Study: Teens prefer texting to talking

Like previous generations, today's teens seem to be constantly on the
phone. But now they're doing a lot more texting than talking.

One third of teens in the U.S. text more than 100 times a day, according to
a study released Tuesday by Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Based on a survey and focus groups conducted with teenagers between 12 and
17, Pew found that text messaging is by far the most common way that kids
communicate with each other, more than chatting on the phone, e-mailing, using
social-networking sites, or talking face to face.

More than 75 percent of teens now own cell phones, notes Pew, up from just
45 percent in 2004. Around 72 percent of all teens, or 88 percent of teens who
own mobile phones, use text messages to communicate. That marks a big jump from
2006 when only 51 percent of teens texted on their phones.

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By: Lance Whitney, http://news.cnet.com

5 Teen Behavior Problems: A Troubleshooting Guide

To be fair, no one has ever pretended that parenting a teenager was going to be easy. Still, until your own kids reach that stage, it's tempting to believe your family will be immune to teen behavior problems. No, you tell yourself, your teenager will never talk back, stay out too late or pierce her eyebrow.

Dream on.

Teenagers are basically hard-wired to butt heads with their parents, says Stuart Goldman, MD, director of psychiatric education at Children's Hospital in Boston. "Adolescence is a time of rapid change for kids both physically and cognitively," he explains. "It's the task of the teenager to fire their parents and then re-hire them years later, but as consultants rather than managers."

But that doesn't mean you have to take it lying down. With the right approach, you can troubleshoot the following teen behavior problems in a relatively civilized fashion.

Teen Behavior Problem 1: Your Teen Seems To Hate You

-Read all

By Christina Frank
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Tips for Parenting A Troubled Teen

Teens who are having problems that are causing negative behavior to them is termed as troubled teen. These problems continue to affect them which will stop them to develop into a successful adult.

The problems that the teens are facing are beyond the normal issues. The problems might be related to environment, peer pressure and abusive relationship. These problems can give rise to mental and physical issues in the teens.

Analyze carefully the behavior of the troubled teen. Understand what is happening to the teen before and after the behavior. Once you understand the bad behavior, you can target on undesirable behavior of the teen.

Many times you will find that your teen won’t follow any rule and end up with what they wanted to have. That is why it is important to understand the reason behind the behavior of the troubled teen. Once you are able to understand the reason you can use the specific technique to treat your troubled teen. Behavior modification is the effective technique used for the troubled teen.

Signs of Troubled Teens:-

If you observe that your teen is showing the following signs frequently, it means that you are dealing with a troubled teen. Below are the signs given:-

• You will find that your teen’s grade is falling down.
• You will observe that your teen’s mood swings easily.
• Your teen will feel intense sad
• Your teen will avoid positive friendship
• You will find that your teen has become secretive
• You will find that your teen’s attitude has become defiant
• You will see your teen has become rebellion
• Your teen will find humor when others are distress
• You will observe that your teen spend a lot of time in sleeping

4 Ways to deal with Troubled Teens:-

• Be a supportive parent. Assure your teen that you love him very much. Always be there with your teen whenever he needs you.
• Praise your teen whenever he shows positive behavior. You can also give reward to your teen.
• Set rules for your teens. Give punishment whenever you find that your teen has break the rule. Make rules which are real and practically applicable
• Do not argue with your troubled teen. If you find that your teen is arguing with you, ignore his behavior. Be firm at the same time flexible whenever required.

-parenting.ygoy.com

In the uproar around the suicides of Ms. Prince, 15, and an 11-year-old boy subjected to harassment in nearby Springfield last year, the Massachusetts legislature stepped up work on an anti-bullying law that is now near passage. The law would require school staff members to report suspected incidents and principals to investigate them. It would also demand that schools teach about the dangers of bullying.

Forty-one other states have anti-bullying laws of varying strength.

In the Prince case, two boys and four girls, ages 16 to 18, face a different mix of felony charges that include statutory rape, violation of civil rights with bodily injury, harassment, stalking and disturbing a school assembly. Three younger girls have been charged in juvenile court, Elizabeth D. Scheibel, the Northwestern district attorney, said at a news conference in Northampton, Mass.

