Have you ever been to a sporting event or performance where the parent behind you is shouting out instructions to his teen or berating the other youngsters participating? As the competition increases in middle school …
Topic of the Week
Helping Teens Discover Values to Live By
“How would you describe your family in three words?” asked blogger Joanna Goddard. What core values rise to the top when you think about who you are, who your family is, and who you hope your …
Be the Positive Voice for your Teen
A parenting and human development buzz word for the last 30 years, self-esteem is a person’s evaluation of his or her own worth. A person with positive self-esteem has a positive attitude about his or her self. Do …
How Much Financial Responsibility is Enough?
To start 2018 we bring you an article about the benefits of discussing money management with you child. Read this week’s Parenthetical post for talking points and strategies on teen financial responsibility that many parents might …
5 Things I Do Differently at Holidays with Teens
As the holiday season is rapidly approaching, some of us might be feeling a bit overwhelmed by the length of our “to-do” list. While this feeling is common, it is also important to examine why the …
Burning Out: Adults Who Work With Youth Feel Stress Too
In the past, Parenthetical has focused on why parental self-care is important and what it can look like in practice. This week we’re extending the self-care conversation to teachers and practitioners who work with youth …
Parenting Procrastinators
At times, the last thing any of us want to think about are the grades that come at the end of the school year. Maybe last year wasn’t so successful for your teen, and you …
Parenting Futures: Playing the Long-Game in Parenting Your Teen
“The future is a verb that requires us to push into it.” -Ari Wallach …
Breaking the Cycle: 8 Strategies for Dealing with Conflict with Your Young Teen
A certain amount of conflict with parents is, unfortunately, a natural part of growth within the teen years. Conflict serves some very important purposes. It is nature’s way of forcing you to adapt your parenting to your …
A Parent’s Role in Body Image
Last Halloween, a woman in North Dakota planned to hand out candy to neighbor children, as is customary. However, she generated controversy when she shared the rest of her plan—to hand out a note, rather …