Q: Last year a friend of mine committed suicide. I can’t forget it and keep feeling I could have done something to prevent it. I know I get depressed sometimes, but I can snap out of it. I guess many other teens can’t. I read that 5,000 commit suicide each year and that it is […]
Behavioral
Q: My wife and I work long hours at high-stress jobs in order to have the time and money to take one or two nice vacations each year. The last three have been disasters because of the way our teenagers (a son, l7, and a daughter, 15) behave. We spend the whole time trying to
There has been considerable controversy over school-based Project 10 counseling services in the past few years. Started by Virginia Uribe at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, the Project 10 model is now being used at high schools across the nation to give counseling and emotional support to students who know or feel that they
It’s part of every parent’s nightmare: a teen daughter gets pregnant, your teenage son causes a pregnancy, or your teen tells you that he or she is gay. What can you do? First, contain your own feelings. Listening rather than lashing out can make a vital difference, not only in the resolution of the sexuality
Many parents feel that talking with their teens about birth control will either give the teens ideas, or communicate parental permission to have sex. However, teens do have ideas about sex, and some actually have sex without either birth control information or our knowledge or permission. And, you, as a parent, can give birth control
What are some good reasons for your teenager to say no to sex? You might tell him or her: 1. “Hold off if you don’t know each other well.” The best sexual sharing comes with someone you know and trust. Why do it with someone who isn’t special to you? 2. “The risk of sexually
If you’re feeling middle-aged, tired, in a rut, and less fit than you used to be, it isn’t surprising that you might sometimes envy your teen’s physical beauty, strength, youth, and seemingly limitless life choices and opportunities. These feelings of envy are understandable, giving some of the losses of middle age. But ask yourself if,
If you’re expecting a baby, you might think you’ve prepared your family adequately for the big event, but wait – have you prepared your pet? Don’t laugh; it’s important if you want your dog or cat and the baby to become good friends, Here’s what a nationally recognized animal trainer suggests: • Be sure your
Adolescents aren’t necessarily better equipped to deal with divorce because of their age. Anger and uncertainty are normal reactions for these kids, although they may be more adept at hiding these feelings. • Adolescents are learning to separate from the family as a unit and their growth toward independence, and divorce poses additional conflicts for
Adolescence represents one of the most difficult stages in human development. The teenager needs desperately to leave his childhood behind and enter fully into the world of adults — but often feels the pull of childish impulses and desires, and the security of his old life keeping him from making the big move toward psychological
