As parent, I have been concerned for some time about some of the material that teens can find on YouTube; postings with sex, nudity, pornographic images and violence just to name a few.
I am so thankful to learn that YouTube now has a parental control that enables parents to block their children from viewing such videos; this feature is called Safety Mode.
Go to this link to read all about it.
Source: CBS Early Show.com
Dress for success!
Hey parents! Have you ever found yourself saying (or thinking) “You are NOT wearing that out of this house!”? We found this article (http://www.homeword.com/FreeAdvice/FreeAdviceDetail.aspx?iFreeAdviceId=2) with some helpful advice about fighting battles over fashion.
As a relatively recent teenager, let me encourage you in your role as a parent: you CAN have a say in what your teen wears! Teenagers are still learning right from wrong, good idea from bad idea, but they shouldn’t have to learn it all the hard way. Yes, clothing may seem insignificant compared to issues of drugs, alcohol, violence, depression, or sex – but your guidance is just as valuable in the small things as it is in the big things. If your teenager’s clothing is screaming a message that they will one day regret, find a way to tell them that, even if it means setting up rules or guidelines. Your teenager may start looking like an adult, but they probably aren’t thinking like one yet, so don’t give up your role as “parent” too soon!
Teenage sexual health, not so healthy…
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By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) — As many as one in four U.S. teenage girls have had a sexually transmitted disease (STD), many were infected soon after their first sexual encounter, a new government report shows.
“Sexual health is an important part of the overall health and well-being of teenagers, for too long, we as a nation have been far too squeamish about sexual health issues for teens, but we owe it to our kids to get over it.” Dr. Sami L. Gottlieb
A friend of mine passed this article along and I thought I would share it as well. It’s interesting to see that as big of a problem this is that they suggest some band-aids to the issue(vaccines or comprehensive sex ad.). Why not just suggest more education on abstinence? To read more of the article written click the link below.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/11/23/one-in-four-teen-girls-have-stds.html
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Mixed Messages
Trying to protect our kids is always a main concern for a parent. We want to keep them safe in all aspects of their lives. So when it comes to the media, this can be tough. Our kids are exposed to all kinds of messages: billboards, music, TV, movies…..the list can go on and on.
With the recent release of the “Twilight” sequel, I want parents to have a heads up to what their child may be watching. To be equipped with the right tools for the job. Now without seeing the movie I don’t have an opinion on it, but I have heard there is some confusing messages in it. This is always a great opportunity to talk with your child about what he or she thinks and feels. These are a few good sites to visit and receive info and reviews on the stuff our kids are into. If you are not watching what they are, you can get the facts about it. Check it out!
http://www.commonsensemedia.org
Gardasil Controversy
If you haven’t seen it already, this Good Morning America segment addresses new evidence about the risks of Gardasil, a vaccine approved by the FDA in 2006 to prevent the cancer-causing STD human papillomavirus (HPV). When it was approved, the CDC and FDA recommended girls (at risk for developing cervical cancer if they are infected with HPV) become vaccinated as early as 11 years old. In the last three years, GMA reports, 7 million Americans have been vaccinated. Of those, 772 cases of serious side effects have been recorded, including 32 deaths. For concerned parents, this report may be cause to do more research before vaccinating your children.
Teenspot Follow UP
As a follow up to last week’s blog, I hope you had some time to check out the web site Teen Spot and some of the posts that where on there, especially under the teen issues title. The thought that there are actually kids going here for advice is a little scary. Well, let’s face it …it’s real scary. I’m sure that there are a lot of other sites out there as well — some better, some worse. Either way these kids are dealing with a lot of complex issues in their lives and possibly have no one to turn to or nobody they feel comfortable enough with to talk about some of this stuff. By stuff, I mean sex. It’s a tough subject and can be real difficult to tackle. So first off, are we making ourselves approachable and/or accessible? If not, is the computer their only other option? Then the next question is, are we properly equipped to answer the questions they have and give the advice they need to hear without giving them another lecture?
What do we really need to teach our teens?
I was just introduced to the website www.teenspot.com. After viewing the homepage, it seemed pretty inviting to a teen…maybe even an adult. The website appears to want to inform our kids about all the latest stuff that’s going on. Then I scrolled down the page and found a section entitled “Teen Issues.” After looking at some of the posts under “Teen Issues” I started to wonder: who is really posting some of this stuff? Are these really teen issues? Should these even be teen issues? Most importantly, are these your teen’s issues?
“Is Food the New Sex?”
I found a fascinating article on the roles of food and sex in Western Society. The author argues that over the past fifty years, the modern views of food and sex have undergone a role reversal. Where once sex was a definitive, moral issue, now food has taken its place.
Here’s an excerpt:
“(The) disciplines imposed historically on access to food and sex now raise a question that has not come up before, probably because it was not even possible to imagine it until the lifetimes of the people reading this: What happens when, for the first time in history — at least in theory, and at least in the advanced nations — adult human beings are more or less free to have all the sex and food they want?
This question opens the door to a real paradox. For given how closely connected the two appetites appear to be, it would be natural to expect that people would do the same kinds of things with both appetites — that they would pursue both with equal ardor when finally allowed to do so, for example, or with equal abandon for consequence; or conversely, with similar degrees of discipline in the consumption of each.
In fact, though, evidence from the advanced West suggests that nearly the opposite seems to be true. The answer appears to be that when many people are faced with these possibilities for the very first time, they end up doing very different things — things we might signal by shorthand as mindful eating, and mindless sex. This essay is both an exploration of that curious dynamic, and a speculation about what is driving it.”
Check out the full article here. What do you think?
Hooked
Parents,
There’s an excellent resource out there, one that’s fairly new on the bookshelves. It’s a book called Hooked, written by Dr. Joe Mcilhaney and Dr. Freda Bush. It’s a study on how casual sex (i.e. the rampant “hook up” culture that exists today) affects teenagers and young adults.
These doctors study the brain’s activity, specifically in relation to what happens to people as they engage in sexual activity. The results are rather astounding.
It’s an easy read, something you should definitely check out. If you are curious to hear more, check out this article here that lists other books written along the same line.
Do you know where your children are?
The world wide web equals access to the world. It also means the world has access to you. And your kids. Yet children online can be sitting “safely” in your living room, so why worry about them? A new study conducted by Harris Interactive reveals that parents may be turning a blind eye to their children’s internet use. For instance, parents estimate that their children spend 2 hours a week on the internet, but children report spending 10 times that (20 hours).
Two helpful pointers for parents:
- Move the computer into a part of the house that is easily monitored,
- and ask your child to show you his or her favorite sites.
Being involved will equip you to step in as a parent should any unsafe situations arise.