On Youth and Teens Today with Vanessa Van Petten

Oh boy, the kids are at home, my sisters are scrounging with nothing to do.  I thought it was time for a little 10 tips post!  Most of these are academically geared because I think summer is great time to relax and to get ahead.

…most teens have no problem with the relaxing part, but need some help with the motivational part. = )

1. SAT Prep

Yes, summer is the best time for this.  Get an SAT Review Book and just start going over vocab and taking practice tests.

2. PSAT Prep

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I have written about how to handle school burnout before.  I have also explained the new phenomenon I like to call Teacup parenting, where parents seem to handle their kids with extreme care and as if they will break any second.

These teacup kids get to college and have never had anything go wrong in their entire life and they have a break down when they don’t get a teacher they want or the cafeteria stops making turkey strips (true story).

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By Shannon, a 16 year old from Maryland. She enjoys writing, is pro recycling, and loves the Jonas Brothers.  She is one of my fabulous teen interns.

Advice. Guidance. Direction.

Three things teens are always looking for.

Problems are something that we hate to deal with alone.

A lot of times when it comes to decision making we become incredibly indecisive, and rely heavily on the advice we get from those closest to us. We always consult the people we trust when we’re looking for answers.

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Many of my friends in High School and college had ADD.  Recently, two of my clients were diagnosed with ADD, so when I saw the book: The Survival Guide for Kids with ADD or ADHD by John F. Taylor, I decided I should write a post for some of my readers who are experiencing ADD in their family.

I gathered a few pointers from the book and also talked to the kids I work with about what they would like parents to know about their symptoms, trigger points and weaknesses.

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6 Ways the Mommy Mob Sucks “My Cupcakes Are Better Than Yours” This is a funny post for anyone who has an uber-mom in their life…you know those women who rack up volunteer points like they are rainbows in heaven?

4 Ways to Be Safe This Summer I recently had a break in in my community and wanted to post some neighborhood and community safety tips for families.

What Would America’s Next Top Mommy Look Like? [Humor] Could Martha be Tyra? How about MJ for Ms J?

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