When I first read the article I’m about to share with you, I knew I had to pass it along. You see, it took me back a few years to when I was teaching full time and some of the saddest experiences of my career.

Not once, not twice, but several times I was faced with the tragedy of having a student commit suicide. One was a good friend to my oldest son. You never get over it and you never understand it. But you can arm yourself with good information, and that’s what my good friend and colleague, Aurelia Williams, presents in this article. Read it carefully…and hugs to you and your teen

Helping Your Teen Overcome Depression
By Aurelia Williams, author of Understanding Your Teen

Statistics on teenagers suffering from depression and other mental ailments are alarming. Various studies suggest that 1 in 4 teens suffer from some sort of mental illness. Teenage mental illness, to include depression, can have dire consequences. Teenage suicide is on the rise. It is the third leading cause of death in the age bracket of 15 to 24 years. Dealing with depression in teens is an important step in reducing these numbers in our society.

Many things can lead to depression. A teenager is just learning how to handle the pressures and emotions of an adult. Only 30% of teens suffering seek help. The others just suffer through and do their best to get through. Adults have difficulty dealing with many things, asking a teenager to deal with it on their own, is not be the best option.

Learning the signs of depression for our youth can be difficult. Depressed teenagers are often just seen as being a teen. Signs of irritability, fatigue, withdrawal and changes of eating and sleeping habits, are seen as normal signs of growing up and hormone surges. They are also signs of depression. Learning the difference in your teen’s behavior may be key in getting them the help that they need.

Learning to talk to your teen may be your best investment in their mental health. Parents and adults in a teen’s life struggle with this aspect. They often want to see the teen as still a child where the teen wants to be seen as an adult. Learning to bridge this gap and communicate efficiently may be a daunting task, but can be managed.

An adult should learn to offer support when conversing with a teenager. Let them know you are there for them. Ensure them that you are available to them at any time. Show them that you can listen without being judgmental. Don’t try to talk them out of the way that they feel. Show them that you can understand and give them the help that they need to deal with how they are feeling.

Trust your own instincts. If you have a teenager that is showing signs of depression get them help. Trusting your own feelings and emotions may be what sets the teen on the road to better mental health. They may resist getting help at first. Be firm. Let them know you are there for them and willing to work with them, but insist that they find someone they can work with to help them through this difficult time in their life.

Often a teen will find it easier to speak with someone other than a parent. Consider a peer mentor for your teen. These are teens that are trained to work with others. They become a positive influence. Teen mentors can become a confidant and will be there for the teen that may be in trouble otherwise.

Teenage depression is a serious problem, but can be treated. Learn to recognize the symptoms and get help as soon as possible. Turn the teen in your life into a success story instead of a statistic.

Need More Help?

Teens don’t come with an instruction manual, but you can certainly find the guidance to help you understand your teen. Click here to find out more about the Real Life Guidance to Understanding Your Teen and get instant access to your practical guide.

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I was just getting ready to write a post encouraging you to talk to your teens about sensitive issues when I heard the news report about the “pregnancy pact.” I’m sure you’ve heard about it by now, too. At Gloucester high school in Massachusetts, 18 girls are pregnant and supposedly had made a pact to try to get pregnant. Reports say the girls wanted someone to love them unconditionally.

As a parent of a teen or tween, you’re probably very concerned and wondering how this could happen. And justifiably so. That’s why you’ve got to make yourself talk to your teen about those ever so sensitive issues. There’s just no getting around it. If you want to help your teen deal with the tough stuff, then you’ve got to be able to meet it head on, openly and honestly.

Your teen needs to know where you stand on issues such as sex, drugs, alcohol, dating, and anything else that you have strong convictions about. But just as importantly, they need to know that you care about their feelings and opinions; you need to discuss issues, not just give them a list of rules they must obey. They need some freedom to explore and grow. You want to make sure they know that they can come to you to discuss anything and everything and that won’t happen if you’re just the dictator.

* Let them know what you expect from them at home and in public.
* Respect them as individuals and they will be more respectful of you.
* Be supportive when they do come to you with problems or concerns.

Expect that your teen will have questions about drugs, alcohol, sex, and violence. Don’t make your teen feel like their concerns are trivial or don’t avoid these topics. You need to be open and honest with them, sharing your concerns and your experience with the topics at hand. Do some role playing with your spouse asking questions your teen might ask. Then come up with answers that will address their fears or concerns.

Quite often teens will ask questions at the most inopportune time, much like a toddler will. Try not to be caught off guard too much. Be straightforward with them rather than pushing the question to the side. Address it when it comes up rather than having to contradict the information they get from their friends who are willing to talk with them about it.

It’s o.k., and probably even a good idea, to let your teen know that you may not be entirely comfortable discussing a topic, but that your relationship is more important than a little bit of discomfort. They may be uncomfortable bringing the subject up as well. You don’t have to spell out to your teen every detail of your own teenage years, but using examples and lessons you learned may help them see that you’re not totally out of step with them.

