack Social Skills

Cell phones can and are a benefit to those who use them responsibly. But more and more teens and adults are using them without the thought of others.

The teen who sends text messages at the dinner table or the adult who talks on the phone during a meeting send an unwritten message to those around him/her... "No one is as important as me."

Our society has become a "me society" and the very things that can keep us connected, are driving us apart. Families who sit around and text and play games but never talk are missing out on family time.

The teens who text instead of talk are missing out on learning how to socially interact face-to-face. When those same teens are in the workforce they will lack the skills necessary to succeed.

An article from wausaudailyherald.com sums it up best:

The reason we have social norms in the first place is simple: They govern how we interact with one another, and they put into place some of the widely accepted rules of consideration for our fellows. Those same considerations ought to apply in our digital world of constant connection. There are times when all of us, president or teenager, simply need to put away our phones.

Read entire article here.

Paying for Troubled Teen Programs

There are many grant programs for troubled children. These are social welfare programs where social services and juvenile authorities team up with local business enterprises or institutions to help youth work for income and learn to live on their own.

Grant programs are State sponsored or sponsored by not for profit groups. Troubled youth are enrolled in the program and given work background and academic training. They are taught things to develop a sense of purpose and self esteem. Marketing, sales, gardening and local community services are some of the many work programs that take in troubled teens to teach them life skills. Troubled adolescents learn to cope with real life work issues and give up their negative thought and habits. Since the work is paid for, these young men and women have an added incentive to join the program. They learn the importance of living a dignified disciplined lifestyle and the value of becoming well adjusted adults with successful careers. These programs enroll teenagers for work after school hours so that their education is not neglected.

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-www.good-parenting.net

Teen Suicide: 'It's OK to Ask for Help'

When it comes to teen suicide, Bedford County resident Tina Henderson is frustrated with a lack of discussion about the third-highest cause of death for American youths.

"No one wants to talk about it," Henderson said. "I think because there's a stigma attached to it. If your son or daughter dies from an accident or cancer or some other disease, it's OK. But if they take their own life, there must be something wrong with your family or with them."

This month marks the anniversary of her son Eric's passing. Eric died by suicide three weeks before his 14th birthday.

She said rumors began swirling almost immediately.

"People care too much about what other people say," she said. "People look at you differently or at least you feel like they do after you have someone commit suicide."

Henderson spent years traveling the country on behalf of the Bedford County chapter of the Yellow Ribbon International Suicide Prevention Program, whose singular goal is to prevent more deaths like Eric's.

While she was well-received in places as far away as Wisconsin and in other counties across the state, Henderson couldn't get any interest locally. The program dispenses cards that people who are thinking about suicide can hand to someone to get them help, when they can't speak about the issue.

"We were on national TV talking about it, but we can't talk about it here," Henderson said.

She has since closed the local chapter, although she still comes across suicide attempts through her work in an emergency room. Her co-workers know to pass those patients to Henderson.

"I want to talk to them," she said. "I'm just trying to tell them it's OK to ask for help."

The Yellow Ribbon program was founded after the 1994 death by suicide of 17-year-old Mike Emme. Despite pulling another teenage friend out of suicidal thoughts just days before, Mike killed himself after a difficult break-up.

More than half of the 180 chapters around the world were formed by family members of suicide victims.

Read more...

-By Wendy McCardle, www.altoonamirror.com

Troubled teens reveal social divide

Today’s teens are most worried about losing weight and fitting in. But more teenagers from low income families worry about bullying, drugs, and smoking compared to peers from high income families. Surveys for NHS Teen LifeCheck published today reveal social similarities and divides on some of the top teenage concerns.

Of the teenagers surveyed, almost double the number of teens from low income families worried about bullying. However, teens from higher income families are more likely to worry about peer pressure and fitting in.

The research was undertaken for the NHS Teen LifeCheck website on behalf of the Department of Health. This online service - www.teenlifecheck.co.uk - is aimed at teens with the highest risk of future ill health caused by their lifestyle choices. The website encourages them to complete its quiz and act on the results, and signposts people to support for issues like bullying.

-www.nursinginpractice.com

Teen is Burdened by Parents' Divorce

Unfortunately, divorce has become a topic that is woven into every aspect of society. If someone in your family has not been divorced, a friend or coworker has.

Children and teens deal with all kinds of emotions toward each parent as seen by the Question and Answer below:

Q. My parents are going through a divorce. I have a lot of anger toward my dad because he packed up and left us while Mom and I were out of town. Also, it’s pretty obvious he has a girlfriend. He won’t answer any of my calls or take responsibility for what he’s done.

I’m also angry with my mother because she’s constantly bringing up Dad every five minutes and it’s frustrating. I want to get through this, but Mom won’t let go. I understand it’s hard for her, but she doesn’t even try.

I’m 17 years old and have enough problems to deal with. How can I get past this whole ordeal, forgive my dad, help my mom, and make her realize she shouldn’t be talking to me about her problems?

A. It is normal for you to be angry and upset. Your father is behaving selfishly, and your mother is leaning on you for emotional support. It will help if you can talk to someone about your situation, perhaps your school counselor, a favorite teacher, an adult relative, or the parent of a friend.

In time, you will forgive your father because you sound smart enough to understand that it will help you move forward. You also can tell your mother that you know she is hurting and ask her to please vent to a professional. It would be better for both of you.

-www.boston.com

Tips for Parenting Teens

Adolescence is a fascinating and crazy time of life. It reminds me in some ways of the very early space probes that blasted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. I remember my excitement when Col. John Glenn and the other astronauts embarked on their perilous journeys into space. It was a thrilling time to be an American.

People who lived through those years will recall that a period of maximum danger occurred as each spacecraft was re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The flier inside was entirely dependent on the heat shield on the bottom of the capsule to protect him from temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. If the craft descended at the wrong angle, the astronaut would be burned to cinders.

At that precise moment of anxiety, negative ions would accumulate around the capsule and prevent all communication with the earth for approximately seven minutes. The world waited breathlessly for news of the astronaut's safety. Presently, the reassuring voice of Chris Craft would break in to say, "This is Mission Control. We have made contact with Friendship Seven. Everything is A-okay. Splashdown is imminent." Cheers and prayers went up in restaurants, banks, airports and millions of homes across the country. Even Walter Cronkite seemed relieved.

The analogy to adolescence is not so difficult to recognize. After the training and preparation of childhood are over, a pubescent youngster marches out to the launching pad. His parents watch apprehensively as he climbs aboard a capsule called adolescence and waits for his rockets to fire. His father and mother wish they could go with him, but there is room for just one person in the spacecraft. Besides, nobody invited them. Without warning, the mighty rocket engines begin to roar and the "umbilical cord" falls away. "Liftoff! We have liftoff!" screams the boy's father.

Junior, who was a baby only yesterday, is on his way to the edge of the universe. A few weeks later...

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-Dr. James Dobson, Focus on The Family

Teens' School Questions Answered

This week school bells will be ringing in many area districts. That means anxious students fretting about their wardrobes, school dances, social issues and homework.

To help ease some of their worries, we asked Angela Brace, a counselor specializing in issues dealing with children and adolescents at Kent's Counseling for Wellness, to answer inquiries from local students.

The questions are from members of the Beacon Journal's Teen Group, a team of 12- to 19-year-olds who are helping us define and tell stories affecting teens.

The following queries are from those entering middle school, high school and college:

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-By Kim Hone-McMahan, Beacon Journal staff writer