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Dr. Val Farmer | ||
Rural Mental Health & Family Relationships | |||
2. Challenge of parenting teenagersLoginArticlesRaising Teenagers Can Be Fun and Other Fantasies (November 1998)
"There is nothing wrong with teenagers that reasoning won't aggravate." - H. E. Martz "Youth, when thought is speech and speech is truth." - Walter Scott Raising teens can be fun. Raising teens is an ordeal something like a proctology exam for colon cancer. The fun comes with the relief you feel once it is over. We have one more teen to go. Our formerly delightful 12-year-old seems to be enjoying asserting his will and opinion upon us. I gr ... Gangs: Finding Love In All The Wrong Places (April 1996)
Why are youth gangs spreading out of the big cities and into America's hinterlands? What is the appeal? Where is this coming from? What should society do to help the plight of young males that need gang association to help them feel good about t Teenagers, Love Them And Outlast Them (March 1999)
Raising a teenager isn't easy. Have you noticed how teens have a way of finding your blind spots? And there is nothing like having a teenager to teach you humility. Teenagers don't grow up by themselves. It takes time. They need love, attention, communications, teaching and family activities as well as rules, limits, curfews and fair, consistent consequences. The commitment to parenting needs to be done at the expense of other competing goals and priorities. How your children turn out will eventually mean more to you than any other endeavor. Here is some advice that may help your teenager feel good about him or herself and to be prepared for the demands and responsibilities of adult life. Littleton: A Wakeup Call For America's Parents (July 1999)
Dr. Farmer reviews the shootings at Littleton from the perspective of the lack of attention and connection some teens in society have with their parents. This article describes how parents can teach morality to their children by sharing their values and by their own example. How To Minimize Conflict with Teens (October 2000)
This article summarizes three typical stages of teenage development and the particular ways parents can deal with them so as to not unnecessarily aggravate their relationship. Should Parents Spank Their Children? (December 2001)
This article summarizes the recent research of psycholgist Diana Baumrind of the University of California, Berkeley. She gives age appropriate guidelines on when spanking might be an effective strategy as a backup up to other disciplinary techniques. She finds fault with parents who use spanking as a primary discipline technique and use it beyond the preschool years. She wants to normalize spankings as occasionally appropriate so that parents who need this advice will give parent educators credibility. Violence Is Learned But Does Not End In the Home (July 2002)
This article reviews the origins of violence with children and teen-agers. There are many causes for the growth of violence by young people but the root cause goes back to family life and parenting. The article cites the research of psychologist Ervin Staub of the Unversity of Massa chusetts at Amherst. Parents: Don't Undermine Each Other In Front Of Kids (May 2004)
This article describes how destructive it is when parents dispute with each other about discipline in front of the their children. There are several suggestions on what parents can do if they have strong differences about their spouse's discipline. Seven Ways Parents Can Create An Angry Teen-ager (October 2006)
This article offers a tongue-and-cheek description on negative parenting practices that create anger in teens and children. School Shootings: What Parents And Others Can Do (April 2007)
This article talks about the scholl shooting at Virginia Tech and discusses cultural issues that contribute to rising violence in our society. Ideas for dealing with the issues are suggested. |
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