Dear John, My son “Jimmy” and my husband “Frank,” who is his stepfather, hate each other. Jimmy was 13 when we married. He was a difficult teenager.  Now he’s 18 and working full time, but past ill feelings remain between them. Frank has no children of his own, and he fights with Jimmy as though [...]

Posted in John Says, Parenting, Q&A, Teens No Comments »

Since we first reported on teenage sexting [3/19/09], this phenomenon among American school children has been spreading faster than a California wildfire. One in five teens are believed to be sending sexually suggestive text messages and photos to their friends.
Much of the information for the story below was provided by the McClatchy News Service:
There’s a [...]

Posted in Parenting, Romance & Sex, Teens 1 Comment »

Arguably one of the most unfortunate aspects of our modern age is that a family is more often going off in four different directions than finding themselves together. With both parents busy at work and children busy with a variety of school and after school activities, even dinners together can be a rare event.
At the [...]

Posted in Parenting, Teens No Comments »

Contrary to the popular media myth that teens want to have nothing to do with their parents, surveys both in America and other places around the globe find that over two-thirds of all teens believe that they don’t spend enough time communicating with their parents.

Now as researchers quickly acknowledge, if this question had been asked [...]

Posted in Parenting, Teens 1 Comment »

With over 4,000 colleges, America is unique in the world in its view of college for all who wish to attend. With each passing year, however, rising costs and other factors create a greater gap between wanting a degree and the reality of obtaining a degree. If you’re a parent of a primary or secondary [...]

Posted in 'Tweens, Parenting, Teens 1 Comment »

You’ve noticed that your teenager is constantly on the cell phone–to her boyfriend.
And yes, she’s admitted they’ve had sex. While this doesn’t make you happy, you sigh with relief when she assures you that, yes, she’s on the pill.
But you notice she looks away when you ask if he wears a condom.
And despite your insistence [...]

Posted in Parenting, Teens No Comments »

Parents, if you haven’t talked to your ‘tweens about sex, you’re far behind the eight-ball.
They already know where that body (part) is buried.
So instead, fast-forward to the topic at hand: “sexting,” which, for the uninformed (you need to get WiFi in that cave!) means sending nude pictures via text message.
In fact, according to a nationwide [...]

Posted in Parenting, Teens 1 Comment »