You might be at that point as a parent where you are making the decision about whether or not your tween or teen should join Facebook. Perhaps your tween will be turning 13 sometime this year, which is technically the age they are supposed to be before signing up. Or you might have been wavering and can’t decide if your teen should jump in. Being that I am an avid Facebook user with a tween and two teens, I can offer you some thoughts. First, let me say that no parent should ever assume their teen doesn’t already have a … Continue reading →

When my kids were younger it was easy to pay them a compliment. They soaked it up. You could see the gleam in their eye as their smile took up their whole face. It was like watching sunshine come through. These days…well, whenever I try to give a compliment I get the raised eyebrow, a roll of the eyes or a shrug of the shoulders (which translated means “whatever”). It’s just a phase…it’s just a phase…I keep telling myself. But I won’t stop paying them compliments because I know that their outward behavior isn’t a true reflection of what is … Continue reading →

I love Facebook but sometimes it becomes T.M.I., or “too much information,” for those who aren’t familiar with this particular acronym. It’s not just the teens who I am friends with (which is kind of funny because the majority of them would never give me the time of day in person) but it’s the parents. Parents sometimes share things about their children on Facebook that they would probably be horrified about if they knew. There are just some things that need to stay in the family. Of course, I am just as guilty about sharing things I probably shouldn’t. I … Continue reading →

In my last blog I talked about a story that was on Dr. Phil’s show this week “Ask about the Internet.” It was about a man who had been deceived by a woman he met online. Well this show had another segment that emphasized other types of online dangers. This was about a 17-year-old girl who was the victim of a false Facebook profile that was set up. Someone had created a Facebook page that was supposed to be of her which included nude photographs. Now these nude pictures weren’t really of her but the idea that others would think … Continue reading →

Do you know who your teen is talking to online? Does your teen know who they are talking to? Recently I watched an episode of George Lopez where his son Max had made friends with a girl online. George was convinced that Max wasn’t really talking to a girl his age. On the other end, the girl who was talking to Max lived with her uncle and he wasn’t convinced that she was really talking to a boy her age. Quite frankly I understood why both had their suspicions. You don’t always know who you are talking to online. A … Continue reading →

There are certain rites of passage that preteens and teens go through. As a parent it can be bittersweet to watch their children pass through them. You see that they have taken one step toward independence, yet their other foot is still teetering on the side of childhood. As a parent you feel this sadness for what is being left behind, yet you can also feel a joy about what is ahead. It can be a confusing experience not just for teens but for parents as well. Although some rites of passage are more significant than others, there are some … Continue reading →