Teenagers

Summer Reading With Your Kids

When does summer begin for most kids?

It begins about two weeks before the bell rings on that last day of school.  Whatever kids have planned for the summer, you can bet they’re already thinking of these plans well before they are officially granted their academic freedom.

Rise of The YA (Young Adult) Novel

When I was young, the neighborhood bookstore had a distinctive arrangement.  It almost always looked something like this:

The front table?  Spy novels and books about tennis.

The books at the counter?  More spy novels and books about travel.

An entire section was devoted to Kurt Vonnegut.

Concert Girls: How A Few Shared Experiences Helped A Mom And Her Teenage Daughter See Each Other’s Lives Differently

“So Mom, we should do something fun this summer, just the two of us,” my daughter remarked. We had just listened to our neighbor tell us how he and his son had visited as many baseball parks as they could in two weeks.

Concerts: A Survival Guide

Intro music written and performed by Dr. Gene Beresin.
Outro music performed by Dr. Gene Beresin.

Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe’s wonderful movie about sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, has many lovely and poignant moments.

The Senior Prom: A Joyous Rite Of Passage Or Nightmare For Parents?

Intro music written and performed by Dr. Gene Beresin.
Outro music performed by Dr. Gene Beresin.

It’s the weekend before your kid’s senior prom. You and your wife are having a typical evening at home, perhaps watching a movie with your youngest daughter. And, there’s a kind of tense silence you remember all too well.

When Idols Fail: How Do Kids Manage?

When sports stars misbehave—or worse—how do teen athletes react? What should parents do? Advice from the experts.

To watch more on various parenting concerns, visit our YouTube channel.

Sasha’s Story: Recognizing Warning Signs of Suicide

In this short video, parents of a champion swimmer who took her life by suicide, and the psychiatrist who treated her, talk to other parents about how to recognize warning signs of serious trouble.

To see more on various parenting concerns, visit our YouTube channel.

The Birds and The Bees of Kids and Dating

The first romantic relationship for a teen, or particularly a pre-teen, can strike terror in the heart of a parent. Rarely are parents ever prepared for their child’s inevitable first crush or real relationship.

Managing Anger: It’s All About RESPECT

Anger is an emotion hard-wired into the brain. We all get angry. Sometimes it seems as if our brains don’t have a choice; certain things just simply tick us off. But, anger as an emotion has never hurt anyone—it’s what we do with our anger that can be destructive.

What to Know About Getting Your Child SAT/ACT Accommodations

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT) are important tests for students hoping to go to college.  If you have a high school student with a learning disability (such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, disorder of written expression) or ADHD, you might be wondering if they can—or should—receive extended time on tests.