Three Ways to Change Your Parenting in the Teenage Years

February 14th, 2020 - By Melisa in Teens

Though teenagers can be hard to parent, the good news is that parenting teenagers is in many ways a hell of a lot easier than raising little kids. For this to be the case, however, our parenting needs to shift. Here are the three big shifts that parents of teenagers need to make to survive their kids’ adolescence. Read full article: Greater Good Magazine, “Three Ways to …more

What Teenagers Learn When They Start a Business

June 3rd, 2019 - By Melisa in Teens

For teenage entrepreneurs, running a summer business can teach a lot of lessons. Students, of course, are taking a chance when they launch ventures of their own instead of hunting for jobs, whether for the summer or the whole year. And in doing so, they’re in for a crash course in entrepreneurship. They must learn about dealing with customer complaints, adjusting a flawed business model …more

Sleepless No More In Seattle — Later School Start Time Pays Off For Teens

December 16th, 2018 - By Melisa in Teens

Many American teenagers try to put in a full day of school, homework, after-school activities, sports and college prep on too little sleep. As evidence grows that chronic sleep deprivation puts teens at risk for physical and mental health problems, there is increasing pressure on school districts around the country to consider a later start time. Read full article, npr.org, “Sleepless No More In Seattle …more

Teens Sleeping Too Much, Or Not Enough? Parents Can Help

September 24th, 2018 - By Melisa in Sleep, Teens

The average American teenager gets seven hours of sleep a night, wedging it in between homework, outside activities, dinner and maybe a job. But research suggests teens need more like nine hours…Unfortunately, even their bodies work against them, says Mary Carskadon, a longtime sleep researcher and professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University. As children grow into the middle and teen years, they …more

Yes, teens are texting and using social media instead of reading books, researchers say

August 27th, 2018 - By Melisa in Teens

A new study has alarming findings, but is probably not surprising to anyone who knows a teenager: High-schoolers today are texting, scrolling and using social media instead of reading books and magazines…In their free time, American adolescents are cradling their devices hours each day rather than losing themselves in print or long-form media, according to research published Monday by the American Psychological Association. Read full …more

Why Teenagers Become ‘Allergic’ to Their Parents

April 19th, 2018 - By Melisa in Teens

The arrival of spring is often prime time for hay fever, but adolescents seem to be able to develop an allergy to their parents, either intermittent or chronic, at any time of the year. This allergy usually has a sudden onset around age 13 and can last for months or, in some cases, years. While it’s no fun to become the parent who cannot order …more

Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?

August 14th, 2017 - By Melisa in Teens

Around 2012, I noticed abrupt shifts in teen behaviors and emotional states. The gentle slopes of the line graphs became steep mountains and sheer cliffs, and many of the distinctive characteristics of the Millennial generation began to disappear. In all my analyses of generational data—some reaching back to the 1930s—I had never seen anything like it. Read full article: The Atlantic, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a …more

No, Your Teen Doesn’t Hate You. It’s Just Summer.

June 27th, 2017 - By Melisa in Teens

As summer gets underway, teenagers may be home more often, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see more of them. If they retreat to their rooms for hours or seem cagey about their plans, don’t take it personally. Following are four truths about teens that may help you and your adolescent coexist. Read full article: The New York Times, “No, Your Teen Doesn’t Hate You. …more

More than a third of teenage girls experience depression, new study says

June 13th, 2017 - By Melisa in Psychotherapy, Teens

A large new study out this week contains some alarming data about the state of children’s mental health in the United States, finding that depression in many children appears to start as early as age 11. By the time they hit age 17, the analysis found, 13.6 percent of boys and a staggering 36.1 percent of girls have been or are depressed. Read full article: The Washington Post, “More …more