On Youth and Teens Today with Vanessa Van Petten

Best Unique Gifts for Teens and Tweens

Vanessa — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:29:18 +0000

How awful is it when you:

a) Give someone a gift you spent forever picking out and you know they do not really like it.

b) Get a gift you do not really like.

All year I am on the lookout for cool gifts for teens. I keep one big document and enter items my teen interns mention or like. I decided to post these a little early this year and maybe do a Part II as we get closer. (If you want to submit a gift idea to me, send the link to me).

Best Gifts for Teen Boys and Girls

Orb Watches It’s not so cool to wear a watch anymore, but these are very cool designs.

Solar Computer Backpack Does your teen have a ton of electronics? This might help keep everything charged (I kinda want one).

Nuddle Ok, this seems a little silly, but it is actually a really great idea and teens will love it while they study.

iTrain This is a great way to encourage your kids to be active and a new way to workout. These are workout programs for your kid’s MP3 or iPod.

Carbon Offset “The basic idea of a carbon offset is to figure out your personal contribution level to the global warming problem. This contribution is called a “carbon footprint.” Your purchase funds reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets help you take personal responsibility for the environmental consequences of your activities.” I think more and more teens are going green and this is a great way to encourage that trend.

The Something Store Ahh I love this idea. if you really do not know what to get the teen in your life, this is a good option: “We will send you something, an item selected randomly among many things from our inventory, for $10 (free shipping in the US) and you will find out what your something is when you receive it.” I have known people who have gotten a bag of mints and people who have gotten an Xbox…it is a fun game Christmas morning.

Goosie Cards Cool personalized cards that are very cute (can also secretly encourage them to write thank you cards after the holidays!)

Happy Socks: This Swedish hosiery company makes us want to never wear plain black socks again. Offering a literal rainbow of color palettes and patterns, the socks seem like the kind of thing you may see an accidentally stylish 6-year-old wearing, but there’s no reason we can’t treat our feet too. With a few pairs of these, we plan on rocking open toed shoes ’til the first snow hits.

Chalkboard Wallies If your teen has been begging you for a room makeover, this can hold them off a few more months…this spray paint can be put on walls to create chalkboards. This can give them lots to do and make their room very cool.

Best Gifts for Teen Boys

Mancards I love these cool cards that are very manly/teen boy.

Dart Board: Soft-Tip Dart Game Notice the soft tips, darts can be a great thing for kids to do offline and the soft tips will not poke someone’s eye out.

Gator Razor - Shaver Boys can always use a cool/funky/first time shaver or razor. I know my boyfriend was psyched when he got one that cleaned itself (but its so loud in the morning ugh.)

NHL Stanley Cup Air Hockey Game We always wanted one of these in my house. If you have boys, and you have the room, this can be a great gift.

Best Gifts for Teen Girls

Earringbuds Your kid always wearing earbuds? At least they can look like jewelry now.

Also check out Earbud Charms.

iBangles This is possibly the coolest way to listen to music.

Kubit2Me Is a great party activity for teen and tween girls or sisters.

Contessa Picture Purses Put special pictures of their friends or family on their wallets or purses.

MiJa Mom-Daughter Jewelry Mija is a darling company that designs jewelry for Mom and daughter- bangles, necklaces…pretty cute.

Best Stocking Stuffers for Teens

I did a post on this last year. Check it out. I would also add:

Budclicks

Any great Pocket Books or Pocket Reference Guides

If you liked this post, check out:

What NOT to Get Your Teen This Christmas

My Top 10 Gifts for Teens Last Year

Best Unique Gifts for Teens and Tweens

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11-19-2008 News for Parents This Week

Vanessa — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:20:06 +0000

****We were in Teen Vogue this month! (I think you might be able to click on the article below to download our quotes and feature!)

Video of the Week

Coolest. Thing. Ever.
Four million dominoes = new world record

Vanessa’s Faves

Check out an awesome seminar with Vanessa: Ed Tech Talk

My Teen, The Alien Cool blog for moms of teens.

Some Thinking-Forward videos if you have time…

Show 22 “How do we get kids to do things they don’t want to do?”

Show 15 Learn a few new strategies for navigating the road to motivating your child.

Show 4 Shares top organization strategies for managing the ongoing paper flow that middle school causes.

Show 6 Shifted the focus from your middle schooler to you, the parent, and your ability to achieve work life balance.

