Learn how to start talking to your child about vaping. Educate yourself on the topic as much as possible. Vaping is being reported even in middle schools and serious health concerns are rapidly increasing.

Prevalence of Drinking: According to the 2018 NSDUH, 29.8 percent of 15-year-olds report that they have had at least 1 drink in their lives. About 7.1 million people ages 12–2015 (18.8 percent of this age group) reported drinking alcohol in the past month (18.2 percent of males and 19.5 percent of females).

Teenagers naturally go through ups and downs; but when the lows become especially low, and are long lasting, it may be much more serious. According to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24.

Study when you study, have fun when you have fun you’ll do a much better job at both if you’re not trying to do them at the same time. Give yourself a break even when you are totally swamped take 5 - 15 minutes to get some fresh air, listen to music, call a friend. Exercise take a walk, play tennis, go for a hike, join a yoga class.

Today’s youth are experiencing an intense amount of stress with a constant need to measure up! Pressure from academics, social media, sports, and peers are leading middle school and high school students to high levels of anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and thoughts of suicide. Below are some tips on how you can help your children manage stress and find a healthier life balance.

Mental health issues can be experienced in different ways. These struggles become more prominent during adolescence. Mental health goes beyond emotional reactions and can become something longer lasting.

With the first quarter of the school year under our belts amidst an ongoing pandemic and a society polarized over political, economic, environmental, and human rights issues, our world has become an increasingly stressful environment—especially for our kids. It is crucial that we check in on our children and their mental health.

It is a privilege for you to have a phone. It really is our phone, we bought it and we pay the monthly charge. If the rules are not followed, we will take the phone back. We will always know the password. Always answer when we call you.

Bullies have always been around, but technology now provides them with a new inroad. Cyberbullying is unique because it can happen 24/7 and there is always an audience. Oftentimes the bully can remain anonymous and be difficult to trace, all while never leaving his/her chair. Bullying can have a serious impact on the emotional state of our kids and may lead to anxiety, depression, withdrawal, and even thoughts of suicide. Staying involved in your kid’s cyber world, just as in their real world, can help protect them.

Since many parents are not comfortable with their children having a Facebook account, tweens have turned to Instagram. But there are a few things mom and dad need to be aware of.

Scientists at the NIH.gov have begun the largest long term study on tech impact on the human brain. They’ll follow more than 11,000 kids for a decade, and spend $300 million doing it. The interviews and data from the NH study have already revealed that kids who spend more than two hours a day on screens scored lower on thinking and language tests. Many other reputable studies have confirmed links between: increased screen time and decreased cognitive ability and social skills; impaired language development; mood disorders; poor sleeping and eating habits; short attention span, and irritability.

While it's true that many people are most joyful during the holiday season, there are countless others who struggle to find any joy in it at all. In fact, for many people, this time of year is devastating and debilitating. For some, this season is a reminder of better days.

No matter where your day takes you, when you walk in that door every night, you are a superhero. You are the strongest, smartest, most noble man on Earth! You can solve any problem, see through any situation; you can make anything better.

We all want that picturesque relationship with our children, but it isn’t always as easy as it may seem. Tween and teen girls are in a unique stage in their life when, as a parent, being close to them may at times be especially difficult, while at the same time it is absolutely vital to her well-being.

The “do as I say and not as I do” approach does not work well when it comes to teen driving. If you want your teen to stop at stop signs, obey the speed laws, stay off their cell phones while driving and not participate in road rage - then neither should you. Your behavior will be far more influential than the techniques you teach.

It's called the "X-Plan"...and it's genius.

As parents, we send our teenagers out into a world full of temptations and uncertainty hoping that they will return home safe to us. They are exposed to all sorts of danger, but we hope that we have taught them to resist the offers and make good decisions. Even when their good conscience kicks in and they feel uncomfortable in situations, they may not be able to resist the social pressures in fear of being ridiculed.

Parenting is hard, and there is no formula that ensures any child’s path. There may be times when you’re having serious problems with your teen and nothing seems to be working. You can quickly grow weary living in constant conflict and turmoil, when it seems that everything you do only adds fuel to the fire

Conversation between parents and kids has proven to have a lifelong impact. Use these questions to get your kids to think critically, teach a growth mindset and strengthen the relationship you have with them. Whether it’s over the dinner table or in the car, start asking your kids thought-provoking questions that will result in a meaningful conversation.

Today's fast-paced, pressured-filled culture can often leave little time to nurture the relationship between you and your child. Here are a few suggestions to strengthen that unique bond

As much as we want to protect our kids, we cannot prevent the challenges and daily stresses they encounter; but we can teach them to become more resilient by the ways we encourage them to respond to these challenges. Developing resilience will help them become better equipped to address future challenges and become more successful adults.