Teenagers don’t know everything they need to know as they grow into adulthood. Your responsibility as a parent doesn’t stop when your child becomes a teen, in fact you’ve just graduated to a new level of relationship. Take every opportunity to talk with your teen about sensitive issues now while they’re still at home, and before it’s too late to have an influence on them.

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It really doesn’t seem like it should be time to be thinking about the summer break from school, does it? But like it or not, the school year is winding down. My tutoring clients are covering some last bits of new material and then they will begin to review and get ready for semester exams.

Summer plans are as varied as the students themselves. Some are heavy into sports activities, some will have part-time jobs, and some have nothing in particular planned other than to relax and enjoy some unstructured time.

I have noticed, though, that all of the students that I tutor have parents that very carefully monitor their activities. These parents are all busy professionals…they include doctors, lawyers, engineers, and a college professor. As busy as they are, they make it a top priority to be active in their teens’ lives and to know what’s going on with them.

Summer can be an anxious time for parents of teens. How much freedom should you let them have? After all, they’re almost grown and shouldn’t need a babysitter. And what about summer school or educational activities? Should you let them have a break from learning or load them up with summer classes?

It’s hard to sort it all out, isn’t it? If you need some help you might want to take a look at what Aurelia Williams of Parenting My Teen has put together. It’s called “School’s Out: Plan The Perfect Teen Summer.” She enlists the help of four experts (yours truly included) to give you information and ideas about how your teen can have a fun and productive summer without driving everyone crazy!

Click here to learn how to plan for the perfect teen summer!

Yep, that last school bell of the year will be ringing before we know it!

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You and I know that moms of teens are very busy people.  And keeping those hungry teens fed can be quite a chore.  If the following scenario sounds familiar to you, you just might could use a few of the easy tips for cooking that have helped me out lately. 

Last night was a pretty typical evening at our house.  I finished up with my last tutoring student at 7:30, just about the time my husband was getting home. My day had been pretty busy so I was tired and really craving something good to eat for dinner.  But, of course, I had nothing prepared and had not planned anything. 

Then I remembered that a few weeks ago I had made a huge batch of vegetable soup and had stashed some of it in the freezer. I thawed the soup in the microwave and within about 20 minutes we were enjoying a nice hot, homemade dinner. 

I commented to my husband that I really should cook in large batches more often and freeze some for later. It was just so easy to grab and thaw, and much better than running out to pick up some fast food which I am often prone to do. 

Truth be told, everyone prefers to eat a good, home cooked meal.  But if you’ve had a long and draining day you may not have the energy to cook from scratch.  Consider these tips for cooking that can help you have a good meal on the table every night with less stress.  

Make a plan before you go grocery shopping.  Creating a meal plan for at least a week at a time will solve two problems. First, you’ll know what you’re going to fix so you won’t be racking your brain after you come home trying to figure out “what’s for dinner”.  Secondly, you’ll have better control over how much you spend because you’ll already know what ingredients you need.  This cuts down on impulse buying.   

After you’ve done your shopping, wash all the vegetables and cut them up into the sizes you’ll need for each meal.  This may take a while on the front, but will save you a lot of time when you’re preparing each meal later.  Don’t forget to ask for help from those that are old enough to use a sharp knife.  

Make your crock pot your best friend.  This one cooking tool can make your life so much easier.  Put your ingredients into the crock pot, turn it on, and leave it alone.  Imagine being at your teen’s late afternoon soccer or baseball game, knowing that you’ll have a wonderful home-cooked meal ready and waiting when you get home! 

And  here’s the one that saved me last night. When you plan a family favorite, prepare more than one meal’s worth.  You can double, triple, or quadruple the amount that you make.  Freeze the separate meals for later use.  When you’re craving a particular meal and don’t have time to fix it, you’ll have one in the freezer; all you have to do is take it out and reheat it. 

If you don’t want to spend an entire day cooking extra meals, plan on cooking enough for one extra meal that you can use as a planned leftover later in the week.  If you’re making chili one night, make a little extra that you can add to baked potatoes on another night.    

Stretch your home-made meal with a great tossed or pasta salad.  Salads are quick, easy, and nutritious.  They’re also good to add when you’re having leftovers.  They’ll stretch the meal quite nicely. 

Providing nutritious, home-made meals even after a hectic day just makes us moms feel better, doesn’t it?  But not if we stress out too much over making it happen.  Try using these tips and make your life easier as you feed those hungry teens! 

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I don’t know about you, but I always have a little trouble adjusting to the time change when we go on Daylight Savings Time.  But I do love the nice long afternoons.

I remember when I was still teaching, it seemed that the start of Daylight Savings Time immediately brought on a severe case of Spring Fever for high school students and it was a constant struggle to keep them focused and learning for the remainder of the school year.  Students are also excitedly preparing for prom and Spring break during this time, so don’t be surprised if you have to work a little harder yourself at trying to keep them on top of their academics.  It’s just the nature of the beast!

And speaking of Spring break, have you already made your plans?  If not, and you could use some ideas about where to go or what to do I’ve got some help for you.  It’s a nice little report called “Spring Break Ideas For Kids of All Ages” and you can get your free copy here.

