SNAP STREAK!!!!
Oy vey. I didn't think Snap Chat could get any more addictive for teens, but along comes snap streak. So here it is in a nutshell:. Two teens agree to snap streak. This commits them to snap each other everyday, no excuses accepted. If terms are agreed upon, a flame emoji pops up next to their snaps to each other, along with the number of days they have been on the streak. This means our relationship is Hot! Hot! Hot!If you think your teen just chooses one special friend to do this with...oh no you would be wrong, they may go in on a streak partnership with any number of their "closest" friends!!! This means they have to do a constant check of who is snapping and making sure they are snapping back. What they snap is of no consequence. Could be a blank wall. it's not what they snap, but that they just do it. Such a great use of their time!! I have heard from parents that if kids go to summer camp or on family vacations or go to some event where phones are not allowed, or if they get punished and have their phone taken away, the teen will either hand their phone off to a friend as a kind of "snap au pair" or find some other alternative method of continuing all their streaks. YES it seems to be that important to them!!
You know who is loving this...the advertisers on snap chat and the company behind snap chat.. This was not developed as some wonderful communication tool, no, it's about money...pure and simple.
They are using your kids!! Do you hear the anger in my voice. I am raging!!! I hate to see kids used this way, unsuspectingly getting addicted to something that in their eyes becomes the most important thing ever, only to line some already rich techies pockets with money!!!
OK Joani, calm down, take a deep breath, we'll figure something out!!! First if you have younger kids who are just starting out on phones/ipads etc. DO NOT LET THEM DOWNLOAD SNAPCHAT!!!! I'm talking 10-12 year olds. They may be mad, they may feel that you are the meanest parent ever, but so be it!!! You are doing the right thing. Staving off snap chat addiction is imperative. If you have older teens, 12-16 limit the amount they can be on snapchat. You can do this by downloading a parental control like net nanny, net sanity, qustodio, teen safe to name a few. Using this software you can program your teen's devices, to limit specific app usage. Time and opportunity and what you allow you kids to download are your power. USE IT!!
Here''s how a conversation might go: "Hey I just heard about snap streaking. (said in a nonjudgmental, I am really interested in hearing what this is voice) Tell me about it. So who are you streaking with? Can you show me how it works? Doesn't it make you crazy, trying to keep up with all this, god it would make me a lunatic. How come it feels so important? What would it feel like if you broke a streak or someone broke a streak with you?"
See what I did there? I want them to want to talk to you about it, by keeping it calm, and supportive and showing that you are really interested in finding out what this is. If you go a more traditional, this is a ridiculous waste of your time route, you run the risk of them totally shutting down. As soon as they hear judgment, and criticism in your voice, the conversation will be over.
You are not giving them carte blanche or permission to go crazy with their snap streak. You are understanding how important they feel this is in their life, and you certainly will give them the opportunity to participate, but not without some time limits. The only way you will be able to set those limits is with some sort of parental control.
I'm so sorry this technology thing is so hard. And it is. It seems just when you think you've got things under control with the tech stuff, these companies throw out something newer and shinier. Below is an article I think is really useful in understanding the immensity of this new option for your teen.
Hang in there, eventually they will grow up and you won't have to deal with this s**t anymore!
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-01-30/inside-the-mind-of-a-snapchat-streaker
Why not share this with some friends!! I think they will thank you!!
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
A Perfect Arguing Strategy
Thank god for television, comic strips, news, and AOL or where oh where would I come up with all these blog ideas. I was watching a rerun of 30 Rock. It seems "Jenna" (it doesn't matter if you don't know the show or the characters) was having a hard time dealing with her very manipulative, user mother. "Jack" who has experience dealing with his own manipulative user mother was advising "Jenna" on a foolproof strategy in dealing with her mother's outlandish requests of her. As soon as I heard it, I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget. Three perfect steps to "winning" an argument.
SAY NO
STAY LOW
LET IT GO
Perfection! So your teen comes to you with a request to do, go, or buy something. I think that covers all the bases. This is the kind of request for which there is no compromise. Its either too expensive, too unsafe, or too unrealistic. Your teen, unfortunately does not agree. You state your case in a kind and clear manner, hoping to ward off an argument. Sometimes that works, but if your teen is extremely invested in a YES, I'm guessing you get put on the defensive after being accused by your teen for being overprotective, overbearing, too strict, and the worst parent ever. It's tough not to get hooked. After all you have to protect yourself. But here is the thing, once your teen has heard the word NO, and you mean no, it doesn't matter how loud or how long you argue to the contrary, you will not win. PERIOD! And it will only deteriorate into a place you really don't want to go with your teen. So here is the "Jack Doneghy" strategy.
Say NO in a calm but controlled voice
Stay low, as in keep your voice in a low, soft, controlled register. Once you hit the high notes, you've lost. This means NO SCREAMING NO YELLING
Let It Go: There really is nothing else to say after you have said no. Given that you have explained your rationale for the no.You might end with an "I get it moment. " I get you're angry with me, and don't understand and don't want to hear this answer. I'm sorry, I know how disappointed you are." and you are done. Do not re-engage.
PS maybe your school or company is starting to plan for next year's speakers. I'd love to come! Here are the seminars I offer, why not invite me to your school or business!!
Drugs and Alcohol: How Does Your Teen’s Personality Style,
and Your Parenting Style impact their experimentation with drugs and alcohol?
