Aftrer Divorce, Parenting Plans are Essential

Parenting teens is never easy, but divorce can make it especially difficult. Rosalind Sedacca, founder of the Children-Centered Divorce Network, suggests that mom and dad sit down and create a "parenting plan."

"The purpose of the plan is to determine strategies that are in the children's best interest to create smooth, easy and positive transitions. These plans encourage cooperative co-parenting so that the children feel secure, loved, wanted and nurtured by both of their parents." [Source: Basil and Spice]

Though the specifics will vary, a plan should include not only visitation schedules, but guidelines for the child’s routine; general rules about curfew, homework, and related topics; when, how, and what type of information the parents will share; and steps for resolving disagreements.

Are iPods Contributing to Hearing Problems Among U.S. Youth?

For generations if not centuries, parents have often wondered if their children hear a word they (the parents) are saying. Recent research indicates that a popular form of personal technology may be contributing to the parent-child "communication gap."

• One in five children has some hearing loss, representing the highest percentage of children with such problems since such research began 15 years ago.
• No one knows why more children, especially boys, are losing hearing, but the main theory is that they are listening to loud music too often.
• Most of the hearing losses in the new report were only slight.
• Josef Shargorodsky of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and his colleagues looked at data collected from more than 4,600 12-to-19-year-olds between 1988 and 2006.
  
• Rates of hearing loss went from 14.9% between 1988 and 1994, to 19.5% in the 2005 to 2006 period, representing a 31% increase.

"Even though this study doesn't tell us exactly what's causing hearing loss, all parents should talk to their kids about risk from long-term noise exposure," said Dr. Mai Thy Truong, a pediatric otolaryngologist at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara.

This study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Afterschool Programs Help Kids Avoid Sex, Drugs, Violence

With the school year back in swing, many working parents wonder what their children are going to do after school. The right after school program can not only give your children something productive to do after the bell rings, but can also help them avoid dangerous behaviors such as adolescent substance abuse.

Many parents feel that their teens are old enough to be home alone after school. But studies show that risky and violent teen behavior takes place most often after school between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Teens are more likely to get into trouble or be victims of crime during these hours.

Also… unsupervised teens are at a higher risk for drug use, violent behavior and pregnancy. [Source: My Optum Health]

Volunteer programs, after-school sports, and academic and social clubs can help fill the time between the end of your child’s school day and the end of your work day.

Author/Mom Encourages Parents to Embrace Kinder forms of Discipline

Judy Arnall has five kids ranging in ages from five to 15. She home-schools them, and is with them all day, every day. That, combined with her years spent as a parent educator, gives her unique insight into best and worst practices of raising kids. She's made her insight available in a new book: Discipline Without Distress.

Although there are dozens of parenting books about discipline on the market, "They're often written by male psychologists and psychiatrists who have probably never spent 24 hours a day with small children," Arnall says. "They take the idealist's approach instead of the pragmatist's approach." [Source: The Calgary Herald]

With her book, Judy hopes to give parents insight not only into their kids’ behavior, but into their own emotional challenges as well. Anger management, she says, is key to disciplining kids properly.

Fewer Kids Exposed to Liquor Ads in Magazines

The subject of teens and alcohol is rarely rife with good news, but a recent survey of magazine ads did yield some positive results:

The number of liquor advertisements in magazines as seen by people under 20 years old dropped 48% between 2001 and 2008, according to research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The reason for the decrease is that in 2003, liquor companies volunteered to stop advertising in any magazine with a youthful readership of 30% or more.

According to the survey, 78% of the ads still viewed by young people were placed in magazines specifically for them.

"It continues to make no sense to advertise more heavily to those who cannot purchase alcohol than to those who can," said David Jernigan, director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth. "A relatively small number of brands are still doing this, despite industry efforts to tighten the standard in order to reduce youth exposure."

Study Links Tylenol, Teen Asthma

Taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) doubles the risk for asthma in teens, according to an article in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Researchers studied 322,959 children ages 13 and 14 years old in 50 different countries. The study subjects completed questionnaires on asthma and their exposure to acetaminophen over a period of 12 months.

"This study has identified that the reported use of acetaminophen in 13- and 14-year old adolescent children was associated with an exposure-dependent increased risk of asthma symptoms," said Dr. Richard Beasley, lead author and professor of medicine at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand on behalf of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood.

