National Teen Driver Safety Week October 15-21, 2023
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Teen drivers speed, make mistakes, and can be easily distracted, especially if they have friends in the car. Parents can play an important role in helping their teens develop into safe and responsible …
Compassion: A Strategy for Caring for Yourself and Your Children
Humans are primed to react to a threat with a stress response. In modern society, we may no longer find ourselves facing tigers in the wild; however, our bodies may react with similar biological, fight-flight responses when we feel intense stress. The demands of parenting can be a source of stress, and, often, the stress …
Adolescent Social Media Use
Recently published statistics indicated that, in 2018, 97% of youth in the United States between the ages of 13 and 17 interacted with social media apps (Mayo Clinic, 2022), and, usually, this interface occurred on their own devices. In fact, it is common to see youth this age interacting and engaging regularly with social media. …
Communicating with Adolescents and Teens
By creating an environment that encourages open communication, parents can build a relationship with their adolescent or teen that is based on trust, respect, and understanding. The following video illustrates and explains a variety of strategies that you can use to communicate with your child honestly and openly. These strategies can include using I-statements, discussing …
Parenting the Child you Have
All people, including children, have their own needs and preferences. As a family, you may have many shared interests or values, but, individually, each family member is a unique and special being. Depending on your child’s personality and whether their beliefs and values differ from yours, you may encounter challenges in your parenting journey. In …
Parenting Stress and its Impacts
Stress is part of everyday life, and our bodies can have mental and physical reactions to the stress we feel. When we encounter an event or situation that our body deems as challenging or stressful, our brain responds by perceiving a threat. This response, in turn, initiates several hormonal and physiological changes, such as increased …
Finding Credible Information
Parents make multiple daily decisions that impact themselves and their family members. As a parent, you will likely want to use sound judgment and consider relevant and up-to-date information as you make positive and meaningful decisions for your family. However, the amount of information that is available through websites and digital media platforms – on …
Helping Children to “Shake it Off”: Releasing and Reducing Stress
Anyone can feel stress – adults and children. A combination of prior life experiences and other factors, like personality traits and genetics, influence how individuals perceive and respond to stress in their daily lives. Positive stress can motivate and help individuals focus their energy in ways that can improve their performance, help them problem solve, …