College Bound:
Joani’s Top Ten Parenting Tips
With over 30 years of
experience working with families, Joani's approach, using humor, storytelling
and easy to use tools make the job of parenting just a little bit easier.
SAY NO
STAY LOW
LET IT GO
Perfection! So your teen comes to you with a request to do, go, or buy something. I think that covers all the bases. This is the kind of request for which there is no compromise. Its either too expensive, too unsafe, or too unrealistic. Your teen, unfortunately does not agree. You state your case in a kind and clear manner, hoping to ward off an argument. Sometimes that works, but if your teen is extremely invested in a YES, I'm guessing you get put on the defensive after being accused by your teen for being overprotective, overbearing, too strict, and the worst parent ever. It's tough not to get hooked. After all you have to protect yourself. But here is the thing, once your teen has heard the word NO, and you mean no, it doesn't matter how loud or how long you argue to the contrary, you will not win. PERIOD! And it will only deteriorate into a place you really don't want to go with your teen. So here is the "Jack Doneghy" strategy.
Say NO in a calm but controlled voice
Stay low, as in keep your voice in a low, soft, controlled register. Once you hit the high notes, you've lost. This means NO SCREAMING NO YELLING
Let It Go: There really is nothing else to say after you have said no. Given that you have explained your rationale for the no.You might end with an "I get it moment. " I get you're angry with me, and don't understand and don't want to hear this answer. I'm sorry, I know how disappointed you are." and you are done. Do not re-engage.
PS maybe your school or company is starting to plan for next year's speakers. I'd love to come! Here are the seminars I offer, why not invite me to your school or business!!
Adolescent
Psychology: The Parent Version
- Learn how the brain affects your teen’s behavior. It’s
the battle of the thinking brain VS the feeling brain.
- Learn Effective strategies for arguing-The Four Ways Of
Fighting.
- Develop effective strategies for keeping your teen safe
as they explore the new world of teen life.
- Learn how to teen-proof your home and cell-proof your
teen
Sexting. Texting and Social Networking: What’s A Parent To
Do?
- Understand how the “emotional brain” of a teen gets
“turned on” by social networking.
- Understand how the “Imaginary Audience” influences your
teen’s performing on social media.
- Learn which apps are safe and unsafe
- Learn strategies to monitor and set limits around phone
and internet use
- Learn how your own behavior with phones and computers
can positively and negatively influence your teen.
- Identify your teen’s personality style and risk-factors
with drugs and alcohol
- Identify your parenting style and how it influences
your teen’s drug and alcohol use
- Learn effective strategies and scripts to keep your
teen safe
- Understand the emotional journey of your
college bound high school student
- Understand the emotional journey of a
parent of college bound high school student
- Learn strategies for making this process
successful and positive
The secret to parenting is to keep it simple. Learn 10
simple, concrete practical tips useful in those daily moments of stress as a
parent when you wish you had the "right thing to do and the right thing to
say!
Joani Geltman MSW
781-910-1770 joanigeltman.com
Thursday, April 20, 2017
A Tale Of Two Siblings
Those of you who grew up with siblings may have had the experience of being either the "perfect child" or the "black sheep" of your family. In either case you felt the pressure of having to maintain your role in the family. People expected you to behave a certain way, and you probably never failed to disappoint. Either by being provocative or by being just incredibly lovable.
I recently met with parents whose two teenage boys aged 12 and 16 fall into the good boy/bad boy trap. Their 12 year old son is the "perfect" son. Bright and successful in school, a talented athlete, sweet, even tempered, affectionate and a joy to be around. The 16 year old, not so much. He on the other hand, has some learning challenges, and therefore has found school to be a place that made him feel like a loser, and smartly enrolled in a vocational high school when he hit 9th grade, where he feels more successful. But still he is a mediocre student. He has no outside interests or passions and spends all of his non-school time playing video games or on his phone. His anger and attitude are impossible to deal with. He isolates himself from the family, and it seems his only contact with them is when he needs or demands rides or money. And to top it off he can very mean and abusive to his younger brother. Dad coaches the younger son's sports team, and both parents spend weekends at his games, leaving the 16 year old feeling a bit out of the loop I am guessing.
Mom and Dad are successful professionals. Both graduated from college, went on to get masters degrees and both have successful careers. Their older son feels like an alien to them. They admitted that when his school difficulties started they thought he was just being lazy, just not putting in the "work" he needed to do for school. In middle school he was finally diagnosed with learning disabilities and was put on a program through the school system for support, but by then, I'm guessing he saw himself as lazy and stupid.
It is hard to be "that kid" in the family that doesn't fit the family script. And the more you don't fit it, the more you become the opposite of it. In this family, being smart, athletic and and having a sunny disposition (sounds like Mary Poppins) is the character description, all others need not apply. There is no doubt that these are loving parents, but they are stymied as to how to connect with their son. And he makes himself so unlikable to boot, that who wants to spend time with him anyway.
These parents described to me the attempts they make to include him in family outings, but unfortunately those family outings are built around the younger sons sporting events. If you felt like the loser in the family would you want to go and watch your nemesis being the shining "star"? I think not. Dinners out with the family become a fighting match, with the older son antagonizing the younger one at the table or he just becomes such a pain in the a** that the parents just don't do that anymore.
The good news is that this 16 year old has some good attributes. He is not a party guy, doesn't drink, or do drugs. Not an easy feat for a teen these days. He is a steady girlfriend and some good friends, all really good signs. What is missing for him is connection with his mom and dad.