Acetaminophen was identified as an "important risk factor" for the "development and/or maintenance" of asthma and also eczema.

More Cases of Mental Illness on College Campuses

As parents prepare to send their daughter and sons back to college, they may want to pay attention to ensure that their children are not showing symptoms of mental illness.

New research has found that more college students struggle with mental illness today than students did ten year ago. John Guthman, director of student counseling services at Hofstra University, said the number of students seeking help has risen, and the types of mental illnesses had become more severe.

Students were screen for mental disorders, suicidal thoughts and self-injurious behavior… Most students had been diagnosed with mood and anxiety disorders. Those seeking help are often socially isolated, depressed and on medication, the researchers said. ...

In 1998, 11 percent of participants reported using psychiatric medications, mostly for depression, anxiety and ADHD. In 2009, 24 percent of those in counseling said they took such drugs. [Source: CBC News]

Guthman and his associates reviewed records for over 3,000 college students who used campus counseling services between 1997 and 2009. One bit of good news is that the number of students reporting suicidal thoughts is half what it was ten years ago.

Parents: Help Your College Students Manage Stress

As yesterday’s high school seniors become today's college freshmen, stress can start to build. Students have a lot to navigate in their first year of college -- new surroundings, new classmates, new teaching/learning styles, and possibly being away from home for the first time.

As a parent, you can play an active role in helping him manage his stress.

If you hear that they are not sleeping sound over a week or two, aren't attending class or are exhibiting any other going uncharacteristic behavior, it's time to suggest they go for counseling or see a physician. Offer your support by listening without interrupting or judging, letting them know that you believe in them. Send surprise gift packages of favorite foods or funny and supportive notes. [Source: North Shore News]

Because money is one of the most common stressors, help your child figure out her budget. Keep in mind that her experience will be different than yours was, and she'll need to allocate her money differently.

Regardless of how they help, parental efforts reduce teen stress may yield benefits for years to come.

Many Benefits of Informal Parent 'Support Groups'

Annie Fox is an award-winning writer whose parenting column has a lot of loyal followers. She recently shared a story about an elaborate breakfast planned by her friend Jane. Everyone who was invited had a teenager who was just starting high school.

What a great idea to bring parents together at the same tremulous moment their 14-year-olds begin the last chapter of childhood! ...

No teen (or parent) gets through high school without hitting some bumps. Hopefully your kid's won't be the life-altering variety. But whatever they are, parents do better managing crises in their families and showing true leadership when they've got other parents to talk to. [Source: More Marin]

If you’re a parent who doesn't currently have a support system, start reaching out to some other parents in your neighborhood. Try and connect with parents of your kids' classmates. Take the initiative to create the kind of network that you (and the other parents) need.

School Board Proposes Tying Driver's License to Students' Grades

The Clark County School Board in Nevada is trying a new method to motivate teens in school – tying good grades to driver's licenses.

"Under the proposal, truancy citations would stop the Department of Motor Vehicles from issuing a driver's license without intervention by a judge. Parents might also lose hunting and fishing licenses or be ordered to attend parenting classes if their children aren’t showing up at school." [Source: Associated Press]

Titled the "Graduation Priority Act," it is still in a conceptual phase, with lots of details to be worked out. Opponents of the measure think it puts too much responsibility on the school board and not enough on parents.

Expert Encourages Parents to Practice Art of Listening

In an Aug. 4 article on the website of the Mercury News, syndicated columnist (and psychology professor) Tom McMahon advises parents that one of the greatest gifts they can give their children is the gift of listening to them:

Even though it's simple, listening takes time, something that most of us are short on these days. So, practice this week. Whenever you can, drop everything when your children have something to say. Use eye contact and your full attention to communicate that nothing is more important at that moment.

Listen with quiet enthusiasm, concentrate on what they are saying and, most importantly, listen more than you talk.

Is Your Daughter at Increased Risk for Drug Abuse?

An Aug. 2 post on the blog Boarding Schools for Girls reports on a study that may indicate an increased risk of drug abuse among teen girls.

According to the post, a survey conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America indicates that girls are becoming more accepting of drug and alcohol abuse -- which means they may be more likely to engage in these types of activities:

More than 3,200 high school students were surveyed for Partnership’s most recent study. This was the first year that attitudes about drugs were compared between boys and girls. Most of the girls who participated in this year’s survey said they believed there were benefits to using drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, this could indicate that drug use among girls is about to increase.