Love this: Writing letters to Santa Claus is an age-old Christmas tradition for children all over the world. Macy’s is collecting these letters in a special Santa letterbox at all Macy’s stores. For each letter received, Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Details/Assets for bloggers can be found here: http://www.youcastcorp.com/macys/

Book of the Week

A Relentless Hope: Surviving the Storm of Teen Depression by Gary E Nelson

11-19-2008 News for Parents This Week

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Fitness Questions Answered by Teens

Vanessa — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:43:09 +0000

I’ve heard that strength training is not good for kids. Is this true?

Once upon a time this may have been true but there are many studies that actually state the opposite. Strength training programs that are supervised, safe and age-appropriate can be invaluable.

First of all it is very important to understand the difference between strength training, weightlifting, bodybuilding and power lifting.

Strength training, when done correctly, includes a carefully designed program of exercises to increase muscle strength and endurance.

Weightlifting, bodybuilding and power lifting usually involve some sort of competition with heavy weights and bigger muscles. This can actually put too much strain on muscles and growth plates resulting in more long-term damage.

Strength training is NOT about lifting the heaviest weights. It is about teaching teens body awareness. This includes proper posture, body alignment, body confidence and making them feel strong from the inside out. There needs to be tremendous emphasis on proper technique and safety.

Strength training not only utilizes weights, it can include a combination of free weights, selectorized machines, resistance bands and individual body weight.

Strength training can actually be a GREAT way to get kids into exercise. Kids who aren’t naturally athletic may be easily discouraged because they can’t easily run 1 mile or get out of breath playing basketball. That is where strength training can be a great way to get kids into a fitness regime. With strength training, kids can gain confidence relatively quickly along with a myriad of health benefits. As Arianna Neikrug, a 15 year old female who attends Hamilton High School says “strength training alleviates mental stress and pain. It makes me feel as if my mind and my body are “one”. After strength training, I feel accomplished and refreshed. I do it because I get such a whirl of relief afterwards. It’s an instant remedy for everything.”
Benefits include muscle strength and endurance, injury prevention, enhanced performance and body mechanics, stronger bones, lower cholesterol and, most importantly, fitness habits that will last a lifetime. “Strength training makes me feel good because then I know that I am getting stronger for many different activities. I do it to get in better shape and for fun” says Lucas Snyder, an 8th grader at Lincoln Middle School.

It is so important, however, to have a trainer work with your teen to design a program that works for him/her and make sure that the exercises are being performed correctly. It is not a one size fits all formula. Benefits are best achieved when strength training is incorporated into fitness routine 2-3 times per week.

Get Inspired:
Britney Bland-Junior @ SAMOHI

When did you start exercising/playing sports?
I was always really athletic and sporty when I was little and I started playing softball when I was in 5th grade. However, I quit this year as a junior because I feel I need to concentrate on my academics and getting into University.

How do you stay fit?
Even though I don’t play sports seriously anymore, I still workout on the weekends and sometimes play catch with my dad at the park. I also do hula every Saturday and surprisingly, it really works out your legs!

What inspires you?
I think that my entire family as a whole inspires me because they all support me in everything that I do no matter where they are. My family is all over the world so I get different opinions and advice from everyone.

How has fitness helped you in other parts of your life?
It keeps me in really good shape and I feel really good about myself when I can go to the beach and show off my two-piece with out getting self-conscious like I used to be. To me staying fit is a real confidence booster and you know that you’re staying healthy and helping your body live longer.

How does your family’s health and fitness affect yours?
My dad eats a lot of junk food but my mom and little sister don’t. I guess it’s a girl thing in the family. But I really try to get my dad to eat healthier and stay healthy without me or my mom (or my little sister even) to remind him to stay healthy. But my family is really fit for the most part. We all love playing sports and competing against each other to see who can do better. It’s our family competition.

Karen Jashinsky is the founder of O2 MAX-a fitness network for teens that teaches teens how to integrate fitness and nutrition into their day to day lives while preventing injuries and empowering teens to lead healthy and fit lifestyles. The O2 MAX training studio is based in Santa Monica. To receive her newsletter or contact her she can be reached at info (at) o2maxfitnes (dot) com. Or through her website & blog: www.o2maxfitness.com

Fitness Questions Answered by Teens

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GO GREEN

Vanessa — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:37:07 +0000

Shannon is one of our teen writers: she is a 16 year old from Maryland. She enjoys writing, is pro recycling, and loves the Jonas Brothers.

Tree hugger.

