Sue Scheff: Parents Everywhere – Parenting Today’s Teens

Parents Everywhere is a great resource for parents!  Suzette Boyette has developed a website offering Podcasts of great conversations with professionals, educators, authors, parents and more! 

Learn More:

Parents Everywhere’s mission is to educate parents to be more effective so they may raise healthy families. Parents Everywhere envisions a world with effective parents who have powerful loving connections with their children. Children grow and flourish in supportive and peaceful homes. They become not who we want them to be, but who they are meant to be.

Founded in January 2007, Parents Everywhere first began as an idea to help parents in Central Florida become more understanding parents by attending workshops and classes. Within months, the passion for answering the need to give parents more tools in their ‘parenting toolbox’, evolved into an energy all it’s own. Others soon were just as excited to have a voice in sharing their expertise and helping families become stronger. By the end of the year, Parents Everywhere became more than just a company. It is a family whose entire focus is holistically enriching the family unit. This family now includes a dynamic group of truly special individuals who are experts in their fields and are constantly providing positive energy to keep the vision as a priority!

Today, Parents Everywhere connects people from all over the world (such as Ireland, the Ukraine, the Philippines, and Australia) to listen, to learn and to give. Parents are encouraged to listen to the Parents Everywhere Network of educational Internet radio shows/podcasts. With their own flair and unique personalities, our show hosts develop a special connection with their listeners. Each show discusses various topics that invite parents to truly listen and learn. It’s almost like visiting over a cup of coffee.

Parents are also given opportunities though the Parents Everywhere Resources to learn by attending local classes and workshops on various topics regarding parenting and family health. With fun and interactive sessions, parents become empowered with the much needed education they need to be more effective and loving. Their entire paradigm of parenting is shifted into a more positive direction. They also learn how to take time for not only themselves, but also time to reenergize their own marriages. Parents become whole again and thus, parent more effectively.

Finally, with the Parents Everywhere Foundation, parents have the chance to make a difference in their children’s lives and in their own communities. By sharing this powerful experience as a family, they change the life of others as well as their own. When they give, families see they do make a strong impact on the world; making differences that last a lifetime. We share with them the various ways they can give back by highlighting the fantastic organizations around our world.

The company is guided by the core values of honesty, integrity, and generosity. The parents are the source of inspiration and the children are the reason Parents Everywhere continues to grow all over the world. Help us spread the word and see what happens.

Parents Everywhere strengthens family connections with education.
Listen. Learn. Give.

Sue Scheff – Carolina Springs Academy, Darrington Academy, Midwest Academy, Red River Academy, Teen Help – Learn More

Take a moment to read my experiences – http://www.aparentstruestory.com/ as well as my book where you can hear my daughter’s experiences for the first time – order today at http://www.witsendbook.com/ .

Choosing a program is not only a huge emotional decision, it is a major financial decision – do your homework! Learn from my mistakes – Gain from my knowledge!

Academy of Ivy Ridge, NY (withdrew their affiliation with WWASPS)
Canyon View Park, MT
Camas Ranch, MT
Carolina Springs Academy, SC
Cross Creek Programs, UT (Cross Creek Center and Cross Creek Manor)
Darrington Academy, GA
Help My Teen, UT (Adolescent Services Adolescent Placement) Promotes and markets these programs.
Gulf Coast Academy, MS (allegedly recently closed)
Horizon Academy, NV
Lisa Irvin (Helpmyteen)
Lifelines Family Services, UT (Promotes and markets these programs) Jane Hawley
Majestic Ranch, UT
Midwest Academy, IA (Brian Viafanua, formerly the Director of Paradise Cove as shown on Primetime, is the current Director here)
Parent Teen Guide (Promotes and markets these programs)
Pillars of Hope, Costa Rica
Pine View Christian Academy (Borders FL, AL, MS)
Reality Trek, UT
Red River Academy, LA (Borders TX)
Respect Academy, NV
Royal Gorge Academy, CO (allegedly closed)
Sky View Academy, NV (allegedly closed?)
Spring Creek Lodge, MT (allegedly they closed?)
Teen Help, UT (Promotes and markets these programs)
Teens In Crisis
Tranquility Bay, Jamaica
Oceanside, CA – rumors of short term program there.
There is a rumor a new program in Mexico is opening – parents need to be aware of this.