In families like this where there are obvious differences between the kids, it is so important to make each child feel important. With this family, it turns out the dad and the 16 year old share a love for movies, but the dad being so involved with the 12 year old's sporting life doesn't leave him much extra time to engage with his older son. How hard it must be to watch watch his dad go off every weekend with the younger brother. I encouraged the dad to make the time, maybe a Sunday night when together, just the two of them, go off for a night at the movies. Or the mom, when dad and 12 year go off to practice every Friday night, get some take out and a movie and just hang together and enjoy each others company.
Some kids do not make themselves lovable. They push you away, and tell you to go away. Ignore that!!! It's all a ruse to protect themselves from rejection. Never stop trying, drive them crazy with messages of "I love you". Do not buy them off with money or clothes or phones, or cars or doing their laundry, they love the stuff, but they are not stupid, and know that stuff is the easy stuff, the hard part, is for you the parents to keep at, not allowing their attitude and anger to push you away. It takes time for them to believe that in spite of not being "the perfect" kid they will always be "my kid", and that is enough, thank you very much!
How about sharing my blog with some friends!!
How about sharing my blog with some friends!!
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Warm Weather Brings Out The Partying Teen
I know it's spring because I did my inaugural spring walk yesterday in my favorite town woods and sure enough signs of partying teens were everywhere; bonfire remains, vodka bottles, wine coolers and empty beer cans galore! Lord knows on the east coast we have all been huddled in hibernation mode, and I totally get that the first warm night is something to celebrate!! But beware parents, now with warmer weather, spring vacation and the summer not that far off, party time is here!! This is a true story that a brave parent made public a few years ago about her attempt to have a safe party for her teenage son. There are so so many lessons to be learned from this story.
I won't retell the story, this mom does a great job doing it for herself. So these lessons won't make much sense until you read the story. Read and then re-join the blog!!
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/trying-and-failing-to-host-an-alcohol-free-teen-party/#postComment
Party Lessons
1. Just because you tell your teen no alcohol and drugs are allowed at the party, doesn't mean there won't BE any drugs and alcohol. And the only way you will know is if you are a presence.
2. Numbers are important. Never have more teens at your home than you can actively supervise. This mom is lucky no drunk teen fell into the pool. Your teen should have to provide you with a list, and entry to the party is always through the front door. Any other exits and entrances to the house should be closely monitored.
3. Teens will stash the booze earlier in the day in shrubs and bushes around the house, so they won't be seen carrying anything in.
4. Understand that teens are impulsive and incredibly motivated to party hearty. Respect for you and your home gets lost in the mayhem.
5. I did a whole blog on this, but please DO NOT give your teen an UBER account. I know on face value it sounds like a sensible idea. How great that your teen will have a safe mode of transportation when they or their friends are otherwise compromised. YOU ARE THEIR SAFE RIDE!!!! When your teen chooses UBER over you, you have ceded complete control for their safety. They can now freely move from party to party, continuing to drink without fear of consequence. And if they are going to houses with no supervision and on to a sleep over and no responsible parent driving them,, or awake when they get there, how will anyone ever know if they are close to being passed out!
A Parent called me recently about her 15 year old daughter who had been at a sleepover, a home this parent felt completely comfortable with. This mom had a sister who lived on another coast and time zone who was up early doing an instragram catch-up with her morning coffee. Low and behold she is seeing a live instagram feed of her niece at 3:00 AM in an UBER with her sleepover buddies coming back from an all-night diner run!! Sleepover parents none the wiser!!! She called her sister later in the morning and said hey, I saw Brunhilda at 3 AM in an UBER, was she on her way home from a prom or something?
No there was no prom!! Just a bunch of 15 year old girls who at 3 AM were STARVING. Having an UBER account at their disposal, why not head out for some chow!!! This is scary on so many levels. Immature kids out at 3 AM with a strange UBER driver, out at an all night diner with who knows who, and thinking the whole thing is HYSTERICAL!!! Out goes any judgement they might have had! UBER accounts are for you, and if there is a special occasion you are unable to pick your kid up, you order the UBER from your phone and make sure all is safe. THAT IS YOUR JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6. Roving party goers. It may be that your teen starts off at one house, BORING....and moves on to another and another and never tells you. Many parents have asked me whether they should put tracking apps on their teen's phone. There is something about that makes me really uncomfortable. Teens are all about independence and knowing that mommy and daddy are tracking their every move feels smothering to me. However, having said that, I do think it is OK to say to your teen: "I want to let you know that I have the ability to track you when you are out with your friends. I don't want to do that, I want to put you in charge of your life and your choices. The way you show me you are responsible is to keep me up to date on location changes, and together we will make a decision about whether it's OK. But if you choose not to keep me updated and I find out that in fact you have been on the move without letting me know, than we will start to track you, and then I hope you won't be surprised if we show up uninvited to pick you up. As for that sleepover caper, that may be a time when you tell your teen that you get that sometimes when kids are at sleepovers, and the parents are asleep, it seems like a fun idea to skip out for an adventure in the middle of the night. This is unsafe for a multitude of reasons. So if you are in that situation, and your friend with an UBER account says: "hey lets go get some food", you can say;" my stupid ass parents have a location app on my phone and if they see I've left your house they will call your parents. Then we'll all be in so much trouble. How about I make us all some pancakes!!!"