Yes, yes, I’m quite familiar with that nickname. It’s one that I’ve grow accustom to and am actually quite proud of.

Over the years I have become increasingly aware of the lack of enthusiasm to recycle. It seems like, until recently, the message that our ozone layer is rapidly depleting just hasn’t been sinking in. Now that it finally is, “Going Green” and being “Eco-Friendly” are suddenly quite popular.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking a lot about recycling and how truly easy it is to do. So I thought I’d share some super nifty recycling facts from some of my favorite Green websites with all of you OnTeensToday readers.

I must warn you, I find some of them to be quite alarming.

“Insanium in the Cranium!” To be exact.

Enjoy :)

Interesting (and Somewhat Shocking) Facts About Recycling and Greening our Environment:

There is no limit to the amount of times aluminum can be recycled. Glass is also, forever recyclable.

A typical family annually consumes:

182 gallons of soda

29 gallons of juice

104 gallons of milk

26 gallons of bottled water

Bottled water costs between $1 and $4 per gallon, and 90% of the cost is in the bottle, lid and label.

Eight out of ten plastic water bottles become landfill waste.

Plastic bottles take 700 years before they START to decompose in a landfill.

Americans recycle almost 13,000,000 glass jars and bottles every day.

In one year in the United States, the recycling of steel saves enough energy to heat and light 18,000,000 homes.

Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000 trees.

The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years.

Americans use 85,000,000 tons of paper a year. That’s about 680 pounds per person.

Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour. Every sixty minutes!

American throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups every year. (<–count the zeros in that ridiculously large number!)

And my favorite:

More than 20,000,000 Hershey’s Kisses are wrapped each day, using 133 square miles of aluminum foil. All that foil is totally recyclable.

Sources: A Recycling Revolution, Earth911, Go Green Lifestyle

GO GREEN

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Meet Carina

Vanessa — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:14:57 +0000

Carina is a 16 year-old high school student in Grade 11. She is interested in dancing and acting and in her free time enjoys writing stories, or drawing.

-My name: Carina
-My Grade: 11
-Home Province: Ontario
-Favorite movie: The Illusionist or Chicago

-Favorite website: www.shockwave.com

-Favorite topic to write about: Anything about goal setting, or achieving something

-Biggest misconception about teens: We’re smarter and work harder then you think. Sometimes we seem so mischievous but really, we take care in what we are passionate about. Give us a chance and you’ll see.

-What you wish all parents knew: Treat us the way you want to be treated. If you are over-protected or treat us like babies, we will back away and never want to speak to you cause it seems either controlling or degrading. Just treat us like young adults. OH! And just cause you’re yelling at us to do something, doesn’t make us want to do it more. Trust me, that room will be clean when we realize for ourselves a tornado hit it!

Meet Carina

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10 Facts: The Christmas Card Picture with Teens

Vanessa — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:27:47 +0000

Oh…its that time of year again.

Groan, grumble, grumble. “Mom, why do we have to? No one looks at it anyway.” Have you tried to take holiday or Christmas card pictures with teens, it can be tough especially when they are in that “no smiling phase.”

Here are some fun facts about taking the Christmas card picture in my house:

1) If you tell your son to shave his moustache, he won’t.

2) Don’t fix the dogs hair more than your own.

3) If you take a picture that is semi-cheesy, but looks like you are pretending to be an exuberant family–it will probably end up looking like a cheesy picture where you are pretending to be a exuberant family.

4) 550 frames, 12 outfit changes and 6 poses is normal.

5) Matching never works (mom there are multiple shades of blue and off-white and white are basically the same)

6) It is actually impossible to get every family member to smile at the same time.

7) Every child goes through their “I won’t smile phase”…it is annoying, but it usually passes.

8) Outdoor weather shoots actually never end up being scheduled on a good weather day (rain, wind, fires…)

9) Photoshopping is your friend (red eyes, pimples, cropping….)

10) You will always get at least one decent picture:

P.S One of these pictures will probably go out to a few hundred people my parents no longer know.

10 Facts: The Christmas Card Picture with Teens

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The Dangers of the Social Networking Profile

Vanessa — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:21:01 +0000

Think Before You Post: The Dangers of the Social Networking Profile … Revealed

Identity theft expert Jeremy Miller, manager of the Investigation and Restoration Center at Kroll Fraud Solutions, breaks down the typical components of a social networking profile and discusses why what seem like small details about your personal life can amount to a big reward for identity thieves.