There are good programs – take your time to do your research – for helpful hints in finding safe alternatives visit http://www.helpyourteens.com/

Sue Scheff: Prevent CyberBullying

Vanessa Van Petten continues to bring valuable information for parents with today’s teens.  This week she has dedicated to helping prevent cyberbullying.

Partners for CyberBully Awareness Campaign:

Thank you to everyone who is already offered to join and spread the word about our anti-cyberbullying campaign here at On Teens Today:

Angeline of MomStyleNews

Vivien Bruss of Cool Moms Rule

 

Brenda Preston of Safewave

Sue Scheff of Help Your Teens

Myrna of TangerineTimes.com

Tara Paterson of the Mom’s Choice Awards and Just for Mom

Karen Pease

Sue Scheff – Parenting Teens

O-kay, I am in Florida and have a soft spot for oranges and tangerines, but when I discovered a new Parenting Website that promotes today’s teen issues and parents concerns, I had to share it with you. Tangerine Times, created by Myrna Lantzsch, offers a variety of Parenting Tips, Articles, Blogs and more.  Her motto: The Sweet and Sour Life with Teens.

Recently Myrna wrote about Teens and Texting while Driving - and this is huge concern for many of us.  We are hearing more and more how car accidents due to cell phone use are increasing, and we need to educate our teens of the dangers of using their phones while driving.

Here is her follow up article:

In an effort to provide additional information and updates  on the subject of  “Texting While Driving” post – I discovered this story on Salon.com.

In the article, they discuss other technologies to aide with the “disabling” of a cell phone for texting purposes.  Both of the companies discussed, (WQN, Inc. and Aegis Mobility) both utilize the car’s Global Positioning System to disable the cell phone.

I still think the best approach is to turn off texting at certain times (especially when the teenager is just beginning to drive) and/or have them leave the phone at home.  I know this is unheard of anymore, no one thinks they can do without a cell phone around.  But, I’m beginning to think that the temptation to text or use the phone can be very tempting.   And, it is even more of a distraction than loud music or maybe, even, another teen in the car.

I’m still researching this subject and will continue to supply updates.  As usual, I am particularly interested in hearing from you readers…what do you think?  What have you tried?

Sue Scheff: Mom Blogs – Parenting Teens Today

Recently I am noticing more and more parents are stepping up and talking about their issues, concerns, frustrations as well as sharing ideas and tips they have used in raising their children. All in all, it is about parents helping parents.Years ago when I struggled with my daughter, I felt so alone – and it was such a hush hush mentality. We were all so determined to prove our kids were nearly perfect! Oh, so smart and athletic or gifted and talented in some way. In today’s generation of raising children it is become more challenging.

 Here are a few Blogs on Parenting that could help you help your child:

Van’s Mom – Exploring and dealing with an ADHD and ODD daughter. 

Tangerine Times – Myrna’s parenting tips on the sweet and sour times of teens. 

Phil’s Blog – Why physical education is so critical to children today in highly techy times. 

Inhalant Abuse Blog – Parents educate other parents on the dangers of many home products.

Love Our Children Blog - Helping keep today’s children safe. 

Sarah Maria’s Blog – Learning to increase your self image to make better choices. (For parents and teens!) 

Lori Hanson’s Blog – Holistic solutions for a eating disorders.

ADD/ADHD Blog - ADDitude Magazine offers many parent Blogs on ADD/ADHD and more.

Sue Scheff: Inguaration Day 2009 – Parenting, Teens and Politics

What an exciting week we have ahead of us! It is amazing how today’s youths are getting involved in politics and taking the initiative to learn all they can. This is not only a historical time for our country, there is a feeling of unity among all people of all ages. This can also a great time to spend with your kids and explain the importance of this upcoming week. How do you feel? Do your kids truly understand the history of this moment? This is a perfect opportunity to have family time and excitement as well as creating lasting memories.

Read the article Connect with Kids posted back in June outlining how teens really took part in this past election. Again, an exciting time in history!