7. And finally. Do not EVER buy for or provide alcohol for your teenager and their friends thinking that if they drink in your home with what you have bought them they will stay safe. That is naive and dangerous!! First of all it is illegal!! Most states have a social host law that punishes adults with fines and jail time if they fail to protect minors from alcohol and drugs, by providing them with alcohol or if they are being consumed by teens on your property with or without your permission. Also and equally as important is the assumption that if I as an adult buy the beer for my kids, I'll keep them safe in my home and know exactly how much they drink. First of all, it is not your permission to give to another parents child! And second, all your teen is hearing is we have permission to drink at my house.!!! Awesome!!! They do not differentiate between a the six-pack you bought them and the gallon of vodka that sits under a couch that they snuck in during the afternoon when you were off doing errands, or the partying they might have done before they got to their "fun house". You have no idea the condition these kids are in before they get to your house. This is a dangerous precedent to set. Our job as adults is to do the best we can to keep our kids safe, not enable them to be unsafe. You will always be giving your teens a mixed message; I don't want you drinking and doing drugs, and I get that you will be in many situations in which they will be present. Let s figure out how to keep you safe. The last words out of your mouth every single time your teen leaves for a hang with their friends, should be; "What is your safety plan for tonight!"
I won't retell the story, this mom does a great job doing it for herself. So these lessons won't make much sense until you read the story. Read and then re-join the blog!!
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/trying-and-failing-to-host-an-alcohol-free-teen-party/#postComment
Party Lessons
1. Just because you tell your teen no alcohol and drugs are allowed at the party, doesn't mean there won't BE any drugs and alcohol. And the only way you will know is if you are a presence.
2. Numbers are important. Never have more teens at your home than you can actively supervise. This mom is lucky no drunk teen fell into the pool. Your teen should have to provide you with a list, and entry to the party is always through the front door. Any other exits and entrances to the house should be closely monitored.
3. Teens will stash the booze earlier in the day in shrubs and bushes around the house, so they won't be seen carrying anything in.
4. Understand that teens are impulsive and incredibly motivated to party hearty. Respect for you and your home gets lost in the mayhem.
5. I did a whole blog on this, but please DO NOT give your teen an UBER account. I know on face value it sounds like a sensible idea. How great that your teen will have a safe mode of transportation when they or their friends are otherwise compromised. YOU ARE THEIR SAFE RIDE!!!! When your teen chooses UBER over you, you have ceded complete control for their safety. They can now freely move from party to party, continuing to drink without fear of consequence. And if they are going to houses with no supervision and on to a sleep over and no responsible parent driving them,, or awake when they get there, how will anyone ever know if they are close to being passed out!
A Parent called me recently about her 15 year old daughter who had been at a sleepover, a home this parent felt completely comfortable with. This mom had a sister who lived on another coast and time zone who was up early doing an instragram catch-up with her morning coffee. Low and behold she is seeing a live instagram feed of her niece at 3:00 AM in an UBER with her sleepover buddies coming back from an all-night diner run!! Sleepover parents none the wiser!!! She called her sister later in the morning and said hey, I saw Brunhilda at 3 AM in an UBER, was she on her way home from a prom or something?
No there was no prom!! Just a bunch of 15 year old girls who at 3 AM were STARVING. Having an UBER account at their disposal, why not head out for some chow!!! This is scary on so many levels. Immature kids out at 3 AM with a strange UBER driver, out at an all night diner with who knows who, and thinking the whole thing is HYSTERICAL!!! Out goes any judgement they might have had! UBER accounts are for you, and if there is a special occasion you are unable to pick your kid up, you order the UBER from your phone and make sure all is safe. THAT IS YOUR JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6. Roving party goers. It may be that your teen starts off at one house, BORING....and moves on to another and another and never tells you. Many parents have asked me whether they should put tracking apps on their teen's phone. There is something about that makes me really uncomfortable. Teens are all about independence and knowing that mommy and daddy are tracking their every move feels smothering to me. However, having said that, I do think it is OK to say to your teen: "I want to let you know that I have the ability to track you when you are out with your friends. I don't want to do that, I want to put you in charge of your life and your choices. The way you show me you are responsible is to keep me up to date on location changes, and together we will make a decision about whether it's OK. But if you choose not to keep me updated and I find out that in fact you have been on the move without letting me know, than we will start to track you, and then I hope you won't be surprised if we show up uninvited to pick you up. As for that sleepover caper, that may be a time when you tell your teen that you get that sometimes when kids are at sleepovers, and the parents are asleep, it seems like a fun idea to skip out for an adventure in the middle of the night. This is unsafe for a multitude of reasons. So if you are in that situation, and your friend with an UBER account says: "hey lets go get some food", you can say;" my stupid ass parents have a location app on my phone and if they see I've left your house they will call your parents. Then we'll all be in so much trouble. How about I make us all some pancakes!!!"