Social networking sites … we all know and love them. After all, they keep us connected to friends, family and long lost acquaintances. They introduce us to others who share our interests and activities. In some cases, they even help us get jobs – take LinkedIn, for example. Or we can trace our family history with the likes of Ancestry.com.

But sometimes staying connected comes at a cost. What many do not realize is that the more information you reveal online, the greater your chances of having that information accessed by the wrong person. In fact, the risk of identity theft through social networking can be high. But before you delete that profile, you should know that social networking and identity theft DO NOT have to be synonymous.

There are certain things that you can do to minimize your risk and it starts with thinking before you post.

Name – Your name is the first and most recognizable part of your identity. When networking online, it’s better to use your first name only – or better yet, use a nickname that your friends recognize or that you’d be comfortable being called by strangers. If both names must be used, leave out your middle initial. In some cases, individuals may consider altering the spelling of their name or leaving out letters. For example, a woman named ‘Nancy’ might opt to spell it “Nancee” or “Nanci” in the networking space.

Birthday – Your date of birth is one key element of what Kroll calls the holy trinity of personally identifiable information (PII). In combination with your name and Social Security number, identity thieves have full ability to open accounts, rent homes and gain employment all while posing as you. It’s best to omit this information entirely, but at the very least avoid including all parts of your date of birth. You can always say March 5 without including your year of birth, for example. But make sure you don’t cancel out this protective measure by including your age in another section of your profile. If you do, an identity thief need only apply simple math to complete your date of birth.

Address – It’s never advisable to include your full address in any online communication. To put it into perspective: you wouldn’t hand over your street address to a stranger on the street, would you? For the purposes of online profiles, opt to include only your city and (if necessary) state. If you live in a large metropolitan area like New York City, you can probably get away with including both city and state, but if you live in a small town, it’s better to leave the information off altogether.

Profile Photo – It may surprise you to learn that your profile photo can reveal important information about your identity. For example, a photo of you in your business uniform might tell an attentive identity thief where you work – a key piece of information when it comes to verifying one’s identity. Consider using simple headshots to avoid unnecessary risks. In some cases you may even use alternate profile images – from a beautiful sunset shot to a picture of your favorite actor/actress.

Phone Number –It’s best to not post your phone number at all. A thief can easily obtain the corresponding address (see above risks) through a reverse lookup on the Internet.

Salary - Particularly in these tough economic times, your salary can make you more attractive to thieves – which in turn can make you more vulnerable. A fraudster is more likely to go after a person who has a higher salary, for example, as the individual has much more to lose and the thief would have much more to gain. And just THINK how easily it could be done if the other information above (profile photo, date of birth, phone number and address were ALSO provided!)

Status Updates – Regularly updating people on where you are and what you’re doing can put valuable information about you into the hands of an individual with bad intentions. Furthermore, if someone knows where you live by piecing together the above information, telling them you’re “at the movies” or “at the beach for the weekend” can be just the invitation an unwanted visitor needs to come snooping at your place of residence.

As if the above information is not ominous enough, it’s important to keep in mind that even individuals who include just one or two of these features on their Web site are not completely out of the woods when it comes to identity theft. Why? In a tactic known as “synthetic identity theft,” ID thieves piece together different components of a variety of individuals’ personal information to create one unique identity. That means your date of birth could be matched up with another person’s address or Social Security number to create an alternate or “synthetic identity” that may significantly impact victims later on in life. This concoction makes synthetic identity fraud particularly hard to detect and even harder to fix.

We realize that eliminating all of the above from your social networking activities would make for a pretty boring profile. We also know that social networking is here to stay and, more importantly, that it’s a great tool to help people keep in touch and meet across cities, states, countries and continents. While it’s not necessary to remove all details of your personal life from the pages of your social networking profiles, it is essential to think before you post. When in doubt, remember this: if you wouldn’t give this information to a stranger on the street – you probably don’t want to put it online for the world to see.

Kroll’s licensed investigators work with identity theft victims on a daily basis, allowing them to keep their fingers on the pulse of the latest identity theft trends. For more information on identity theft defense and response, visit www.krollfraudsolutions.com

The Dangers of the Social Networking Profile

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Interviewing for Pain: Whiny Teens

Vanessa — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:59:10 +0000

I have written before about Interviewing for Pain and how this contributes to teacup parenting. I wanted to write a post to bring this to some of my reader’s awareness.

I often hear parents Interview for pain when kids get home from school because they want to check-in.