Sue Scheff: HIV Testing for Teens

Years ago, one of our biggest fears with pre-marital sex, was getting pregnant!  Today we still have that fear, but what is more concerning is the STD’s!  They can be death sentences in some cases.  Parents need to take the time to educate our teens today of the consequences of unprotected sex.  None of us like the idea of our teens having sex so young, but we need to face the reality if they do, they need to be protected.

Source: Connect with Kids

“Our evidence is that when people find out they’re infected with HIV, they cut down their risky behavior by more than two-thirds.”

– Bernard Branson, M.D., Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Does your 13-year-old need an HIV test?

“No, because she’s not sexually active,” says father Mark Alterio, “So I wouldn’t have her screened.”

“I’m a proponent of being more informed,” says mother Ingrid Emmons, “and I feel like if you’re more informed then we can get you the help that you need. So I’d rather know than not know.”

The American College of Physicians is now backing the Center for Disease Control’s recommendations to have everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 tested for HIV.

But why start so young?

“Our information, first of all, from recent surveys suggests that about 47-percent of teenagers, high school students, are sexually active,” says Dr. Bernard Branson, with the CDC’s division of HIV/AIDS Prevention.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 250-thousand Americans have HIV and don’t know it.

Experts say expanded testing could stop thousands from spreading the virus.

“Our evidence is that when people find out they’re infected with HIV,” says Dr. Branson, “they cut down their risky behavior by more than two-thirds.”

Experts estimate testing will reduce the number of new HIV cases from around 40-thousand to 17-thousand a year.

Screening could especially benefit teenagers.

“Our recommendation is to make this something that’s routine,” says Dr. Branson, “so that it doesn’t cause an adolescent in particular to have to admit something they might prefer not to, in order to get HIV-tested.”

In other words, if it’s not routine, some kids won’t ask to get tested – because it means admitting they were sexually active.

Some parents agree.

“Kids are always hiding something,” says mother Melanie Zentner, “especially in the teenaged years, even if you’re close.  So I’d like to know, so you can take care of it right away.  That would be my opinion.”

HIV tests cost between eight and 20 dollars each.  If there is a positive result, more testing is done to confirm the results.

Tips for Parents

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2006, 15 percent of persons diagnosed with HIV/AIDS were 13 to 24.  Twenty-six percent were aged 25-34.  The typical delay between the exposure to HIV infection and the onset of AIDS means that most of these young adults were infected as teens.  There is a growing concern among U.S. health organizations about complacency – referred to as “safe-sex fatigue” – among young people toward HIV infection and AIDS.  However, statistics show there is no reason for teens to be complacent about AIDS.

The Kaiser Family FoundationSexual Health of Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States 2008 report finds the following statistics about HIV, AIDS and teens:

• The CDC estimates that almost 46,000 young people, ages 13 to 24, were living with HIV in the U.S in 2006. Women comprised 28% of these HIV/AIDS cases among 13- to 24-year-olds.
• African-American young adults are disproportionately affected by HIV infection, accounting for 60% of HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 13- to 24-year-olds in 2006.
• More HIV infections occurred among adolescents and young adults 13–29 years old (34%) of new HIV infections than any other age group. Most young people with HIV/AIDS were infected by sexual transmission.
• In 2006, 16% of young adults ages 18 to 24 reported that they had been tested for HIV in the past 12 months.

The Kaiser study also shows that over the past decade teens have become smarter about sex:

• Nearly half (48%) of all high school students in 2007 reported ever having had sexual intercourse, a decline from 54% in 1991. Males (50%) are slightly more likely than females (46%) to report having had sex. The median age at first intercourse is 16.9 years for boys and 17.4 years for girls.
• In 2007, among the 35% of currently sexually active high school students, 62% reported using a condom the last time they had sexual intercourse, up from 57% in 1997.1 African-American students (67%) were more likely to report using condoms compared to White (60%) and Hispanic (61%) students. Males (69%) were more like to report condom use than females (55%).
• Using a dual method of a condom and hormonal contraceptive is becoming more prevalent for teenage females. The percentage of currently sexually active never-married females 15–19 years of age reporting use of dual methods rose from 8% in 1995 to 20% in 2002.

