ADVICE

By Tanni Haas, Ph.D. | ContributorEvery parent of teens knows how difficult it can be to get through to them, but it doesn’t have to be this way. There are many things parents can do – and a couple of things they shouldn’t do – to get their teens to listen. Here’s what the experts suggest:Give Good ReasonsTeens like to know that their parents are taking them seriously, so if you want them to listen, don’t just state your opinions or tell them what to do. “Tell them why those are the right opinions,” says Rachel Ehmke of the Child Mind Institute. Give good reasons for what you say, and for what you say they should do.Allow Time For ProcessingIt can take days, even weeks, for teens to process the substance of a conversation, especially an important one. If your teens don’t understand what yo...

By Alicia WanekAccording to Eddie Coker, “Life just does what it does,” and in 2020 the world has seen just how true that is. This performer wants to ensure, however, that we are all equipped to face life’s challenges. Eddie and the Wezmore Project team have developed a multi-faceted program to focus on strategies to help kids, in particular, to meet life head-on. Their mission is “…to help young people and their families navigate the complexity of our emotional lives with practical skills and tips that are delivered through a variety of highly engaging media.”If you were raising children in North Texas in the early 2000’s, you likely know Eddie Coker. His kid-friendly songs, performances that exhausted every parent just watching, and enthusiasm that could encourage even the shyest listene...

By Cheryl MaguireIt is so easy to nag at our kids in response to what they are (or are not!) doing, but experts say that you can gain more compliance and a happier family if you follow some basic guidelines.“Parents can develop a habit of expecting their children to simply comply with demands made of them and nagging is a reactive behavior to increase compliance,” saysDr. Linda Kudla, a clinical psychologist at The Child and Family Institute.Dr. Kudla explains that adolescents will typically respond to nagging by either avoiding their parent (which leads to an increase in nagging and perpetuates the problem) or react with more challengingbehaviors (such as continued/increased non-compliance, lying, sneaking, etc.).Dr.Sherry Kelly,a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist in Hartford, C...

By Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development | ContributorWith the ever-increasing social media use among teens and tweens resulting from COVID-19, it’s important for parents and families to pay attention to how their kids are connecting on these platforms, what their influences and interactions are, and how best to navigate family dynamics around their use. Good social media management can help optimize the social and emotional development opportunities for adolescents, while avoiding the pitfalls like anxiety, depression, narcissism, and addiction. In order to support parents and families so that their teens can develop healthy relationships, both on and off screen, Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development has convened a panel of...

By Pidgeon | Publisher and Editor-in-ChiefLike you, I am struggling to comprehend the enormity of the Coronavirus pandemic. I keep using the word “surreal” to describe my feelings. But it is all too real.While we as adults are attempting to wrap our arms around our continued plight, donning masks and gloves, scrubbing ourselves and our groceries down, canceling summer trips and coping with an abundance of uncertainties, our children, too, are filled with angst and grief. While they are coming to accept their new reality, and we’ve taught them that health trumps everything else, the things they once took for granted are now in their rearview mirror. Perhaps the worst part isn’t the loss of those experiences but the loss of camaraderie, the joy of sharing the experiences with our extended f...

By Christy Monson and Heather Boynton; Authors of Stand Up to Sexting as featured in Liveitrong.comExperts estimate that at least 40 percent of teens are involved in sexting in some way. [1]Wait, so this is an article about . . . sexting?Absolutely! And if you have kids or work with kids, you probably aren’t all that surprised. According to a recent survey[2], parents now rank sexting among their top-ten parenting concerns—and some years, even higher than smoking, teen pregnancy, or school violence. When we told one parent we were writing a book about sexting, she said, “YES! I’ve been wanting to talk to my daughter about that, but it’s just so hard to talk about. I need this book.”If that sounds familiar to you, welcome! Whether you’re a parent, teacher, grandparent, faith leader, or ment...

By Dr. David Reichert, CCRA | ContributorAfter homeschooling and sheltering in place for months, you’re ready to hit the road for a little summer R&R. A healthy dose of fun and precaution is definitely in order. It’s important to remember that even though shelter-in-place orders have been lifted, we are still in the middle of a pandemic. So, you’ll need a few new travel habits this summer. Here are some tips from the Academy of Allergy and Asthma in Primary Care to help you navigate traveling with kids amidst COVID-19.Children often explore through touch, making contaminated surfaces a particular concern. As a parent, try to see the world through your child’s exploring eyes. This will help you to anticipate areas and surfaces that will draw your child’s attention.If your child is old e...

By Professor Jeff Willie | ContributorSince the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now with the flare-up of racial unrest that is plaguing our nation—and by some accounts, racial unrest is considered a pandemic due to its global significance—we have seen more stress in the home. It is highly likely the initial barrage of day-to-day, back-to-back virtual meetings presented a personal challenge for many, especially those who had previously not experienced this type of work-from-home environment. The constant engagement through audio and visual means can contribute to an increase in stress, leading to burnout if not carefully managed. As adults, we faced the added responsibility of ensuring school-aged children were completing their schoolwork from home, which required a substantial amou...

By Lilly Pidgeon | Liveitrong.comAs a Jewish mom, raising my children in a predominately non-Jewish world has had its share of challenges. Our history of persecution is well documented. Conversations about the Holocaust and injustices ofeverykind saturate our household.I raised my children (now young adults) to be upstanders and to know without pause that bystanders are complicit. We have a Hebrew saying, Tikkun Olam, which translates to “repair the world” and is synonymous with the notion of social action and the pursuit of social justice. My family has been heartbroken and outraged by the murder of George Floyd and so many others, along with the racial inequalities and injustices that have plagued our nation for generations.We stand in solidarity with the Black community as they yet aga...

By Nick Kucholtz | ContributorLast Tuesday, I laced up a pair of dirty tennis shoes and went for a jog around my beloved University of Texas campus.There were no masses of college kids clogging Speedway. No loud buses driving by DKR. No students climbing up the steps in front of the Tower. There weren’t even any birds chirping.There was dead silence. The entire run.I regret every time I ever complained about how crowded campus was.In my mind I always had a storybook ending to my four years at UT.This was not it.I knew the Eyes of Texas before I knew my ABC’s. I knew the seating capacity of Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium before I could tie my shoes.From my first day of kindergarten to the moment I graduated from Wakeland High School in Frisco, I wore burnt orange just about every ...