Who: Interviews for Pain?

Parents, teachers, any kind of authority figure…I have even caught myself doing it, yikes!

What: Is Interviewing for Pain?

You have heard people doing this, interviewing for pain is when someone searches, or questions another person for physical, mental or emotional strife or discomfort.
“Was the teacher mean to you today?”
“Did the girls ignore you at lunch?”

When: Do We Interview for Pain?

In the car, when kids get home from school, at the dinner table, at the breakfast table…

How: Do You Interview for Pain?

You interview for pain when you ask leading questions. These are questions that you think might get a bad response. You are searching for discomfort or strife by tapping into and bringing up issues that you know are touchy or weak for the other person.

Why: Do You Interview for Pain?

This is the hard one. I know that when I catch myself interviewing for pain with my sisters

-I am doing it out of fear. I am afraid that something is going badly for them, that someone is hurting them or that they need help in some area.
-I am doing it because I want to know them. I find I interview for pain when they are not telling me enough about them. The usual questions of “How was your day, how was your test” get grunts or monosyllabic responses, so I start questioning looking for pain so they will open up.
-I am doing it because I want to help. If you find weakness, it means you can help them, and parents live to help and aid their kids.
-I am doing it as an excuse to give advice. Yes, we all love hearing ourselves speak and love giving advice. If you find something wrong, you can give them advice and tell stories.

Why Not: Interview for Pain?
-It teaches kids to focus on their discomfort and what is negative.
-It puts teens in a bad mood.
-It can make them be mad at you, even if it is not your fault because you brought up a sensitive subject.
-It usually puts you in a situation to give unsolicited advice…which kids hate (and do not listen to anyway).

What: Instead of Interviewing for Pain?
-If you cannot get them to open up with the regular questions, then pick subjects they get excited about instead of what they get nervous about.
-Talk about your own passion points (teens tend to mimic your energy, if you are excited, they will be).
-Let them vent. Sometimes you do not need to interview for pain for your kids to start complaining. This is OK, I find letting them vent and not belittling it is actually the best thing you can do to get them to move on.

This post is dedicated to Brian Weiner at the Illusion Factory, who always pushes me to focus on the positive and the importance of following your passions.

If you like this blog…

If you have a second…

If you are just feeling generous…

Please vote for me on the Bloggers Choice Awards!

It takes two seconds to register and I am going for best parenting blog.

THANK YOU FOR READING, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE!

Interviewing for Pain: Whiny Teens

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11-14-2008 Articles From the Week

Vanessa — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:50:15 +0000

I went to the airshow in Vegas last weekend, check out the pics!

Also I will be on a radio show today 12:30 pm PST, feel free to call-in! Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 21362

11-14-2008 Articles From the Week

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11-14-2008 Articles from the Week

Vanessa — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:59:05 +0000

Yay, the post is finally up…

50 Best Dad Blogs

7 Ways Tweens are Like Puppies [Humor] I swear, you will relate!

11-12-2008 News for Parents this Week

The Misunderstood Divorced Dad Guest post for any single parent!

The Mashup Syndrome…I think most teens have it (and that’s a good thing!)

Teen Articles

Teens Answer Fitness Questions Our health column from 02MaxFitness!

Teen Immigrants Our new Intern from Trinidad writes about experiencing the move to America.

Four Things Parents Should Know About Teens and Eating Disorders

If you like this blog…

If you have a second…

If you are just feeling generous…

Please vote for me on the Bloggers Choice Awards!

It takes two seconds to register and I am going for best parenting blog.

THANK YOU FOR READING, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE!

11-14-2008 Articles from the Week

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On Youth and Teens Today with Vanessa Van Petten

Best Unique Gifts for Teens and Tweens

Best Gifts for Teen Boys and Girls

Best Gifts for Teen Boys

Best Gifts for Teen Girls

Best Stocking Stuffers for Teens

If you liked this post, check out:

11-19-2008 News for Parents This Week

Video of the Week

Breaking News

Articles of Interest

‘Brow Raising

Shannon’s Faves

Vanessa’s Faves

Book of the Week

Fitness Questions Answered by Teens

GO GREEN

Interesting (and Somewhat Shocking) Facts About Recycling and Greening our Environment:

Meet Carina

10 Facts: The Christmas Card Picture with Teens

The Dangers of the Social Networking Profile

Interviewing for Pain: Whiny Teens

11-14-2008 Articles From the Week

11-14-2008 Articles from the Week

Teen Articles