7. And finally. Do not EVER buy for or provide alcohol for your teenager and their friends thinking that if they drink in your home with what you have bought them they will stay safe. That is naive and dangerous!! First of all it is illegal!! Most states have a social host law that punishes adults with fines and jail time if they fail to protect minors from alcohol and drugs, by providing them with alcohol or if they are being consumed by teens on your property with or without your permission. Also and equally as important is the assumption that if I as an adult buy the beer for my kids, I'll keep them safe in my home and know exactly how much they drink. First of all, it is not your permission to give to another parents child! And second, all your teen is hearing is we have permission to drink at my house.!!! Awesome!!! They do not differentiate between a the six-pack you bought them and the gallon of vodka that sits under a couch that they snuck in during the afternoon when you were off doing errands, or the partying they might have done before they got to their "fun house". You have no idea the condition these kids are in before they get to your house. This is a dangerous precedent to set. Our job as adults is to do the best we can to keep our kids safe, not enable them to be unsafe. You will always be giving your teens a mixed message; I don't want you drinking and doing drugs, and I get that you will be in many situations in which they will be present. Let s figure out how to keep you safe. The last words out of your mouth every single time your teen leaves for a hang with their friends, should be; "What is your safety plan for tonight!"
Thursday, April 13, 2017
13 Reasons Why: The Power Of This TV Show
Recently, Netflix released a new series called 13 Reasons Why. It may be that your teen has locked her/himself in their room over the last few weeks to binge watch this show. It is about a 17 year old girl, Hannah Baker, who commits suicide after leaving 13 tapes describing the 13 people with whom she had relationships with and that affected her so profoundly that collectively moved her to take her own life. This is not a show for the faint hearted. It deals with issues of friend betrayals, and exclusion and humiliation, sexual assault, and the sense that adults are not doing their job to watch out for and keep teens safe. I do think this show reflects the kinds of experiences and relationships that many teens have and that cause them to feel anxiety, depression and anger. If your teen won't watch it with you, I suggest you take the time to watch it yourself, especially if you know they have watched it. It is powerful, and sometimes a bit scary.
I had watched most of it and was extremely moved and disturbed. I walked into the college class I teach, and asked my freshman and sophomore college students if they had seen it yet. I was stunned at the number of kids who had literally spent 13 hours that weekend binge watching the entire show. It is based on a young adult novel that many of the students had read while in high school. We spent the class discussing the show and then I asked those interested, to write me a reaction paper on the series. The papers were sensitive and insightful and extremely moving. I thought maybe the show was a bit overwrought and not really what the typical high school experience is for most teens. Boy was I wrong! My students wrote in no uncertain terms how much they related to each and every episode of this show, and how much they learned not only about themselves, but what many of their fellow students must have been feeling. They felt regret for how they had treated and used social media to bully and humiliate teens they didn't like or were at odds with, mirroring an episode of the show, and they also felt regret for not stepping up and protecting those kids in their high school and middle schools that had been objects of ridicule and shame. They learned that what you see on the outside is not always what is going on in the inside of their fellow students. Instead, most teens offer up a persona of confidence and high self esteem when really they are insecure and hurting.
One of my students wrote this particularly moving passage about the series, and with her permission I share it with you here:
13 Reasons Why has been one of my favorite books since I was fourteen. However, I didn't realize how hard it would be for me to actually watch it. In a weird way I felt in sync with Hannah Baker. In my senior year of high school, my best friend and I were harassed by three other girls who were our best friends the year before. I had dealt with girl drama before, but this was way beyond that. My best friend has an eating disorder, so in November she left school to go to a mental treatment place. I had never felt so alone because she was my rock in school. The three girls kept going with their actions. They started rumors about me and turned some of the people that I thought were my good friends against me. I went to my guidance counselor often. I would ask him what I was supposed to do. His response to me was that because I had no proof of anything going on, I had go get over it. "After all, it's just girl drama," is what he would say to me. I felt like Hannah Baker at that moment. It was as if my cry for help was completely being ignored. If he didn't care about my well-being, why should I ? It was a day in March when my mom found me on my couch. I had fallen asleep, but when she tried to wake me up I couldn't move or speak, all I could do was cry. I could barely even breath at that point. That was my lowest day, and after that I went to therapy. I was lucky enough to have my mom care. The scene in 13 Reasons Why that was the most powerful for me was when Hannah's parents found her dead in the bathtub. When I would have days where I felt like I couldn't handle life anymore and I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, I always thought of my mom and dad and my brothers. I always put them first because I couldn't put them in the position to find me like Hannah's parents found her. I think that was the most important scene of all. Watching Hannah Baker's story was so personal for me because you really never know what someones going through. You also don't know what's true and what's a lie, so it's best to go straight to the person if you really want to know the truth.
Often times as parents we skirt around the tough stuff, worried that we might "plant" thoughts in our kids brains that were never there in the first place. Hard conversations about depression, and anxiety about drugs and alcohol, about bullying and shame. As long as they look OK , maybe they are OK. The talking is what normalizes it for teens. They hunger for normal! This is a tough show, scary and depressing, but then so is what a lot of what teens of today are dealing with but keep to themselves. If you watch without your teen, because they want to watch privately, that's OK. But let them know you have watched and are ready anywhere, anytime to talk it all out. Promise to listen and not judge, and that you are always there for loving support. Let them know that what they have to deal with on a daily basis is really hard and they don't have to deal with it alone.
I had watched most of it and was extremely moved and disturbed. I walked into the college class I teach, and asked my freshman and sophomore college students if they had seen it yet. I was stunned at the number of kids who had literally spent 13 hours that weekend binge watching the entire show. It is based on a young adult novel that many of the students had read while in high school. We spent the class discussing the show and then I asked those interested, to write me a reaction paper on the series. The papers were sensitive and insightful and extremely moving. I thought maybe the show was a bit overwrought and not really what the typical high school experience is for most teens. Boy was I wrong! My students wrote in no uncertain terms how much they related to each and every episode of this show, and how much they learned not only about themselves, but what many of their fellow students must have been feeling. They felt regret for how they had treated and used social media to bully and humiliate teens they didn't like or were at odds with, mirroring an episode of the show, and they also felt regret for not stepping up and protecting those kids in their high school and middle schools that had been objects of ridicule and shame. They learned that what you see on the outside is not always what is going on in the inside of their fellow students. Instead, most teens offer up a persona of confidence and high self esteem when really they are insecure and hurting.