Sexually active teens need information, skills and support to protect themselves from HIV and AIDS.  The American Association for World Health (AAWH) says parents communicating in a positive way about sexuality and risky behaviors can have a “profound influence” in helping young people make healthy decisions.  Talking to your teen about AIDS can often be difficult and uncomfortable because it requires talking about issues like sex and drugs.  The AAWH suggests the following tips when talking to your teen about HIV and AIDS:

• AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.  It is a serious and fatal disease of the human immune system and is caused by a virus called human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).  A person will not develop AIDS unless he or she has first been infected with HIV.
• HIV can be spread through oral, anal or vaginal sexual activity.  The sexual transmission can be from male to female, from male to male, from female to male or from female to female.  HIV may be in an infected person’s blood, semen, vaginal secretions or breast milk.  It can enter the body through cuts or sores on tissue in the vagina, penis, rectum and sometimes the mouth.  The cuts may be so small that you don’t know they’re there.
• You can become infected with HIV from even one instance of unprotected sex.  While complete abstinence is the surest way to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV, protecting yourself with a latex condom or barrier at every sexual encounter is very important.
• Most birth control methods like the pill or diaphragms don’t protect you from HIV.
• Whether you inject drugs or steroids or use needles for tattoos or body piercing, sharing needles places you at risk for becoming infected with HIV.
• Using drugs of any kind, including alcohol or inhalants, can cloud your judgment.  You could become less careful about having sex or injecting drugs – behaviors that place you at risk for HIV.

References

• American Association for World Health
• American College of Physicians
• Centers for Disease Control
• The Kaiser Family Foundation

Sue Scheff – TeensHealth – Parenting Teens Today

TeensHealth answers and advice for parents of teens. Learn more about teen drug use, substance abuse, bullying, cyberbullying, peer pressure, sex education and more!

This comprehensive website offers parents valuable tips on parenting teens today.

Sue Scheff: ReputationDefender Launches Official Blog

Learn more about ReputationDefender on their recently launched Official Blog.

Many people have heard me talk about their services and how they help you maintain your online image. ReputationDefender does much more! Read about the teacher who got fired for photo’s posted on MySpace.

If you are a parent of kids online – don’t forget to learn more about ReputationDefender MyChild.

Sue Scheff – Parenting Struggling Teens

It stems back to “children need to have their self-esteem built up to make good decisions.” Today most families are either single parent or both parents are working full time. This is not the fault of the teen, nor is it the fault of the parents. It is today’s world and we must try to find the middle.  Troubled teens, rebellious teens, angry teens, problem teens, difficult teens, depressed teens; unfortunately are part of the society of adolescents today.

Communication is always the first to go when people get busy. We have seen this over and over again. We have also experienced it and feel that our children shut us out; this can lead to difficult teens and teens with problems. Although we are tired and exhausted, along with the stress of today’s life, we need to stop and take a moment for our kids. Talk and LISTEN to them. Ask lots of questions, get to know their friends and their friend’s parents, take part in their interests, be supportive if they are having a hard time, even if you can’t understand it; be there for them. 

This all sounds so easy and so simple, but take it from parents that have walked this path, it is not easy. When a parent works a full day, has stress from the job along with household chores, not to mention the bills, it is hard to find that moment. We are all guilty of neglect at one time or another after all, we are only human and can only do so much. We feel the exhaustion mounting watching our teens grow more out of control, yet we are too tired to address it. Out of control teens can completely disrupt a family and cause marriages to break up as well as emotional breakdowns.

We know many feel it is just a stage, and with some, it may be. However most times it does escalate to where we are today. Researching for help; P.U.R.E. is here for you, as we have been where you are today. Do you have a difficult teen, struggling teen, defiant teen, out of control teen, rebellious teen, angry teen, depressed teen? Do you feel hopeless, at your wits end?  Visit www.helpyourteens.com.

If you feel your teen is in need of further Boarding School, Military School or Program Options, please complete our Information Request Form. Please visit Informational Articles for more beneficial information.  Read more about Parents’ Universal Resource Experts.