The report gives you just what the title suggests, Spring break ideas for kids of all ages.  It suggests places to go, things to do, and even gives ideas for activities to do even if you aren’t planning to take a trip.  I did mention it’s free, didn’t I?  Again, it’s called “Spring Break Ideas For Kids of All Ages.”   Click on over and get your’s now.

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If you’ve visited my blog very often lately, you know that I’ve been MIA here for quite a while.  No excuses really, I just got sidetracked with other things.  But no more!

I’m back now…the blog has a new look and I’m anxious to start visiting and sharing with you on a regular basis again.  Hopefully, you’ll find something now and then to help you and your teen through those high school days.

A little about what I’ve been up to since that long ago last post. . .I’ve gotten even busier with my private tutoring practice (I’ll be sharing some of those experiences that might be helpful in upcoming posts).  It seems that mathematics continues to be difficult for many students and savvy parents are quick, and wise, to reach out for help beyond the school system.

 I’ve also finally finished two projects that had been sitting on the shelf for a while.  The first is a report called ‘Why Success in Mathematics is Important For Your Teen’.   I wrote the report to give parents some ammunition to use as they try to convince their children to take a strong math curriculum.  You can get your free copy by filling in your name and email in the form in the upper left corner of this page.

The second project I recently finished is my ebook ‘A Parents Guide to Helping Your Teen Succeed in Mathematics.’  This project is near and dear to my heart. . .it came about as a result of the many situations I encountered when I was still teaching in the classroom full time.  I saw parents who truly wanted to help their teen with mathematics, but were at a loss as to how to do that.  If you’d like to view all the information about the ebook, you can visit http://www.parentsguidetohighschool.com/math.html

As I did research for my ebook, I can across many websites that offer free math help in some way, tutorials, worksheets, examples, etc.  There really is a wealth of free online help and I plan to share some of these sites with you.  The first one I’ll share today is http://www.math-drills.com/ .  This site offers free worksheets on numerous math topics and provides separate answer sheets so that you can check your student’s answers without having to work the problems yourself :) 

I use worksheets from this site to provide practice for some of my tutoring students and find them to be very good.  Enjoy!

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It doesn’t seem possible, does it?  Summer vacation for our students is coming to an end and ‘Back To School’ plans are the order of the day.

I know it’s probably the school teacher in me, but after all these years I still find myself feeling excited about the start of a new school year.  For me,  it’s symbolic of new beginnings and fresh starts. 

To celebrate this excitement of Back To School, I have a couple of things to pass along to you.  The first is a free report called ‘Back To School For Your Teen’ and it is filled with information and tips to help make this the best school year ever for both you and your teen.  The report discusses several issues that most teens and their parents will encounter sometime during the high school years.  You can read all about what is in the report and get your free copy at http://www.highschoolstuff.com/Report.html.

I also want to let you know that Aurelia Williams of ParentingMyTeen.com invited me to be a guest on her podcast to discuss Back To School isssues for our teens.  Aurelia gives some awesome tips for parents and I share some activities and concerns specific to each grade level, freshman through senior.  Be sure to have a listen at http://www.parentingmyteen.com

Enjoy these last few days before school starts, and be sure to check back in a day or two.  I’ll be sharing some more ‘Back To School’ news with you.

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I don’t know about where you live, but things are really starting to gear up for the 4th of July celebration here in our small Southern town.  And I have to admit, I absolutely love it!

Along about this time every summer, I’m reminded of how I felt when I was still teaching high school full time.  From the time school was out in the Spring until about this time, I always just relaxed and forgot about school.

But right after the 4th of July, it seemed that I started to think about summer winding down and getting ready for the new school year. And you know, that feeling of anticipation has never quite gone away for me. 

I still think about what students need to be doing and what new changes the school year will bring. I think that’s why I’ve been busy adding new articles to my HighSchoolStuff site lately, and I just wanted to let you know so that you can check them out.  I think they will help you and your teen start getting ready for that new school year.

I’ve added several articles about the ACT college entrance exam, everything from how to register to how to prepare for taking the exam. Now is a good time to start getting familiar with how all that process works.

For information about the ACT registration process, go to The ACT College Test Registration

For some recommendations about good study materials to prepare for the test, try Test Prep Materials

And for an overall view of the exam’s content and format, see The College ACT Exams

And if find something that is helpful there, or are looking for something that you don’t find…either way I’d love to hear from you!

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If you have high school aged children in your family, it goes without saying that you lead very busy lives.  In today’s hectic world it seems we need all the time savers and shortcuts we can find.

 To help you with the endless trips to the grocery store, you may want to check out this interesting new service offered by Amazon.com.  They now will deliver all kinds of non-perishable grocery items right to your door, and most items are shipped free. 

It might not be for everyone, but definitely worth checking out I think.

If you think you might be interested in this service, you can find all the details at Amazon Groceries.

And I’d love to hear any opinions you might have about the program.

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If you have a teen going off to college this fall and are in the market for a computer, you might want to check out 10 Days of Deals from Dell Home. June 12-21 

They will be offering a different deal each day for the next 10 days, so you just might find something that meets your need at a great price!

I know I love my Dell…happy shopping.

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