One of my students wrote this particularly moving passage about the series, and with her permission I share it with you here:
13 Reasons Why has been one of my favorite books since I was fourteen. However, I didn't realize how hard it would be for me to actually watch it. In a weird way I felt in sync with Hannah Baker. In my senior year of high school, my best friend and I were harassed by three other girls who were our best friends the year before. I had dealt with girl drama before, but this was way beyond that. My best friend has an eating disorder, so in November she left school to go to a mental treatment place. I had never felt so alone because she was my rock in school. The three girls kept going with their actions. They started rumors about me and turned some of the people that I thought were my good friends against me. I went to my guidance counselor often. I would ask him what I was supposed to do. His response to me was that because I had no proof of anything going on, I had go get over it. "After all, it's just girl drama," is what he would say to me. I felt like Hannah Baker at that moment. It was as if my cry for help was completely being ignored. If he didn't care about my well-being, why should I ? It was a day in March when my mom found me on my couch. I had fallen asleep, but when she tried to wake me up I couldn't move or speak, all I could do was cry. I could barely even breath at that point. That was my lowest day, and after that I went to therapy. I was lucky enough to have my mom care. The scene in 13 Reasons Why that was the most powerful for me was when Hannah's parents found her dead in the bathtub. When I would have days where I felt like I couldn't handle life anymore and I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, I always thought of my mom and dad and my brothers. I always put them first because I couldn't put them in the position to find me like Hannah's parents found her. I think that was the most important scene of all. Watching Hannah Baker's story was so personal for me because you really never know what someones going through. You also don't know what's true and what's a lie, so it's best to go straight to the person if you really want to know the truth.
Often times as parents we skirt around the tough stuff, worried that we might "plant" thoughts in our kids brains that were never there in the first place. Hard conversations about depression, and anxiety about drugs and alcohol, about bullying and shame. As long as they look OK , maybe they are OK. The talking is what normalizes it for teens. They hunger for normal! This is a tough show, scary and depressing, but then so is what a lot of what teens of today are dealing with but keep to themselves. If you watch without your teen, because they want to watch privately, that's OK. But let them know you have watched and are ready anywhere, anytime to talk it all out. Promise to listen and not judge, and that you are always there for loving support. Let them know that what they have to deal with on a daily basis is really hard and they don't have to deal with it alone.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
The Hidden Life Of Teen Anxiety
Watch this video and then we'll talk.
http://www.today.com/video/today/56063660#56063660
The Today Show did this wonderful series on The Secret Lives Of Teens.
The teens featured in this video articulate beautifully what I think are pretty universal stressors of teens life.
http://www.today.com/video/today/56063660#56063660
The Today Show did this wonderful series on The Secret Lives Of Teens.
The teens featured in this video articulate beautifully what I think are pretty universal stressors of teens life.
- Parental pressure and expectations
- Worries about the future
- Social Networking and the false self
I had a conversation recently with a parent who has the "perfect daughter." Extremely smart and well spoken, lovely to her parents, loved by teachers, and has an active social life filled with equally smart and lovely kids. Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? Guess what? It is too good to be true. On a recent morning, mom went in to wake her teen up, and noticed that her room was trashed, not just messy but intentionally trashed. Turns out, that the pressure cooker that was sizzling inside this terrific kid, finally burst. She confessed that she had had a bad night, and feels depressed and anxious. This came as a complete and total shock to her parents. She had been playing her role as the perfect teen with perfection, until she couldn't.
You may have that teen who has breezed their way through school seemingly effortlessly. Good grades, great behavior, but unbeknownst to you there is a storm brewing. Some kids hit high school with a slam. Perhaps school has been pretty easy, but now the honors classes are piling up, and everyone's expectations are high, this is a star! College acceptances will be plentiful. Life is good. Only now, the work is actually hard, and it isn't coming so easy anymore, maybe they aren't really as smart as everyone thinks. And now there are more distractions. Maybe his/her social life has finally kicked in, and he/she realizes that being with friends is way more fun that reading gobs of books. And with this new social life comes stressors. Who do I like, do they like me, etc etc. Life is not so easy anymore.
If this sounds like your teen, don't wait for an explosion. Give your teen the permission not to be perfect. Pre-emptively, before a crisis, ask your teen whether he/she feels pressured by you in any way. Let them know that you get how hard it must feel sometimes to please all the people in his/her life who expect great things from them, ie parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches. Ask them if there is anything you could do differently to take some of the pressure off. Remember it is not your teen's job to meet your expectations and goals for for them.
I especially was touched by the young woman who talked about social networking and the false self she put online. There is soooooooooo much pressure for teens to use twitter and instagram, and tumblr and facebook, snapchat etc to present a particular persona, which may be completely out of sync with what is really going on inside of them. Giving your teen a social networking nightly sabbatical may at first make them furious with you, but later on will provide them with a much needed break from the superficial chatter. It may take a few days, but parents have told me that their teens eventually felt such relief from the 24/7 relentless need to post.
