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January 23, 2009
Renew Family Ties in the New Year
As this year marks the beginning of change in the country, why not make some changes in your home? Take this opportunity to renew your relationships, reconnect with your family, and reinforce rules and expectations for your children. In this new year there are even more ways to understand and connect with your teens.
You can open the lines of communication both online and offline. In todays world of Internet connectedness and social networking, its easy to lose your teen in cyberspace. But you can use this tool to your advantage by reading up on popular social networking and surfing sites like Facebook, YouTube, and MTV.com. Its always important to make the most of real face time, though, so be sure to communicate with your teen and make the most of every minute you have together.
Most parents pride themselves on having an open, solid relationship with their children, but teens tell a different story. When it comes to drugs and alcohol, 80 percent of parents believe that neither alcohol nor marijuana is usually available at parties their teens attend. But 50 percent of teen partygoers report attending parties where alcohol, drugs, or both are available. [1] Get up to speed on todays youth culture and learn whats really going on in your teens world.
[1] The National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XI: Teens and Parents. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. August 2006.
Follow these simple tips to help build a better relationship with your teens:
1.Learn to listen. Let your teens do half of the talking and listen closely to details about what their friends do after school and whats cool, whats not, and why.
2.Ask questions.
Find out what pressures they face day-to-day. Keep an open mind and encourage them to feel comfortable telling you about their problems.
3. Reinforce rules and expectations. Take this time to remind your teen about your expectations concerning drug use and online activity.
Teens reach out to make a difference More than 350 junior high and high school students in Katy, Texas, learn you dont have to go very far to help people.
Read expert advice
on how to confront difficult situations with your teen and check out "Conversations
for Parents" for more tips on talking to your teen.
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