Search Results for: blog good and bad news for teenagers in america

Teen Killers

My heart just breaks for the family of Jessica Ridgeway, the 10-year-old girl who disappeared earlier this month when walking to school in Colorado. Tragically, her body was found a few days later in a park. The killer? A 17-year-old boy who is also charged with the attempted kidnapping of a 22-year-old woman this past May. One of the things always looked at in cases like this is the personality of the perpetrator. This teen was described as quiet, shy, wore black clothing and pretty much kept to himself. Another story heavy on my heart is the death of Autumn … Continue reading →

I Would Do It All Again

If you had it to do over again, would you? Raising kids is hard, there is no doubt about it. I remember sometimes thinking if I had really known what this was like, I might have made a different choice. Usually that was when I was walking the floor for the third night in a row with a teething baby or when my teenager seemed to hate me and everything I stand for, but it all worked out. For every moment that you think, “What was I thinking?” there are a million more that let you know there is nothing … Continue reading →

Stranger Danger No Longer the Only Problem

It seems like lately all I am hearing are stories of child sexual abuse. Most of us are well aware of the Penn State scandal involving Jerry Sandusky, a former football coach. There are 10 alleged child victims. Then just this morning I hear on my local news station about the director of communications for the evangelical Lutheran organization, WELS, being arrested for charges of child pornography. Football coaches, religious leaders, teachers…the very ones we entrust our children to, taking advantage of their vulnerability and abusing their powers. Who can you trust anymore? Sadly, we live in a world where … Continue reading →

Does Soda Cause Teen Violence?

Is your teen a regular soda (or pop, however you wish to refer to it) drinker? Then you should know that your teen is at a higher risk of being violent. That is according to a recent study in Boston and a survey in Minnesota. So if that’s the case, then imagine how a teen that plays violent video games and downs a Pepsi on a regular basis will fare? While it is certainly an interesting study, I’m not entirely sure I see the link between soda and violence. I guess you could say that the caffeine causes an adrenal … Continue reading →

Do You Know Who Is Babysitting Your Children?

Do you know who is babysitting your children? Well if you live in Illinois, you just might want to do some digging. Recently the “Chicago Tribune” uncovered something pretty shocking and disturbing. Apparently Illinois subsidizes a childcare assistance program (totaling $750 million annually) that allows convicted rapists, child molesters and other violent criminals to babysit children who come from low income families. To me this speaks of two problems. One is the idea that children from low income families are not being given protection. The second is the absurdity of allowing these types of people to have access to any … Continue reading →

The Demise of Our Culture?

I was watching an interview with a Fox News contributor and author, Laura Ingraham, who was talking about her newest book, “Of Thee I Zing.” Apparently her book is about the demise of our culture. There was a person on this show who totally agreed with everything she was saying and there was another one who didn’t. One of the comments made is how each generation says the same thing, how much worse kids are “today” than they were “in my time.” Even back in the 50’s during the time of “I Love Lucy,” when a married couple depicted on … Continue reading →

Good and Bad News for Teenagers in America

Well its good and bad news for teenagers in America. The good news is that fewer teens are having babies and preterm birth rates are going down, along with death rates as a result of injury. There are also fewer teens participating in binge drinking. All of this comes from an annual report, “American’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2011” released from the “Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics”. I wish I could leave it at that but there is also some bad news. More teens are living in conditions of poverty and homes where at least … Continue reading →

This Week in Television – May 18, 2007

Posted on by

Big week for television viewers as the networks announced new shows and those that were cancelled. If you are a fan of “Veronica Mars,” “Jericho,” “The Class,” “Close to Home,” “George Lopez,” “Help Me Help You,” “What About Brian,” “Crossing Jordan,” or “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” I have bad news – all of these shows have been cancelled. Despite poor ratings, “Friday Night Lights” was renewed by NBC. “According to Jim” may or may not be back – ABC hasn’t decided yet. “The New Adventures of Old Christine” will be back, but in midseason, not on the fall … Continue reading →