Just because your teen doesn't appear to be stressed, don't assume that they aren't. They have become pretty good at giving you what they think you want. And maybe their fear of disappointing you gets in the way of letting them see their messy self. Which by the way, we all have! By the way, watch this video with your teen. Great conversation starter!!
Why not share this post with a few friends. It's an important one!
Why not share this post with a few friends. It's an important one!
Thursday, April 6, 2017
TMI(Too Much Information) For Your Teen? Lessons Learned From "Big Little Lies"
I often get calls from writers doing articles about parenting teens looking for some "expert" advice. On Monday I got a call from a woman writing an article for Yahoo Health on the HBO's mini-series Big Little Lies. Do I have any fans of that show out there??? Yes I watched, and to have the opportunity to actually talk about it professionally instead of just having a "water cooler" conversation with friends, jumped at the opportunity to share my opinion. I definitely had some "oh no you didn't" reactions while screaming at the TV, so it was karmic that she contacted me.
OK for those of you who have no idea what this show is about, I will encapsulate: 3 rich spoiled women and one sweet but "poor" single mom live in Monterrey CA in the homes we all dream of, overlooking the beach, drinking wine on their beautiful decks overlooking spectacular ocean views with their hunky husbands, one of which is a wife beater. There are feuds and drama galore. By the way it is a murder mystery!
Here is where I come into the story. There is one story line in particular that deals with a divorced mom (Reese Witherspoon/Madeline) now remarried to a perfect man. Madeline has a 17 year old daughter from her previous marriage. They don't get along, and daughter decides to move in with her dad and his "perfect" wife. Mother and daughter continue to squabble and it comes to light that this daughter, in pursuit of a school project, has decided to do an online auction in which she will sell her virginity to the highest bidder as a fundraiser and to make a political point of some kind! You know those idealistic teens!! Of course Madeline is horrified, and big mother/daughter battle ensues. Daughter screams at mother, "you wouldn't understand you're so perfect!" Madeline in an effort to "connect" with her daughter shares that she is not "perfect" and in fact has had an affair in her current second marriage. See she's not perfect!!! A-N-Y-W-A-Y.... Daughter, relieved her mother is not perfect, is therefore now able to accept her own imperfections, cancels her virginity auction. Perfect parenting!
The writer of the Yahoo article wanted my opinion as to whether the mom did the right thing by sharing her secret about an affair. I think none of you will be surprised with my answer. NO!! Sometimes parents in their effort to connect with their teens, and share their own experiences of mistake making, over share. In this particular story, this teen has seen one marriage dissolve along with her family, and is now torn between two families as both parents have remarried. She already has experience the aftermath of a divorce, complete with dueling parents. This scenario is not uncommon for those of us who live in the real world, not Hollywood. When this mom shares her affair secret with her daughter, she is giving weight to her daughter's assumption that marriages are all scams. Parents should never share with their pre-adult children the intimacies of their marriages, it is just too much for them to handle. In real life, kids then feel they must become the caretaker, and protector of their hurt parent. This is too much responsibility for any child. Instead this mom could have used another example of how she made a mistake in life, perhaps as a teen herself, or in a less loaded context to show and connect with her teen that everyone makes mistakes. Teens often see their parents as perfect because parents mistakenly believe that in order to parent well, you must appear to be perfect, so that your kids will respect and listen to you. Actually, for teens, the exact opposite is true. Teens need a model for imperfection and mistake making. Just don't tell them your "big little lies!!
Below is the article
https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/this-is-one-thing-big-little-lies-got-totally-wrong-183224428.html
How about sharing this post with any of your Big Little Lieu super fans!!!
OK for those of you who have no idea what this show is about, I will encapsulate: 3 rich spoiled women and one sweet but "poor" single mom live in Monterrey CA in the homes we all dream of, overlooking the beach, drinking wine on their beautiful decks overlooking spectacular ocean views with their hunky husbands, one of which is a wife beater. There are feuds and drama galore. By the way it is a murder mystery!
Here is where I come into the story. There is one story line in particular that deals with a divorced mom (Reese Witherspoon/Madeline) now remarried to a perfect man. Madeline has a 17 year old daughter from her previous marriage. They don't get along, and daughter decides to move in with her dad and his "perfect" wife. Mother and daughter continue to squabble and it comes to light that this daughter, in pursuit of a school project, has decided to do an online auction in which she will sell her virginity to the highest bidder as a fundraiser and to make a political point of some kind! You know those idealistic teens!! Of course Madeline is horrified, and big mother/daughter battle ensues. Daughter screams at mother, "you wouldn't understand you're so perfect!" Madeline in an effort to "connect" with her daughter shares that she is not "perfect" and in fact has had an affair in her current second marriage. See she's not perfect!!! A-N-Y-W-A-Y.... Daughter, relieved her mother is not perfect, is therefore now able to accept her own imperfections, cancels her virginity auction. Perfect parenting!
