Troubled Teens Resources

There are many sites available to help families working through the challenges associated with raising a troubled teen.  There is a new site that may be helpful for parents to check out.  It is called OnLine-Family-Help there are products featured there that can assist virtually every member of your family. There are baby products, educational toys, and specialty products to assist parents struggling with a troubled and defiant teenager.

The site also offers helpful hints on how to do many little things that can help parents.  Parenting skills are discussed and suggestions on how to not only parent a troubled teen but get closer to them are highlighted.  If you are having trouble with a teenager or are having your first baby Online-Family-Help may be able to offer you some practical advice. Having a baby can be a traumatic experience for a young couple.  The stress of caring for the child is made more complicated by the lack of sleep that usually accompanies the new arrival.  If there are two parents it is easier but definitely an adjustment for all involved.  The new parents may have some extended family to assist.  The help of a loving Grandma at this critical time can be a life saver for the new parents.  Many hospitals offer new parent training, but there are many websites and resources available online that can help. 

The new baby will change the dynamics of the family for the remainder of the parent’s lives.  They will need to learn how to find time to still nurture their relationship.  It is easy for a new mom to become so consumed with the new arrival that she neglects or forgets her husband.  It is also common for the new father to spend more time away from home rather than trying to assist with the new added responsibilities.  Both parents will need to increase their level of commitment to make the relationship survive.

Teen age drug abuse has become a concern for many parents, but many of these parents don’t know where to turn for help and answers. There are many resources and information for parents needing teen crisis interventions, treatment centers, and the signs and symptoms of drug abuse. Some major companies are stepping up and campaigning for teen drug abuse awareness in the hopes that parents and teens can change the staggering numbers of cases that seem to be rising every year.

“MetLife Foundation will begin the next phase of its award-winning parenting skills campaign, airing education messages created in cooperation with the nonprofit Partnership for a Drug-Free America(R) on radio stations in 11 markets nationwide through November. The radio campaign is backed by web resources and a free brochure for parents.
The campaign features radio messages, in both English and Spanish, which stress to parents the importance of talking with kids about drugs and alcohol, and staying involved in their children’s lives in order to keep them healthy and drug free. Disturbingly, at a time when teens are faced with new threats such as the intentional abuse of prescription (Rx) painkillers and over-the- counter (OTC) cough medicines, the number of frequent discussions between parents and teens about the risks of drug abuse has decreased significantly.”

Many feel that school is where teens are learning about saying no to drugs, but that isn’t enough, parents need to stay on top of teaching the morals and values their children need to make the right choices in life.

(source)
KD

The pure and simple truth of the matter is teen crisis intervention begins at home. Parents, obviously, are a teens first line of defense in protection and education and the inculcating of values.

Parents, however, are increasingly turning to institutions to act as the authority for their troubled teenagers, abdicating their role as teacher and disciplinarian to schools and law enforcement, as if all of a sudden they have been shorn of the basic common sense necessary to raise their teens.

If you think I am exaggerating, listen to this.

“Stacey Leben has fielded calls from parents upset that their children haven’t cleaned their rooms by a certain time and once from a mom mad that one daughter used her sister’s suitcase.
[…]
Parents have called law enforcement when their children won’t go to bed, sit in a car seat and when siblings are arguing.

Lt. Dan Donlin… agreed that parents calling police when their kids get into trouble at home is nothing new…

Though officers should be involved in situations involving violence or danger, authorities stress that parents should call in law enforcement only after they have exhausted all other options of coping with normal child misbehavior.

“If they have a child who’s difficult to control at any age, I think police should be the last resort except in cases of violence,” Leben said.

“For menial behavioral problems, they need to utilize parenting skills,” Donlin agreed.”

(Source)

Parents would do well to step up to the plate and not seek substitutes for their authority. It undermines respect for the law when police are used as a threat or as a baby sitter, but far worse, it undermines the parent’s rightful authority, setting the stage for worse problems down the road.