Appearing with state and local police officials on Monday, Ms. Scheibel said that Ms. Prince’s suicide came after nearly three months of severe taunting and physical threats by a cluster of fellow students.

“The investigation revealed relentless activities directed toward Phoebe to make it impossible for her to stay at school,” Ms. Scheibel said. The conduct of those charged, she said, “far exceeded the limits of normal teenage relationship-related quarrels.”

It was particularly alarming, the district attorney said, that some teachers, administrators and other staff members at the school were aware of the harassment but did not stop it. “The actions or inactions of some adults at the school were troublesome,” Ms. Scheibel said, but did not violate any laws.

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-By Holly Epstein Ojalvo, nytimes.com

School-Assisted Abortion a Shocking Lesson

Parents of school children in Seattle are learning a shocking lesson, when it comes to some very important decisions they don't have a say. The mother of a 15-year old girl recently discovered that Ballard High School helped her daughter get an abortion and never informed her.

But it doesn't end there. The school can also send children off campus for mental health care and drug addiction treatment without their parents ever knowing. Supporters say the confidentiality allows teens who are too afraid to tell mom and dad to get necessary treatment.

Parents signed consent forms for off-school treatment thinking it was limited to emergency health care when the parents could not be reached. But the teen health clinics at 14 Seattle schools are about much more. They have a full-time registered nurse, counselor and nursing assistant on hand to help kids with more sensitive issues.

When the 15-year old girl's pregnancy was confirmed, they counseled her on the options. The mother says they encouraged her to have an abortion and not tell her parents. She claims her daughter was told that if she informed her parents they would have to pay for the abortion, otherwise it's free.

The teen clinics are administered by the King County Health Department. Officials say school clinic workers are supposed to encourage girls to include their parents in the decision. They will not comment on the specifics of the case.

As for the fact the girl was called a taxi and transported by herself to a clinic to have her abortion then driven back to finish her school day, officials say that's not unusual. They would not say how many girls have been helped to have an abortion.

Washington State is one of thirteen states that does not have either a parental consent or parental notification law. Girls of any age can obtain an abortion without having to tell a parent.

State lawmakers included mental health care and drug counseling on the list of services kids can get without parental notification.

By: Dan Springer, FoxNews.com

How to Build A Relationship with Your Child

Parenting is very challenging, because each child has their own unique needs. The best approach to meeting the needs of each child is to build a relationship with them from the time they are born until they leave this world. You should always consider how your actions will negatively or positively impact the development of the relationship.

Here are 12 steps every parent should consider in building a relationship with their child.

Step 1: Respect
Every parent should Respect their children in front of others regardless of their behavior. This will teach them how to respect you and others. Avoid trying to embarrass them in front of others in an attempt to change the negative behavior. It might work for the short term but long term it will backfire.

Step 2: Effort
It will take great Effort to understand your child especially when they are making wrong choices. When a child makes a wrong choice, take the time to talk with the child to verify why the choice was made. Don’t accept “I don’t know” but avoid getting angry because the door of communication must remain open. They will tell you the reasons for their decision, when they are ready, if the relationship is healthy.

Read Steps 3-12

by Billy J Strawter Sr, christian-parent.com

A Mother Needs Faith, Not Perfection

. . . we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. . . . ~ 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 (MSG)

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me.
They have clung to me all my life. ~ Abrahan Lincoln (1809-1865)

A mom is like the orchestra conductor in the symphony of her daughter's life. Mom, if you tap your baton to the sheet music of Scripture, some amazing things can happen in your daughter' s heart.

Moms have a profound influence on us—for good, or not. Both of us [Doreen and Pam] feel grateful for positive, proactive mothers who cared for each of us and influenced our lives in amazing ways, in spite of their own personal pain or any drama going on in their private lives. Our mothers' influence gave us a heart for serving others and the confidence to lead.

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By: Pam Farrel and Doreen Hanna, crosswalk.com
Raising a Modern-Day Princess