The writer of the Yahoo article wanted my opinion as to whether the mom did the right thing by sharing her secret about an affair. I think none of you will be surprised with my answer. NO!! Sometimes parents in their effort to connect with their teens, and share their own experiences of mistake making, over share. In this particular story, this teen has seen one marriage dissolve along with her family, and is now torn between two families as both parents have remarried. She already has experience the aftermath of a divorce, complete with dueling parents. This scenario is not uncommon for those of us who live in the real world, not Hollywood. When this mom shares her affair secret with her daughter, she is giving weight to her daughter's assumption that marriages are all scams. Parents should never share with their pre-adult children the intimacies of their marriages, it is just too much for them to handle. In real life, kids then feel they must become the caretaker, and protector of their hurt parent. This is too much responsibility for any child. Instead this mom could have used another example of how she made a mistake in life, perhaps as a teen herself, or in a less loaded context to show and connect with her teen that everyone makes mistakes. Teens often see their parents as perfect because parents mistakenly believe that in order to parent well, you must appear to be perfect, so that your kids will respect and listen to you. Actually, for teens, the exact opposite is true. Teens need a model for imperfection and mistake making. Just don't tell them your "big little lies!!
Below is the article
https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/this-is-one-thing-big-little-lies-got-totally-wrong-183224428.html
How about sharing this post with any of your Big Little Lieu super fans!!!
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
The Conundrum of College Decision-making
College acceptances and rejections are almost here and the deadline for making college choice decisions is coming. So I wanted to offer a little advice based on a conversation I had recently with a parent whose daughter is transferring after finishing her freshman year.
The school she chose to attend last May was in a warm climate, which she loved, was a college that has become one of the "it" colleges over the last 5 years, and had that cache and vibe that both parents and seniors in high school respond to. Pretty campus, small but not to small, 5,000 students, good program in the academic area she "thought" might become her major. Notice I put the "thought" in quotations. That is because many, many kids start off with an interest in one area, and when they graduate are in a completely different major. Which is great by the way. That actually is what the college experience is all about. Trying out different identities, different interests, different kinds of relationships, and different academic areas. OK so what went wrong. Turns out the school was a complete mismatch.
While the "big picture" of this college fit the bill, the actual day to day of college life did not. This is a school where the "Greek Life" is king. Everybody pledges a sorority or a fraternity, or if that doesn't interest you, than there are academic clubs that function like them. These clubs unite people who share a similar major. You live together on the same dorm floor, study together and party together. This is a college divided. So... if you don't get into the frat or sorority of your choice, and you haven't yet settled on a major, or if you have, and you don't particularly want to surround yourself by your classmates 24/7 you are kind of left out in this college. And all this happens by the middle of your freshman year.
This left this student with few people to hang with. Though she had made friends in her dorm, many of them pledged or joined something and they were otherwise engaged. She didn't get into the sorority of her choice. Also turns out living on a beautiful campus, in the middle of nowhere left few alternatives for leisure non-partying activities. No real town to go to, go to a movie, take a walk, or go to eat. Pretty place, but very isolated.
The areas you and your senior should be discussing now are not academics, but college life. Because honestly, this will be the make it or break it of settling into and loving their new college life. Here are some important questions to ask, and I advise making sure your son/daughter calls and speaks to at least two kids who are completing their own freshman year for their perspective. I know admissions offices will be happy to furnish your teen with students who have offered to talk to incoming freshman.
Questions:
The school she chose to attend last May was in a warm climate, which she loved, was a college that has become one of the "it" colleges over the last 5 years, and had that cache and vibe that both parents and seniors in high school respond to. Pretty campus, small but not to small, 5,000 students, good program in the academic area she "thought" might become her major. Notice I put the "thought" in quotations. That is because many, many kids start off with an interest in one area, and when they graduate are in a completely different major. Which is great by the way. That actually is what the college experience is all about. Trying out different identities, different interests, different kinds of relationships, and different academic areas. OK so what went wrong. Turns out the school was a complete mismatch.
While the "big picture" of this college fit the bill, the actual day to day of college life did not. This is a school where the "Greek Life" is king. Everybody pledges a sorority or a fraternity, or if that doesn't interest you, than there are academic clubs that function like them. These clubs unite people who share a similar major. You live together on the same dorm floor, study together and party together. This is a college divided. So... if you don't get into the frat or sorority of your choice, and you haven't yet settled on a major, or if you have, and you don't particularly want to surround yourself by your classmates 24/7 you are kind of left out in this college. And all this happens by the middle of your freshman year.
This left this student with few people to hang with. Though she had made friends in her dorm, many of them pledged or joined something and they were otherwise engaged. She didn't get into the sorority of her choice. Also turns out living on a beautiful campus, in the middle of nowhere left few alternatives for leisure non-partying activities. No real town to go to, go to a movie, take a walk, or go to eat. Pretty place, but very isolated.
The areas you and your senior should be discussing now are not academics, but college life. Because honestly, this will be the make it or break it of settling into and loving their new college life. Here are some important questions to ask, and I advise making sure your son/daughter calls and speaks to at least two kids who are completing their own freshman year for their perspective. I know admissions offices will be happy to furnish your teen with students who have offered to talk to incoming freshman.
Questions:
- Does size matter? Yes it does.
- Does rural VS urban VS suburban matter? Yes it does. How does your teen like to spend their free time, and does this school offer those chances to do what they like to do.
- What happens if they don't pledge a sorority or fraternity or do not get into one they want, or aren't interested in that whole joining thing, what do these students do and where do they go for their fun?
- What do people do on the weekends? At the college I teach at, many of the students go home on the weekends, and those left have nothing really to do. My school is in the suburbs, and most students do not head into Boston, and there is NOTHING to do in the town where the college is located At first glance they thought that small and suburban was good, but now they feel the limitation.
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