when you don’t know what to do: READ!
Good books are helpful when the going gets tough with your teenager.
“Like, Whatever” The Insider’s Guide to Raising Teens (Capital Books: $16.95) , edited by Rebecca Kahlenberg, is an excellent collection of expertly written essays on subject matters from money to driving to risk-taking and more
The Triple Bind by Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D., (Ballantine; $25) focuses on the pressures teenage girls face to be impossibly perfect in every way
Dr. Ruth’s Guide to Teens & Sex Today from Social Networking to Friends with Benefits (Teachers College Press; $13.95) is voiced in Dr. Ruth’s openly frank style.
go global with teen service
Global Leadership Adventures (GLA), one of the leading teen service groups in the nation, offers life-changing experiences for high school students. Meaningful and exciting adventures through GLA provide a way for teens to serve, learn and explore. Learn more about this major outreach group by visiting www.globalleadershipadventures.com.
TOP SELLERS YOUR TEEN’S SUMMER READING
Buy him a book … he’ll be glad you did!
The Twilight Saga
(Little, Brown Young Readers)
by Stephanie Meyer
The Alchemyst
(Delacorte)
by Michael Scott
The Help
(Putnam)
by Kathryn Stockett
The Book Thief
(Knopf)
by Markus Zusak
The Graveyard Book
(HarperCollins)
by Neil Gaiman
Hunted: A House of Night
(St. Martin’s Pres)
by PC Casat, Kristin Cast
The Last Thing I Remember
(Thomas Nelson)
by Andrew Klavan
The Sorceress
(Delacorte)
by Michael Scott
finding an internship
A summer internship is a great way for your teen to gain skills that will help him develop the professional talents he’ll need in a future career.
Most internships don’t pay exceptionally well or don’t pay at all, so don’t count on money. Be realistic, and understand that there are many other benefits to finding an internship other than cold hard cash.
To get started:
Make three lists: One with your teen’s strengths and interests, one with his weaknesses and one with his long-term goals.
Once you’ve done this with your teen, look at the lists. Then, together, think of the types of jobs he could possibly explore for an internship. Make a list of those jobs, keeping them realistic.
Next, help him create a resume outlining his skills.
The final step is to look in newspapers and local company Web sites to keep your eyes open for the type of internship that he wants. When you locate possibilities, have him send his resume in with a cover letter. About one week later, he should follow-up with a phone call.
TOP 10 TEEN TRICKS
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America has an exclusive list of “Top Ten Ways Teens Trick Their Parents” at timetotalk.org. Some teens employ tricky ways to keep their social lives the way they want them, i.e. parent-free. Behaviors parents should look out for include:
Sleep-Over Sneak Outs:
Although you may be home when your teen has friends sleep over, it’s possible that while you’re sound asleep your “guests” are sneaking out of your house to either walk somewhere else or be picked up in a car down the street to go to a party.
Turning Water into Wine:
An old trick – your teen steals alcohol from your liquor cabinet and then, if necessary, makes up the difference in the bottle’s volume by adding water.
Home Freedom:
After school when you are still at work, your child and his friend might congregate at your empty house and do as they please until you arrive. A few hours is plenty of time to experiment.
When the Cat is Away:
Your teen insists on going to a friend’s house for the night when you’re going out for the evening. Once you’ve left, your teen returns home to your unsupervised house with a group of friends.
The Cameo Appearance:
When attending a school dance, your teen is allowed to leave the dance at any point in the evening. Why is this a problem? Many couples will take their picture at the dance to prove that they attended and then go to an empty house to party.
For a complete list of helpful signs for understanding teen behavior, visit www.TimeToTalk.org.